Track

AWS Solutions Architect – Associate

From cloud fundamentals to solutions architecture on AWS, at the pace of the Solutions Architect – Associate certification.

10 posts · 60 min read in total

Start with part 1

Levels show how deep you want to go into a subject, and each one assumes the one before. They are not difficulty levels: a practice level can be simpler than a concepts one, it is only more hands-on.

Level 1Fundamentals

01
Cloud Fundamentals
Why the cloud exists: the essential concepts that show up in any cloud certification, whether AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or Oracle Cloud.
5 min read
02
Regions and Zones
Where the cloud really is: how regions and zones cut latency and keep one failure from taking everything down, on any provider.
4 min read
03
Virtual Machines: from the dedicated server to the cloud
From the dedicated server to the cloud VM: what virtualization is, who looks after what, and what the cloud brought that traditional hosting didn't have.
4 min read
04
Cloud Service Models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and FaaS
Four ways to use the cloud, from renting infrastructure to ready-made software: what each model delivers and who looks after what, on any provider.
6 min read
05
Containers in the Cloud
How to run containers in the cloud without managing servers: container services, Kubernetes orchestration and image registries, on any provider.
7 min read
06
Security and Shared Responsibility in the Cloud
The provider protects the cloud; you protect what you put in it. The division of responsibilities, IAM and least privilege, on any provider.
6 min read
07
Cloud Storage: block, file and object
Three ways to store data in the cloud: what block, file and object storage are, when to use each one and how the cost changes.
7 min read
08
Cloud Databases
Installed on a VM or managed? How the cloud handles backups, replicas and failures, and what stays your responsibility.
7 min read
09
Cloud Networking: VPC, subnets and firewalls
How to build a private cloud network: VPCs, subnets, gateways and firewalls, and how to decide what stays open to the internet and what stays protected.
7 min read
10
Cloud Costs: pay for what you use and control the bill
Where the cloud bill comes from, which pricing models exist (on-demand, committed use, spot) and how to avoid surprises with budgets, tags and right-sizing.
7 min read