AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

In the world of cloud computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has become a leading provider of cloud-based solutions. With over 200 different services, AWS has quickly become the go-to choice for businesses looking to take advantage of the benefits of cloud computing. And with the growing demand for AWS professionals, there’s never been a better time to consider becoming AWS Certified.

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is an entry-level certification that provides a foundational understanding of AWS cloud services and how they can benefit organizations. In this blog post, we’ll explore the features and benefits of the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification, as well as the employment opportunities and types of jobs you can get with this certification.

Features of the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is designed to validate your understanding of AWS cloud services and your ability to use those services to create solutions for businesses. To earn this certification, you must pass a single exam that covers the following topics:

1. Cloud Concepts – covers the basic concepts of cloud computing, including the benefits of cloud computing and the different cloud deployment models.

2. AWS Core Services – covers the core AWS services, including compute, storage, database, and networking services.

3. Security – covers the AWS shared responsibility model, security best practices, and AWS security services.

4. Billing and Pricing – covers the AWS billing and pricing models and how to estimate AWS costs.

5. Support and Deployment – covers AWS support plans and the different AWS deployment options.

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is designed to be accessible to anyone, regardless of their technical background. You don’t need any prior AWS experience to take the exam, although some basic knowledge of cloud computing concepts is recommended.

Benefits of the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification

There are many benefits to earning the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification, including:

1. Validates your AWS Cloud knowledge: The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification validates your understanding of AWS cloud services and demonstrates to potential employers that you have a strong foundational knowledge of the AWS platform.

2. Increases earning potential: According to Payscale, the average salary for an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is $95,000 per year.

3. Opens up job opportunities: The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is recognized by many employers and can open up job opportunities in cloud computing, including roles such as Cloud Support Associate, Cloud Sales Associate, and Cloud Solutions Architect Associate.

4. Demonstrates commitment to professional development: Earning an AWS certification demonstrates your commitment to professional development and your willingness to invest in your career.

Employment Opportunities with the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification

There are a variety of job opportunities available to individuals who hold the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification, including:

1. Cloud Support Associate: As a Cloud Support Associate, you will be responsible for helping customers troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to AWS services. This role requires strong communication skills and a deep understanding of AWS services.

2. Cloud Sales Associate: As a Cloud Sales Associate, you will be responsible for selling AWS services to potential customers. This role requires strong sales skills and a deep understanding of AWS services and their benefits.

3. Cloud Solutions Architect Associate: As a Cloud Solutions Architect Associate, you will be responsible for designing and implementing solutions for customers using AWS services. This role requires a deep understanding of AWS services and the ability to design solutions that meet the specific needs of customers.

4. Cloud Project Manager: As a Cloud Project Manager, you will be responsible for managing projects related to the implementation of AWS services. This role requires strong project management skills and a deep understanding of AWS services.

Types of Jobs with the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification can open up a variety of job opportunities in cloud computing, including:

1. Cloud Administrator

As a Cloud Administrator, you will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of an organization’s cloud infrastructure. This includes deploying, configuring, and maintaining AWS services and ensuring that they are running smoothly. A Cloud Administrator may also be responsible for monitoring system performance, troubleshooting issues, and implementing security measures.

2. Cloud Developer

As a Cloud Developer, you will be responsible for developing and deploying applications on the AWS platform. This includes writing code and configuring AWS services to create scalable and efficient applications. A Cloud Developer may also be responsible for testing applications, troubleshooting issues, and ensuring that applications are running smoothly.

3. Cloud Security Engineer

As a Cloud Security Engineer, you will be responsible for ensuring that an organization’s cloud infrastructure is secure. This includes implementing security measures to protect against cyber threats, monitoring system activity for potential security breaches, and responding to security incidents. A Cloud Security Engineer may also be responsible for implementing security policies and training employees on best practices for cloud security.

4. Cloud Data Analyst

As a Cloud Data Analyst, you will be responsible for analyzing large amounts of data stored in the cloud to identify trends and insights that can be used to inform business decisions. This includes designing and implementing data analytics solutions using AWS services like Amazon S3, Amazon Redshift, and Amazon Athena. A Cloud Data Analyst may also be responsible for creating visualizations and dashboards to present data to stakeholders.

Conclusion

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is an excellent entry point for individuals looking to start a career in cloud computing. It provides a foundational understanding of AWS cloud services and demonstrates to potential employers that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to create solutions using AWS services. With a growing demand for AWS professionals, earning this certification can open up a variety of job opportunities in cloud computing, including roles like Cloud Support Associate, Cloud Solutions Architect Associate, and Cloud Developer.

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Cloud Computing

Welcome

Why Cloud Computing

What is Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing Deployment Models

Cloud Computing Types

AWS Cloud Overview

AWS Management Console Walk-Through

AWS Shared Responsibility

Summary

Module 2: Identity and Access Management IAM

IAM Overview

IAM Users & Groups Hands-On

IAM Policies Hands-On

MFA Overview

MFA Hands-On

AWS CLI

AWS CLI Installation Hands-On

AWS CLI Hands-On

IAM Roles

IAM Roles Hands-On

IAM Security Tools

IAM Security Tools Hands-On

IAM Best Practices

Shared Responsibility Model for IAM

IAM Summary

Module 3: Elastic Cloud Computing EC2

Budget Setup

EC2 Overview

EC2 Instance Hands-On

Security Groups

Security Groups Hands-On

SSH Overview

SSH Using Putty-Windows

SSH Using CMD-Windows

EC2 Instance Connect

EC2 Instance Roles

EC2 Launch Types

Shared Responsibility Model for EC2

EC2 Summary

Module 4: EC2 Storage

Intro to EC2 Instance Storage

EBS Volume Overview

EBS Volume Hands-On

EBS Snapshots

EBS Snapshots Hands-On

AMI Overview

AMI Hands-On

EC2 Instance Store

EC2 Instance Store Hands-On

Elastic File System – EFS

Shared responsibility Model for EC2 Storage

Section Cleanup

EC2 Instance Storage Summary

Module 5: Elastic Load Balancer and Auto Scaling Group ELB and ESG

Introduction to Scalability & High-Availability

High Availability, Scalability and Elasticity

ELB Overview

ELB Hands-On

ASG Overview

ASG Hands-On

Section Cleanup

Summary

Module 6: Amazon S3

S3 Introduction

S3 Overview

S3 Hands-On

S3 Security

S3 Bucket Policies Hands-On

S3 Websites

S3 Website Hands-On

S3 Versioning

S3 Versioning Hands-On

S3 Access Logs

S3 Access Logs Hands-On

S3 Replication

S3 Replication Hands-On

S3 Storage Classes

Snowball, Snowball Edge and SnowMobile

S3 Summary

Module 7: Database and Analytics

Database Introduction

RDS & Aurora Overview

RDS Database Hands-On

ElastiCache Overview

DynamoDB Overview

DynamoDB Hands-On

RedShift Overview

Amazon EMR Overview

Athena Overview

AWS Glue

DMS Overview

Database & Analytics Summary

Module 8: Other Services

Other Compute Introduction

ECS-Fargate-ECR Overview

What is Serverless

AWS Lambda

AWS Lambda Hands-On

AWS Batch

AWS LightSail

AWS LightSail Hands-On

Other Compute Summary

Module 9: Scaling Your Infrastructure

CloudFormation Overview

Cloud Formation Hands-On

Elastic Beanstalk Overview

Elastic Beanstalk Hands-On

AWS CodeDeploy

AWS SSM

AWS OpsWorks

Infrastructure at Scale Summary

Module 10: Global Applications

Why Global Application

Route 53

Route 53 Hands-On

CloudFront

CloudFront Hands-On

S3 Transfer Acceleration

AWS Global Aceelerator

Global Application Summary

Module 11: Cloud Integration

Cloud Integration Introduction

SQS Service

SQS Service Hands-On

SNS Service

SNS Service Hands-On

Cloud Integration Summary

Module 12: Cloud Monitoring

CloudWatch Metrics and Alarms

CloudWatch Metrics and Alarms Hands-On

CloudWatch Logs

CloudWatch Events and EventBridge

CloudWatch Events and EventBridge Hands-On

CloudTrail

X-Ray

Service Health Dashboard

Personal Health Dashboard

Monitoring Summary

Module 13: Virtual Private Network

Settings the Expectations

VPC and subnets, Internet Gateway and NAT Gateways

VPC and subnets, Internet Gateway and NAT Gateways-Hands-On

NACL and Security Groups

NACL and Security Groups Hands-On

VPC Flow Logs

VPC Peering

VPC Flow Logs and VPC Peering Hands-On

VPC Endpoints

VPC Endpoints Hands-On

Site-to-Site VPNs and Direct Connect

Transit Gateway

VPC Summary

Module 14: Security and Compliance

Introduction to Security and Compliance

DDoS Mitigration

Penetration Testing

KMS and CloudHSM

Secrets Manager

AWS Artifact

GuardDuty

Inspector

AWS Config

AWS Macie

Security and Compliance Summary

Module 15: Machine Learning

Amazon Rekognition

Amazon Transcribe

Amazon Polly

Amazon Translate

Amazon Lex and Connect

Amazon Comprehend

Amazon SageMaker

Machine Learning Summary

Module 16: Advanced Identity

Amazon Cognito

Directory Services

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Advanced Identity Summary

Module 17: Are You Well Architected?

Are You Well Architected

Operational Excellence

Security

Reliability

Performance Efficiency

Cost Optimization

Trusted Advisor

Module 18: Congratulations & Exam Preparation

Exam Tips & Congratulations

Your Training Instructor

Nadar Abdulghany

AWS Instructor | CCSI Instructor | NetApp Instructor

Nader is a solutions architect, consultant, and instructor. He specializes in cloud computing and automation (SDA, ACI, SD-WAN, Cisco Meraki, Cisco Viptela), collaboration, telepresence, video conferencing, data center solutions, service provider technologies, routing and switching, system programming, DEVNET, and storage solutions. Training topics he covers include AWS, CCSI, and NetApp. Nader is passionate about learning new solutions. This passion carried him through his education and work experience. It remains with him and there is certainly yet more to learn, yet more problems to solve, and yet more to build.