IBM Cloud Advocate (C1000-176): Core Services¶
Table of Contents¶
- Compute Services
- Storage Services
- Database Services
- Networking Services
- Container Services
- Kubernetes and OpenShift
- Serverless Computing
- Service Integration Patterns
- High Availability and Disaster Recovery
- Exam Tips
Compute Services¶
Virtual Servers for VPC¶
Virtual Servers for VPC provide resizable compute capacity in IBM Cloud's Virtual Private Cloud.
Key Features: - Multiple profiles: Balanced, Compute, Memory, Very High Memory, GPU - Hourly or monthly billing - Boot from custom images - Attached block storage volumes - Multiple network interfaces - Security groups for firewall rules
Instance Profiles:
Balanced Profiles (bx2):
- Balanced CPU-to-memory ratio
- General purpose workloads
- Examples: bx2-2x8, bx2-4x16, bx2-8x32
Compute Profiles (cx2):
- Higher CPU-to-memory ratio
- Compute-intensive workloads
- Examples: cx2-2x4, cx2-4x8, cx2-8x16
Memory Profiles (mx2):
- Higher memory-to-CPU ratio
- Memory-intensive workloads
- Examples: mx2-2x16, mx2-4x32, mx2-8x64
Ultra High Memory Profiles (ux2):
- Very high memory-to-CPU ratio
- In-memory databases, SAP HANA
- Examples: ux2-8x224, ux2-16x448
GPU Profiles (gx2):
- GPU acceleration
- AI/ML, rendering, simulation
- Examples: gx2-8x64x1v100, gx2-16x128x2v100
Provisioning a Virtual Server:
# List available instance profiles
ibmcloud is instance-profiles
# Create a virtual server instance
ibmcloud is instance-create my-instance \
<vpc-id> \
us-south-1 \
bx2-2x8 \
<subnet-id> \
--image <image-id> \
--keys <ssh-key-id>
# List instances
ibmcloud is instances
# Get instance details
ibmcloud is instance my-instance
# Start/Stop instance
ibmcloud is instance-stop my-instance
ibmcloud is instance-start my-instance
# Delete instance
ibmcloud is instance-delete my-instance
Use Cases: - Web and application servers - Development and testing environments - Enterprise applications - Batch processing - General purpose computing
Bare Metal Servers¶
Single-tenant physical servers offering maximum performance and control.
Key Features: - No hypervisor overhead - Direct hardware access - High I/O performance - Dedicated resources - Hourly or monthly billing - RAID configurations
Server Profiles: - Compute: High-frequency processors - Memory: Large RAM configurations - Storage: High-capacity storage - GPU: Graphics processing units - SAP Certified: SAP HANA workloads
Provisioning Bare Metal:
# List available bare metal profiles
ibmcloud sl hardware create-options
# Order a bare metal server
ibmcloud sl hardware create \
--hostname my-bare-metal \
--domain example.com \
--datacenter dal13 \
--server <server-key> \
--key <ssh-key-id> \
--os UBUNTU_20_64
# List bare metal servers
ibmcloud sl hardware list
# Get server details
ibmcloud sl hardware detail <server-id>
Use Cases: - High-performance computing (HPC) - Big data analytics - Large databases - Regulatory compliance requiring dedicated hardware - Gaming servers
Power Systems Virtual Servers¶
IBM Power Systems infrastructure in the cloud.
Key Features: - AIX, IBM i, and Linux support - High reliability (99.95% SLA) - Enterprise-class performance - Flexible sizing (0.25 to 32 cores) - Integration with IBM Cloud services
Advantages: - Migrate IBM Power workloads to cloud - Hybrid cloud for IBM i and AIX - Disaster recovery for Power Systems - Development and testing environments
Use Cases: - AIX application hosting - IBM i (AS/400) modernization - SAP on Power - Oracle databases on Power - Core banking systems
VMware Solutions¶
Seamlessly integrate VMware workloads with IBM Cloud.
Offerings:
- VMware Shared: Tenant-based VMware infrastructure
- VMware Dedicated: Single-tenant vCenter instances
- VMware as a Service: Fully managed VMware environment
Key Features: - Native VMware tools (vSphere, vCenter, NSX, vSAN) - Migrate existing VMware workloads - Hybrid cloud with on-premises VMware - Disaster recovery capabilities
Use Cases: - VMware workload migration - Data center extension - Disaster recovery - Hybrid cloud architectures
Storage Services¶
Cloud Object Storage¶
Highly scalable and durable object storage for unstructured data.
Key Features: - 99.999999999% (11 9's) durability - Unlimited scalability - Multiple storage classes - Built-in encryption - Immutable object versioning - S3 API compatibility
Storage Classes:
Standard:
- Frequently accessed data
- Low latency access
- Higher cost per GB
Vault:
- Archive and backup
- Infrequent access
- Lower storage cost
Cold Vault:
- Long-term archive
- Rare access
- Lowest storage cost
Smart Tier:
- Automatic tier optimization
- Based on access patterns
- Cost optimization
Regional Options: - Regional: Single region, highest availability - Cross-Region: Replicated across multiple regions - Single Data Center: Single location, lower cost
Working with Object Storage:
# Install and configure AWS CLI (S3 compatible)
aws configure set aws_access_key_id <access_key>
aws configure set aws_secret_access_key <secret_key>
# Create a bucket
aws s3 mb s3://my-bucket \
--endpoint-url=https://s3.us-south.cloud-object-storage.appdomain.cloud
# Upload an object
aws s3 cp myfile.txt s3://my-bucket/ \
--endpoint-url=https://s3.us-south.cloud-object-storage.appdomain.cloud
# List objects
aws s3 ls s3://my-bucket/ \
--endpoint-url=https://s3.us-south.cloud-object-storage.appdomain.cloud
# Download an object
aws s3 cp s3://my-bucket/myfile.txt ./ \
--endpoint-url=https://s3.us-south.cloud-object-storage.appdomain.cloud
# Delete an object
aws s3 rm s3://my-bucket/myfile.txt \
--endpoint-url=https://s3.us-south.cloud-object-storage.appdomain.cloud
Use Cases: - Backup and disaster recovery - Content distribution - Big data analytics - Media storage and streaming - Application data storage - Regulatory compliance archives
Block Storage for VPC¶
High-performance block storage for Virtual Servers for VPC.
Key Features: - Provisioned IOPS - Multiple profiles (general purpose, 5, 10 IOPS/GB) - Up to 16 TB per volume - Encryption at rest - Volume snapshots - Boot and data volumes
Storage Profiles:
General Purpose:
- 3 IOPS per GB
- Balanced performance
- Most workloads
5iops-tier:
- 5 IOPS per GB
- Higher performance
- Database workloads
10iops-tier:
- 10 IOPS per GB
- Highest performance
- High-performance databases
Custom:
- Define exact IOPS (100-48000)
- Fine-grained control
- Specific performance requirements
Managing Block Storage:
# Create a block storage volume
ibmcloud is volume-create my-volume \
10iops-tier \
us-south-1 \
--capacity 100
# Attach volume to instance
ibmcloud is instance-volume-attachment-add \
my-attachment \
my-instance \
my-volume
# Create a snapshot
ibmcloud is snapshot-create my-snapshot \
--source-volume my-volume
# List volumes
ibmcloud is volumes
# Delete volume
ibmcloud is volume-delete my-volume
Use Cases: - Boot volumes for virtual servers - Database storage - Application data - High I/O workloads - Persistent container storage
File Storage for VPC¶
NFS-based shared file storage for VPC environments.
Key Features: - NFS v4.1 protocol - Shared access across multiple instances - Multiple profiles (3, 5, 10 IOPS/GB) - Up to 32 TB per share - Encryption at rest - Mount targets in different zones
Storage Profiles: - Similar to Block Storage (3, 5, 10 IOPS/GB tiers) - Choose based on performance requirements
Managing File Storage:
# Create a file share
ibmcloud is share-create my-share \
dp2 \
us-south-1 \
--size 100
# Create mount target
ibmcloud is share-mount-target-create my-target \
my-share \
<subnet-id>
# Get mount path
ibmcloud is share-mount-target my-share my-target
# Mount on instance (Linux)
sudo mount -t nfs4 -o sec=sys,vers=4.1 \
<mount-path> /mnt/myshare
Use Cases: - Shared application data - Content management systems - Media workflows - Development environments - High-performance computing (HPC)
Database Services¶
IBM Cloudant¶
Fully managed NoSQL JSON document database based on Apache CouchDB.
Key Features: - JSON document storage - HTTP API access - Built-in replication - Offline-first sync - MapReduce and Mango queries - Multi-master replication - Global distribution
Data Model:
{
"_id": "user123",
"_rev": "1-abc123",
"name": "John Doe",
"email": "john@example.com",
"created": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
"tags": ["developer", "ibm-cloud"]
}
Working with Cloudant:
# Create Cloudant instance
ibmcloud resource service-instance-create my-cloudant \
cloudantnosqldb \
standard \
us-south
# Get service credentials
ibmcloud resource service-key-create my-key \
--instance-name my-cloudant
# HTTP API examples (using curl)
# Create a database
curl -X PUT https://<username>.cloudant.com/mydb \
-u <username>:<password>
# Insert a document
curl -X POST https://<username>.cloudant.com/mydb \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"name":"John Doe","email":"john@example.com"}' \
-u <username>:<password>
# Query documents
curl -X GET https://<username>.cloudant.com/mydb/_all_docs \
-u <username>:<password>
# Find documents with Mango query
curl -X POST https://<username>.cloudant.com/mydb/_find \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"selector":{"name":"John Doe"}}' \
-u <username>:<password>
Use Cases: - Mobile and web applications - IoT data storage - Content management - User profile data - Offline-first applications - Multi-region data distribution
Databases for PostgreSQL¶
Fully managed PostgreSQL database service.
Key Features: - Latest PostgreSQL versions - Automated backups - Point-in-time recovery - High availability with auto-failover - Encryption at rest and in transit - Private endpoints - Horizontal and vertical scaling
Plans: - Standard: Single-zone deployment - Enterprise: Multi-zone deployment with HA
Provisioning PostgreSQL:
# Create PostgreSQL instance
ibmcloud resource service-instance-create my-postgres \
databases-for-postgresql \
standard \
us-south \
-p '{
"members_memory_allocation_mb": "4096",
"members_disk_allocation_mb": "20480"
}'
# Get connection strings
ibmcloud resource service-key-create my-postgres-key \
--instance-name my-postgres
# Connect using psql
psql "postgres://username:password@host:port/ibmclouddb?sslmode=verify-full"
Common Operations:
-- Create database
CREATE DATABASE myapp;
-- Create table
CREATE TABLE users (
id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(100),
email VARCHAR(100) UNIQUE,
created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);
-- Insert data
INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES ('John Doe', 'john@example.com');
-- Query data
SELECT * FROM users WHERE name LIKE 'John%';
-- Create index
CREATE INDEX idx_users_email ON users(email);
Use Cases: - Transactional applications - Data warehousing - Geospatial applications - Analytics workloads - Enterprise applications
Databases for MySQL¶
Fully managed MySQL database service.
Key Features: - MySQL 8.0 support - Automated backups - High availability - Read replicas - Private endpoints - Monitoring and alerts
Use Cases: - Web applications - E-commerce platforms - Content management systems - SaaS applications
Databases for MongoDB¶
Fully managed MongoDB database service.
Key Features: - MongoDB 4.4+ support - Replica sets for HA - Automated backups - Point-in-time recovery - Horizontal scaling - Private endpoints
Working with MongoDB:
// Node.js example
const { MongoClient } = require('mongodb');
const uri = "mongodb://username:password@host:port/admin?ssl=true";
const client = new MongoClient(uri);
async function run() {
try {
await client.connect();
const database = client.db('myapp');
const collection = database.collection('users');
// Insert document
await collection.insertOne({
name: "John Doe",
email: "john@example.com",
created: new Date()
});
// Find documents
const users = await collection.find({ name: "John Doe" }).toArray();
console.log(users);
} finally {
await client.close();
}
}
Use Cases: - Real-time analytics - Content management - Mobile applications - IoT data storage - Catalog management
Databases for Redis¶
Fully managed Redis in-memory data store.
Key Features: - Redis 6.0+ support - High availability - Automatic failover - Persistence options - Pub/Sub messaging - Lua scripting
Common Redis Operations:
# Connect to Redis
redis-cli -h <host> -p <port> -a <password> --tls
# Set/Get values
SET user:1 "John Doe"
GET user:1
# Hash operations
HSET user:1 name "John Doe" email "john@example.com"
HGET user:1 name
HGETALL user:1
# List operations
LPUSH mylist "item1" "item2"
LRANGE mylist 0 -1
# Set operations
SADD myset "value1" "value2"
SMEMBERS myset
# Pub/Sub
PUBLISH mychannel "Hello World"
SUBSCRIBE mychannel
# Expire keys
SETEX session:1 3600 "session-data"
Use Cases: - Caching layer - Session storage - Real-time analytics - Leaderboards and counting - Message queuing - Rate limiting
Db2 on Cloud¶
Fully managed Db2 relational database.
Key Features: - Enterprise-grade SQL database - Oracle compatibility - High availability - Automatic backups - In-memory acceleration - Multi-version concurrency control
Use Cases: - Enterprise applications - Data warehousing - OLTP workloads - Migration from on-premises Db2 - SAP workloads
Networking Services¶
Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)¶
Isolated network environments in IBM Cloud.
Key Components:
- VPC: Isolated network space
- Subnets: Network segments within VPC
- Public Gateway: Internet access for private subnets
- Floating IPs: Static public IP addresses
- Security Groups: Instance-level firewall
- Network ACLs: Subnet-level firewall
Creating a VPC:
# Create VPC
ibmcloud is vpc-create my-vpc \
--address-prefix-management manual
# Create address prefix
ibmcloud is vpc-address-prefix-create my-prefix \
my-vpc \
us-south-1 \
10.240.0.0/24
# Create subnet
ibmcloud is subnet-create my-subnet \
my-vpc \
--ipv4-cidr-block 10.240.0.0/24 \
--zone us-south-1
# Create public gateway
ibmcloud is public-gateway-create my-pgw \
my-vpc \
us-south-1
# Attach public gateway to subnet
ibmcloud is subnet-update my-subnet \
--public-gateway my-pgw
# Create security group
ibmcloud is security-group-create my-sg my-vpc
# Add security group rule
ibmcloud is security-group-rule-add my-sg \
inbound tcp \
--port-min 443 \
--port-max 443 \
--remote 0.0.0.0/0
Security Groups vs Network ACLs:
Security Groups:
- Instance level
- Stateful (return traffic automatic)
- Allow rules only
- Applied to network interfaces
Network ACLs:
- Subnet level
- Stateless (must define both directions)
- Allow and deny rules
- Rule priority order
- Applied to entire subnet
Use Cases: - Isolated network environments - Multi-tier applications - Hybrid cloud connectivity - Regulatory compliance - Development/test isolation
Load Balancers¶
Distribute traffic across multiple instances.
Types:
- Application Load Balancer (ALB): Layer 7, HTTP/HTTPS
- Network Load Balancer (NLB): Layer 4, TCP/UDP
Application Load Balancer Features: - SSL/TLS termination - Cookie-based session affinity - Health checks - Multi-zone support - Private and public options
Creating a Load Balancer:
# Create application load balancer
ibmcloud is load-balancer-create my-alb \
--type public \
--subnet <subnet-id> \
--subnet <subnet-id-zone2>
# Create backend pool
ibmcloud is load-balancer-pool-create my-pool \
my-alb \
round_robin \
http \
30 \
--health-monitor-delay 5 \
--health-monitor-max-retries 2 \
--health-monitor-timeout 2 \
--health-monitor-type http
# Add pool members
ibmcloud is load-balancer-pool-member-create \
my-alb \
my-pool \
443 \
<instance-id>
# Create listener
ibmcloud is load-balancer-listener-create my-alb \
443 \
https \
--default-pool my-pool \
--certificate-instance <cert-crn>
Use Cases: - High availability - Traffic distribution - SSL offloading - Zero-downtime deployments - Auto-scaling architectures
Direct Link¶
Dedicated private connectivity to IBM Cloud.
Options:
- Direct Link Dedicated: Single-tenant, 1-10 Gbps
- Direct Link Connect: Multi-tenant via partners, 50 Mbps - 5 Gbps
Benefits: - Low latency - Higher throughput - Secure private connection - Bypass public internet - Hybrid cloud connectivity
Use Cases: - Hybrid cloud architectures - Large data transfers - Latency-sensitive applications - Regulatory compliance - Data center extension
Content Delivery Network (CDN)¶
Global content distribution for fast delivery.
Features: - Global points of presence - Dynamic and static content - SSL/TLS support - Origin pull - Purge cache - Analytics and reporting
Use Cases: - Website acceleration - Video streaming - Software distribution - API acceleration - Mobile app content
Transit Gateway¶
Connect multiple VPCs and on-premises networks.
Features: - Hub-and-spoke topology - Multi-region connectivity - Classic infrastructure connection - Direct Link integration - Route filtering
Use Cases: - Multi-VPC architectures - Centralized network management - Hybrid cloud connectivity - Microservices networking
Container Services¶
IBM Cloud Container Registry¶
Private container image registry.
Key Features: - Private and public namespaces - Vulnerability Advisor integration - Image signing and verification - Garbage collection - Geographic regions
Working with Container Registry:
# Install Container Registry plugin
ibmcloud plugin install container-registry
# Login to registry
ibmcloud cr login
# Create a namespace
ibmcloud cr namespace-add my-namespace
# List namespaces
ibmcloud cr namespaces
# Build and push an image
docker build -t us.icr.io/my-namespace/myapp:v1 .
docker push us.icr.io/my-namespace/myapp:v1
# List images
ibmcloud cr images
# Scan for vulnerabilities
ibmcloud cr vulnerability-assessment us.icr.io/my-namespace/myapp:v1
# Delete an image
ibmcloud cr image-rm us.icr.io/my-namespace/myapp:v1
Use Cases: - Store application images - CI/CD pipelines - Kubernetes deployments - Security scanning - Version control
Kubernetes and OpenShift¶
IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service (IKS)¶
Managed Kubernetes service for container orchestration.
Key Features: - Managed control plane - Worker node pools - Multi-zone clusters - Integrated with IBM Cloud services - Istio service mesh - Knative serverless - Built-in monitoring and logging
Cluster Types:
Free Cluster:
- Single worker node
- 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM
- 30-day expiration
- Learning and testing
Standard Cluster:
- Multiple worker nodes
- Various profiles available
- Production-ready
- HA control plane (multi-zone)
- Full feature set
Creating a Kubernetes Cluster:
# Install Kubernetes Service plugin
ibmcloud plugin install kubernetes-service
# Create a cluster
ibmcloud ks cluster create vpc-gen2 \
--name my-cluster \
--zone us-south-1 \
--version 1.28 \
--flavor bx2.4x16 \
--workers 3 \
--vpc-id <vpc-id> \
--subnet-id <subnet-id>
# List clusters
ibmcloud ks clusters
# Get cluster details
ibmcloud ks cluster get --cluster my-cluster
# Download cluster config
ibmcloud ks cluster config --cluster my-cluster
# Verify kubectl access
kubectl get nodes
Common Kubernetes Operations:
# Deploy an application
kubectl create deployment nginx --image=nginx:latest
# Expose as a service
kubectl expose deployment nginx --port=80 --type=LoadBalancer
# Scale deployment
kubectl scale deployment nginx --replicas=5
# Get pods
kubectl get pods
# Get services
kubectl get services
# View logs
kubectl logs <pod-name>
# Execute command in pod
kubectl exec -it <pod-name> -- /bin/bash
# Delete deployment
kubectl delete deployment nginx
Use Cases: - Microservices architectures - CI/CD deployments - Stateful applications - Batch processing - Machine learning workloads
Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud¶
Enterprise Kubernetes platform with developer and operational tools.
Key Features: - Built on Kubernetes - Integrated CI/CD (Tekton) - Developer console - Operator Hub - Built-in registry - Service mesh (Istio) - Serverless (Knative) - Enterprise security
OpenShift vs Kubernetes:
OpenShift Advantages:
- Integrated developer tools
- Built-in image registry
- Source-to-Image (S2I)
- Enterprise support
- Security policies
- Operator ecosystem
- Web console
Kubernetes:
- More flexible
- Lighter weight
- Broader ecosystem
- Lower cost
Creating an OpenShift Cluster:
# Install OpenShift plugin
ibmcloud plugin install container-service
# Create OpenShift cluster
ibmcloud oc cluster create vpc-gen2 \
--name my-openshift \
--zone us-south-1 \
--version 4.13_openshift \
--flavor bx2.4x16 \
--workers 3 \
--vpc-id <vpc-id> \
--subnet-id <subnet-id>
# Get cluster configuration
ibmcloud oc cluster config --cluster my-openshift --admin
# Login to OpenShift
oc login --token=<token> --server=<server-url>
# Create a project
oc new-project myapp
# Deploy from source
oc new-app https://github.com/username/myapp.git
# Expose service
oc expose svc/myapp
Use Cases: - Enterprise container platform - DevOps and CI/CD - Hybrid cloud applications - Regulated industries - Multi-tenant environments
Serverless Computing¶
IBM Cloud Code Engine¶
Fully managed serverless platform for containers, batch jobs, and functions.
Key Features: - Auto-scaling to zero - Pay only when running - Support for containers and source code - Batch jobs - Event-driven architecture - Built-in CI/CD - Private and public endpoints
Code Engine Concepts:
Projects: Isolation boundary for resources
Applications:
- Long-running HTTP services
- Scale based on requests
- Custom domains and TLS
Jobs:
- One-time or scheduled tasks
- Batch processing
- No HTTP endpoint
Builds:
- Build container images from source
- Dockerfile or buildpacks
- Store in Container Registry
Working with Code Engine:
# Install Code Engine plugin
ibmcloud plugin install code-engine
# Create a project
ibmcloud ce project create --name my-project
# Select project
ibmcloud ce project select --name my-project
# Deploy application from container
ibmcloud ce application create --name myapp \
--image us.icr.io/my-namespace/myapp:v1 \
--min-scale 0 \
--max-scale 10
# Deploy from source code
ibmcloud ce application create --name myapp \
--build-source https://github.com/username/myapp.git \
--strategy buildpacks
# Create a job
ibmcloud ce job create --name myjob \
--image us.icr.io/my-namespace/batch:v1
# Run a job
ibmcloud ce jobrun submit --job myjob
# List applications
ibmcloud ce application list
# Get application URL
ibmcloud ce application get --name myapp
# View logs
ibmcloud ce application logs --name myapp
Use Cases: - Microservices and APIs - Batch processing - Event-driven workflows - CI/CD pipelines - Data processing - Scheduled tasks
IBM Cloud Functions¶
Event-driven serverless compute based on Apache OpenWhisk.
Key Features: - Function as a Service (FaaS) - Multiple language support (Node.js, Python, Go, Java, PHP, Ruby, .NET) - Event triggers - Sequences and compositions - API Gateway integration - Built-in packages
Cloud Functions Concepts:
Actions: Individual functions
Triggers: Named channels for events
Rules: Connect triggers to actions
Packages: Group related actions
Sequences: Chain actions together
Working with Cloud Functions:
# Install Cloud Functions plugin
ibmcloud plugin install cloud-functions
# Create a function (action)
ibmcloud fn action create hello hello.js
# Invoke function
ibmcloud fn action invoke hello --result
# Create function with parameters
ibmcloud fn action invoke hello \
--param name World \
--result
# Create trigger
ibmcloud fn trigger create myTrigger
# Create rule (connect trigger to action)
ibmcloud fn rule create myRule myTrigger hello
# Fire trigger
ibmcloud fn trigger fire myTrigger --param name World
# List actions
ibmcloud fn action list
# View activation logs
ibmcloud fn activation list
ibmcloud fn activation logs <activation-id>
Example Function:
// hello.js
function main(params) {
const name = params.name || 'World';
return { message: `Hello, ${name}!` };
}
Use Cases: - Event processing - API backends - Scheduled tasks - Data transformation - IoT event handling - Webhooks
Service Integration Patterns¶
Common Integration Patterns¶
1. Microservices Architecture:
Frontend (Code Engine/OpenShift)
↓
API Gateway
↓
Microservices (Kubernetes/Code Engine)
↓
Databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis)
↓
Object Storage (COS)
2. Event-Driven Architecture:
Event Sources
↓
Event Streams (Kafka)
↓
Cloud Functions / Code Engine
↓
Databases / Storage
3. Batch Processing:
Object Storage (input)
↓
Code Engine Jobs
↓
Databases for PostgreSQL
↓
Object Storage (output)
Service Binding¶
Connect applications to IBM Cloud services.
# Kubernetes service binding
ibmcloud ks cluster service bind \
--cluster my-cluster \
--namespace default \
--service my-cloudant
# Code Engine service binding
ibmcloud ce application bind --name myapp \
--service-instance my-postgres
# OpenShift service binding
oc create secret generic db-credentials \
--from-literal=username=admin \
--from-literal=password=secret
High Availability and Disaster Recovery¶
High Availability Strategies¶
1. Multi-Zone Deployment:
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3
App Instance App Instance App Instance
↓ ↓ ↓
Load Balancer
↓
Database
(Primary) (Replicas)
2. Auto-Scaling: - Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (Kubernetes) - Code Engine auto-scaling - Virtual Server auto-scale groups
3. Load Balancing: - Application Load Balancer - Global Load Balancer - DNS-based load balancing
Disaster Recovery¶
Backup Strategies:
- Database Backups:
- Automated daily backups
- Point-in-time recovery
-
Cross-region replication
-
Object Storage:
- Cross-region buckets
- Versioning
-
Immutable objects
-
Virtual Servers:
- Image snapshots
- Block storage snapshots
- Backup to Object Storage
Recovery Objectives: - RTO (Recovery Time Objective): How quickly to recover - RPO (Recovery Point Objective): Acceptable data loss
Exam Tips¶
Key Concepts to Master¶
Compute: - Virtual Server profiles and use cases - Bare Metal vs Virtual Servers - Power Systems for AIX/IBM i workloads - VMware Solutions for migration
Storage: - Object Storage classes and use cases - Block Storage IOPS profiles - File Storage for shared access - When to use each storage type
Databases: - SQL vs NoSQL decision factors - Cloudant for JSON documents - PostgreSQL for relational data - Redis for caching and sessions - MongoDB for flexible schemas
Networking: - VPC components and architecture - Security Groups vs Network ACLs - Load balancer types and features - Direct Link for hybrid cloud
Containers: - Kubernetes vs OpenShift - When to use managed Kubernetes - Container Registry for images - Multi-zone cluster benefits
Serverless: - Code Engine vs Cloud Functions - When to use serverless - Auto-scaling benefits - Event-driven architectures
Sample Questions¶
Q1: Which storage service should you use for storing container images? - A) Object Storage - B) Container Registry ✓ - C) Block Storage - D) File Storage
Q2: What is the minimum number of worker nodes required for a production Kubernetes cluster? - A) 1 - B) 2 - C) 3 ✓ - D) 5
Q3: Which database service is best for storing JSON documents with HTTP API access? - A) Databases for PostgreSQL - B) IBM Cloudant ✓ - C) Db2 on Cloud - D) Databases for MySQL
Q4: What is the difference between Security Groups and Network ACLs? - A) No difference - B) ACLs are instance-level, Security Groups are subnet-level - C) Security Groups are instance-level, ACLs are subnet-level ✓ - D) Both are the same level
Q5: Which service provides serverless container hosting? - A) Cloud Functions - B) Code Engine ✓ - C) Kubernetes Service - D) Cloud Foundry
Hands-On Practice¶
# Practice scenario: Deploy a multi-tier application
# 1. Create VPC and networking
ibmcloud is vpc-create demo-vpc
ibmcloud is subnet-create demo-subnet demo-vpc \
--ipv4-cidr-block 10.240.0.0/24 --zone us-south-1
# 2. Provision database
ibmcloud resource service-instance-create demo-db \
databases-for-postgresql standard us-south
# 3. Create Kubernetes cluster
ibmcloud ks cluster create vpc-gen2 --name demo-cluster \
--zone us-south-1 --flavor bx2.4x16 --workers 3
# 4. Deploy application
kubectl create deployment webapp --image=nginx
kubectl expose deployment webapp --port=80 --type=LoadBalancer
# 5. Setup storage
ibmcloud resource service-instance-create demo-storage \
cloud-object-storage standard global
# Cleanup
kubectl delete deployment webapp
ibmcloud ks cluster rm --cluster demo-cluster
ibmcloud resource service-instance-delete demo-db
ibmcloud is vpc-delete demo-vpc
Final Checklist¶
- Understand all compute options and use cases
- Know storage types and when to use each
- Familiar with database services and selection criteria
- Understand VPC networking components
- Know Security Groups vs Network ACLs
- Familiar with Kubernetes and OpenShift differences
- Understand serverless options (Code Engine, Functions)
- Know high availability patterns
- Practiced provisioning various services via CLI
- Understand service integration patterns
Success in understanding IBM Cloud's core services requires hands-on practice. Create a free account and experiment with different services to build practical experience. Focus on understanding when to use each service and how they integrate together to build complete solutions.