The Cloud

    AQA
    GCSE

    The Cloud refers to the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics—over the Internet ('the cloud') to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. Candidates must articulate the technical distinctions between local and cloud storage, specifically analysing bandwidth requirements, latency issues, and the abstraction of physical hardware via virtualisation. High-scoring responses will evaluate the implications of service models (SaaS, IaaS, PaaS) and deployment strategies on organisational security, legal compliance (GDPR), and operational scalability.

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    Objectives
    3
    Exam Tips
    3
    Pitfalls
    5
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award 1 mark for defining the cloud as a network of remote servers hosted on the internet used to store, manage, and process data
    • Credit responses that explain scalability: the ability to increase storage capacity instantly without purchasing physical hardware
    • Award 1 mark for identifying that data is automatically backed up by the cloud provider, reducing the risk of data loss for the user
    • Candidates must link the disadvantage of security to the fact that data is held by a third party, making the user vulnerable to the provider's security breaches

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award 1 mark for defining the cloud as a network of remote servers hosted on the internet used to store, manage, and process data
    • Credit responses that explain scalability: the ability to increase storage capacity instantly without purchasing physical hardware
    • Award 1 mark for identifying that data is automatically backed up by the cloud provider, reducing the risk of data loss for the user
    • Candidates must link the disadvantage of security to the fact that data is held by a third party, making the user vulnerable to the provider's security breaches

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡In 'Discuss' questions (AO3), structure your answer by contrasting the benefits of collaboration and access against the risks of hacking and internet dependency
    • 💡Use the term 'latency' when discussing the delay in accessing files over a slow internet connection to demonstrate technical vocabulary
    • 💡When asked about costs, distinguish between upfront hardware cost (Capital Expenditure - low for cloud) and ongoing subscription cost (Operational Expenditure - high for cloud)

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Stating 'it is in the cloud' without defining it as remote servers; examiners require specific technical definitions, not marketing terms
    • Assuming cloud storage is always cheaper; candidates often fail to account for long-term subscription costs versus one-off hardware purchases
    • Confusing cloud computing (processing) with cloud storage (saving files); candidates must distinguish between running applications remotely and simply storing data

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    State
    Explain
    Discuss
    Compare
    Identify

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