This course is part of the Cloud Computing Specialization

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1,036 ratings

Indranil Gupta

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Cloud Computing SpecializationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

About this Course

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Cloud computing systems today, whether open-source or used inside companies, are built using a common set of core techniques, algorithms, and design philosophies – all centered around distributed systems. Learn about such fundamental distributed computing "concepts" for cloud computing.
Some of these concepts include: clouds, MapReduce, key-value/NoSQL stores, classical distributed algorithms, widely-used distributed algorithms, scalability, trending areas, and much, much more! 
 
Know how these systems work from the inside out. Get your hands dirty using these concepts with provided homework exercises. In the programming assignments, implement some of these concepts in template code (programs) provided in the C++ programming language. Prior experience with C++ is required.
 
The course also features interviews with leading researchers and managers, from both industry and academia.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Course 1 of 6 in the

Cloud Computing Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 23 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

Distributed Algorithm
Distributed Computing
C++
Cloud Computing

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 1 of 6 in the

Cloud Computing Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 23 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.42/5 (59 Ratings)

Indranil Gupta

Professor

Department of Computer Science

135,416 Learners

6 Courses

Offered by

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating92%(11,802 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

6 hours to complete

Week 1: Orientation, Introduction to Clouds, MapReduce

6 hours to complete

16 videos (Total 155 min), 8 readings, 3 quizzes

16 videos

Introduction to Cloud Computing Concepts, Part 13mOrientation Towards Cloud Computing Concepts: Some Basic Computer Science Fundamentals23mWeek 1 Introduction1m1.1. Why Clouds?6m1.2. What is a Cloud?5m1.3. Introduction to Clouds: History7m1.4. Introduction to Clouds: What's New in Today's Clouds7m1.5. Introduction to Clouds: New Aspects of Clouds8m1.6. Introduction to Clouds: Economics of Clouds7m2.1. A cloud IS a distributed system5m2.2. What is a distributed system?16m3.1. MapReduce Paradigm14m3.2. MapReduce Examples10m3.3. MapReduce Scheduling12m3.4. MapReduce Fault-Tolerance8mInterview with Sumeet Singh16m

8 readings

Orientation Overview10mSyllabus10mAbout the Discussion Forums10mInstructions for Taking the Prerequisite Quiz10mCourse Learning Community and Social Media10mWeek 1 Overview10mHomework 1 Instructions10mProgramming Assignment Instructions10m

3 practice exercises

Orientation Quiz30mPrerequisite Quiz30mHomework 130m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Week 2: Gossip, Membership, and Grids

Lesson 1: This module teaches how the multicast problem is solved by using epidemic/gossip protocols. It also teaches analysis of such protocols. Lesson 2: This module covers the design of failure detectors, a key component in any distributed system. Membership protocols, which use failure detectors as components, are also covered. Lesson 3: This module covers Grid computing, an important precursor to cloud computing.

3 hours to complete

14 videos (Total 122 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

14 videos

Week 2 Introduction1m1.1. Multicast Problem9m1.2. The Gossip Protocol5m1.3. Gossip Analysis15m1.4. Gossip Implementations4m2.1. What is Group Membership List?8m2.2. Failure Detectors9m2.3. Gossip-Style Membership7m2.4. Which is the best failure detector?4m2.5. Another Probabilistic Failure Detector9m2.6. Dissemination and suspicion8m3.1. Grid Applications6m3.2. Grid Infrastucture11mInterview with William Gropp20m

2 readings

Week 2 Overview10mHomework 2 Instructions10m

1 practice exercise

Homework 230m

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Week 3: P2P Systems

3 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 105 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Week4

Week 4

4 hours to complete

Week 4: Key-Value Stores, Time, and Ordering

Lesson 1: This module motivates and teaches the design of key-value/NoSQL storage/database systems. We cover the design of two major industry systems: Apache Cassandra and HBase. We also cover the famous CAP theorem. Lesson 2: Distributed systems are asynchronous, which makes clocks at different machines hard to synchronize. This module first covers various clock synchronization algorithms, and then covers ways of tagging events with causal timestamps that avoid synchronizing clocks. These classical algorithms were invented decades ago, yet are used widely in today’s cloud systems.

4 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 147 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

12 videos

Week 4 Introduction2m1.1. Why Key-Value/NOSQL?15m1.2. Cassandra27m1.3. The Mystery of X-The Cap Theorem19m1.4. The Consistency Spectrum9m1.5. HBase10m2.1. Introduction and Basics10m2.2. Cristian's Algorithm5m2.3. NTP4m2.4. Lamport Timestamps14m2.5. Vector Clocks12mInterview with Marcos Aguilera14m

3 readings

Week 4 Overview10mOptional: Lamport Timestamps (Ukulele Version)10mHomework 4 Instructions10m

1 practice exercise

Homework 430m

Reviews

4.4

263 reviews

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6.17%
2 stars
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1 star
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TOP REVIEWS FROM CLOUD COMPUTING CONCEPTS, PART 1

by VTAug 22, 2016

Very useful course. It built my Cloud Computing basis from scratch. Fisrt course gives me the enthusiasm to start the later ones. A good place for studying and sharing with course mates. Thank you!

by ABFeb 6, 2018

The course provided a good overview on various topics at sufficient depth. The assignments and quizzes were challenging enough allowing one to understand the concepts in good detail.

by DMDec 3, 2021

Excellent primer on distributed systems theory and practice, but the programming assignment was complicated by low quality template code.

by LGOct 7, 2020

Solid distributed systems' fundamentals class. The programming assignment was really evaluating my reverse and software engineering skills rather than my grasp of distributed systems' fundamentals

View all reviews

About the Cloud Computing Specialization

The Cloud Computing Specialization takes you on a tour through cloud computing systems. We start in in the middle layer with Cloud Computing Concepts covering core distributed systems concepts used inside clouds, move to the upper layer of Cloud Applications and finally to the lower layer of Cloud Networking. We conclude with a project that allows you to apply the skills you've learned throughout the courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Cloud Computing Concepts, Part 1

About this Course

Skills you will gain