Q: What is cloud computing?
A: Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and more—over the internet (the cloud) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.
Q: What are the benefits of using a cloud provider?
A: Cloud providers offer scalability, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, reliability, and enhanced security compared to traditional on-premise infrastructure. Users can access resources from anywhere, scale on demand, and pay only for what they use.
Q: How do I access cloud services?
A: Cloud services are typically accessed via web interfaces, APIs, or command-line tools. At ODU, cloud services are accessed through Kion, a centralized portal for managing permissions, provisioning resources, and tracking budgets across AWS and other platforms.
Q: What types of services are offered by cloud providers?
A: Cloud providers offer services across a wide range of categories:
Q: What is AWS and what services does it offer?
A: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive cloud platform offering services like EC2 (compute), S3 (storage), RDS and DynamoDB (databases), VPC (networking), SageMaker (machine learning), and Redshift (analytics).
Q: How do I create an AWS account?
A: You do not create an AWS account directly. Instead, ODU provisions access to AWS accounts through Kion. Submit a request via Kion to gain access to a specific project.
Q: How can I manage my AWS costs and billing?
A: While AWS provides native tools like Cost Explorer and Budgets, ODU uses Kion for centralized financial oversight. You can view budget allocations and spending within your assigned Kion projects.
Q: What security measures does AWS offer to protect my data?
A: AWS offers encryption (in-transit and at rest), IAM policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA), security groups, audit trails via CloudTrail, and compliance with major standards (SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP, etc.). At ODU, IAM roles and policies are centrally managed through Kion to ensure consistent security.
Q: What is Kion?
A: Kion is a cloud management platform used at ODU to provision, govern, and monitor access to AWS (and potentially other cloud services). It simplifies cloud access, enforces budgets, and ensures compliance with institutional policies.
Q: How do I log into Kion?
A: Go to the Kion portal and sign in using your Monarch Key credentials. After your first login, you can be granted access to projects.
Q: I logged in, but I don't see any projects. What should I do?
A: This means you haven’t yet been assigned to a project. Contact rcc@odu.edu to request access to a specific OU or project.
Q: Who pays for cloud usage?
A: In most cases, cloud usage must be charged to a grant, department, or lab account. Budget allocations are tracked through Kion at the project or OU level.
Q: Can I request cloud credits for a class or research project?
A: Yes, but requests are evaluated based on availability and justification. Contact rcc@odu.edu to start the process.
Q: How do I monitor spending?
A: Spending is tracked in real-time within the Kion dashboard. You can view total usage, remaining budget, and service breakdowns.
Q: What happens if I exceed my cloud budget?
A: Resource usage may be restricted, or your account access may be suspended until additional funds are allocated. Notifications are typically sent as you approach or exceed your budget.
Still have questions? Visit wiki.hpc.odu.edu for detailed documentation or contact rcc@odu.edu.