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Practise 24 exam-style questions on Virtual memory and cloud storage for Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science (Paper 1). Write your answer as you would in the exam and get it marked in seconds against the mark scheme, point by point, with an AI tutor on hand if you get stuck.
Here are 4 of the questions in this topic, each with a model answer, an explanation of why it earns the marks and the mark scheme an examiner would use.
State what a user needs in order to access files that are stored in the cloud.
An internet connection.
Cloud storage is accessed remotely, over the internet. Without a connection, the user cannot reach their files, which is one of the main drawbacks of cloud storage compared with local storage.
An internet connection
accept 'access to the internet/a network'; ignore 'a device'
Explain what is meant by cloud storage.
Cloud storage is a way of storing data on remote physical servers, usually owned and managed by a third-party company, which the user accesses over the internet.
The 'cloud' is a set of real servers in data centres that you reach through the internet. The two key ideas from the syllabus are that the storage is accessed remotely and that physical servers and storage are still needed.
Data is stored on remote (physical) servers, owned/managed by a third-party provider
max 2
The data is accessed remotely over the internet
The same data is often stored on more than one server (data redundancy)
A student says: "Cloud storage is stored on the internet itself, so no physical storage devices are needed."
Explain why the student is incorrect.
Cloud storage still needs physical storage. The data is stored on real servers containing hard disk drives or SSDs, in data centres owned and maintained by the cloud storage provider. The internet is only the network that lets the user access those servers remotely; the data is not stored in the internet itself.
The syllabus stresses that physical servers and storage are needed for cloud storage. 'Cloud' describes where the user thinks of the data (somewhere out there), not how it is stored. The data sits on drives in buildings, often in several places at once.
Cloud data is stored on physical servers
max 3
The servers use physical storage devices such as HDDs/SSDs (in data centres)
The servers/storage are owned and maintained by the cloud storage provider
The internet is only the network used to access the data remotely; the data is not stored 'in' the internet
A hospital is considering storing its patient records using a cloud storage provider.
Explain two reasons why the hospital might be concerned about doing this.
First, the records would be stored on servers controlled by another company, so the hospital would have less control over the security of highly confidential patient data, and if the provider were hacked the records could be stolen. Second, staff could only access the records over the internet, so if the connection failed, doctors might not be able to see the information they need to treat patients.
For an 'explain two reasons' question, each reason needs a point and an expansion that links it to the scenario. A hospital's data is confidential and needed urgently, so security and reliable access are the key concerns. Generic answers such as 'it might not be safe' only earn credit when expanded.
The records are stored on servers controlled by a third party
max 4: two reasons, each with an expansion
So the hospital has less control over the security of confidential patient data
The provider's servers could be hacked
So confidential patient records could be stolen or leaked
Access depends on an internet connection
So if the connection fails, doctors cannot see records needed to treat patients
The servers may be in another country
Where different data protection laws apply
The provider could have a technical failure or go out of business
So the records could be lost or unavailable
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