Cloud computing

About "Cloud Computing"

This course is a practical course where you will learn how to configure a Virtual Private Server (VPS) for cloud computing. Cloud computing is "the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer" (SCOUT Technology Guides).

Course Projects

This course has eight required projects for the class participants to apply their theoretical understanding. During this course, you will

Perform the initial configuration on a VPS to prepare it for cloud computing.
Configure Nginx as a reverse proxy to access various services on the VPS
Configure Apache, PHP, and MySQL to host common websites.
Use Docker containers to separate project components among different containers.
Use Dockerfiles to automate the process of building pre-configured images to deploy web applications or internet services.
Set up a development environment for web applications
Create a script to backup the VPS data

Capstone Project

You will create a portfolio to demonstrate that mastered each of the topics.

Course Resources

Lab resources are on the BilimEdtech Labs site.
Course videos are on the BilimEdtech Videos YouTube channel:

Course Format and Structure

Course Format

There are two possible modes:

Studying for credit: You are required to follow the course schedule and submit assignments.
Studying for personal knowledge: You can complete the activities at your own pace. Only verification of the portfolio project is required for a certificate of completion.

Course Structure

Each topic has a similar structure:

Overview - Introduces the topic and expected outcomes
Lab Instructions - Describes how to complete the task, what to submit, and how
Videos - Walkthrough guides demonstrating the process
Conclusion - A wrap-up summary and an opportunity to provide feedback

Course Goal and Expected Results

This course provides with you practical hands-on skills to configure and use a VPS.

At the end of the course, you will have learned how to:

Configure a VPS to host applications
Set up Nginx as a reverse proxy server
Host HTML and PHP files
Set up pre-packaged web applications using Snap
How to host various applications using Docker
Create your own Docker images
Develop a Python application using the Flask microframework
Secure your VPS and back up your data

Expected Results: There is no final exam. Instead, this course uses a portfolio as the capstone project to demonstrate that you have completed and mastered each topic. 🧑‍💻

Prerequisites and Intended Audience

Is this course for you?

Having a technical background and experience using the command line is helpful, but not required.

This course was designed specifically for graduate students studying in the School of IT. However, this course is applicable to anyone who wants to learn how to configure a server to host their own web applications or sites. We've designed this course for participants with zero experience using Linux. Knowing how to use Linux is helpful but not required.

Study Modes

Studying for credit: You are required to follow the course schedule and submit assignments.
Studying for personal knowledge: You can complete the activities at your own pace. You will be required to submit your capstone project to receive a certificate of completion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a VPS subscription required?

Yes, knowing how to obtain a VPS subscription is the first step to learning about cloud computing.

Can I use a virtualized server on my laptop, such as VirtualBox or WSL?

No. These projects require that the learners work in an authentic environment. Furthermore, the projects require a public IP using ports 80 and 443.

Is a domain name required?

Yes, the learner is required to obtain a domain name, either free or paid. Users interact with web content using a domain name and not IP addresses. Furthermore, a domain name is required to use a reverse proxy effectively.

The page reads "Content Locked". What do I do?

You must first complete a previous section. Click the "Go To Prerequisite Section" button to view the content.

Course Developer

This course was created by Anthony Hetrick specifically for master's students studying at EKTU.

Anthony Hetrick (EdD)

Department: School of IT
Email: [email protected]
About: Anthony is an engineer by trade but embarked on a journey to help develop online education. He focuses on bridging the gap between educators and technical systems.

Course Certification

The course was checked by an expert committee to verify that it meets all the requirements according to the document "Стандарты по разработке курсов в Open edX ДП НАО «ВКТУ» 041-I-2022".

IT_IS: NAU_EN Cloud computing