computer science

Linode

Linode is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Linode rather than just read about it. In short: Linode () was an American cloud hosting provider that focuses on providing Linux-based virtual machines and cloud infrastructure. From the time of its launch in 2003, Linode provided virtual private server (VPS) hosting.

Key takeaways

Linode belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Linode to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Linode from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Linode () was an American cloud hosting provider that focuses on providing Linux-based virtual machines and cloud infrastructure. From the time of its launch in 2003, Linode provided virtual private server (VPS) hosting. Linode was acquired by Akamai Technologies in February 2022 for $900 million.

History Linode (a portmanteau of the words Linux and node) was founded in 2003 by Christopher Aker. Aker is a graduate of Full Sail University in Florida. The company moved its headquarters to Galloway, New Jersey in 2008. Linode relocated to the historic Corn Exchange National Bank building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2018. On February 15, 2022, Akamai Technologies announced its intent to acquire Linode for $900 million. Akamai's founder and CEO Tom Leighton stated that it sought to "combine Linode's developer-friendly cloud computing capabilities with Akamai’s market-leading edge platform and security services".

Products and services As of November 2019, Linode provided several kinds of virtualization-based computing services with options to meet specific customer needs, such as high memory requirements, dedicated CPU resources, virtual machines with direct access to GPUs. Linode provided services in network-based storage and backup servers. In September 2013, Linode launched Longview, a system performance monitoring package for Linux that allows users to view performance metrics of their instances from the Linode Cloud Manager. In late October 2019, Linode launched its S3-Compatible Object Storage service to enable customers to store large, unstructured data. On November 11, 2019, at CNCF KubeCon, Linode announced the availability of its managed Kubernetes engine service.

Security incidents In 2012, the accounts of eight Linode customers were compromised, stealing roughly 40,000 bitcoins. In 2013, hacking group Hack The Planet (HTP) accessed Linode's web servers by exploiting a technical vulnerability in Adobe's ColdFusion application server. Linode said that HTP could not decrypt any financially sensitive information and reset all account passwords. Linode announced plans to introduce two-factor authentication for its services in May 2013. Starting Christmas Day 2015 and continuing until January 10, 2016, Linode was hit by large and frequent DDoS attacks, which were being caused by a "bad actor" purchasing large amounts of botnet capacity in an attempt to significantly damage Linode's business. Linode was the victim of another severe DDoS attack over the 2016 Labor Day weekend.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Linode

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Linode claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Linode before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Linode ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Linode

In research: Linode appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Linode in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Linode is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2003 establishments in California, 2022 disestablishments in Pennsylvania, 2022 mergers and acquisitions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Linode outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Linode in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Linode means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Linode out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Linode in simple terms?

Why does Linode matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Linode?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Linode.