Cloud Engineer Course: Learn Cloud Computing from Scratch
Cloud Engineer Course: Learn Cloud Computing from Scratch
Module 1: Introduction to Cloud Computing
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.
Cloud computing allows businesses to access IT resources on demand, without having to invest in and maintain their own hardware and software infrastructure. This can save businesses money and improve their efficiency.
Benefits of cloud computing:
- Cost savings: Cloud computing can help businesses save money on IT costs by eliminating the need to purchase and maintain their own hardware and software.
- Scalability: Cloud computing is highly scalable, so businesses can easily add or remove resources as needed. This can be helpful for businesses that experience seasonal fluctuations in demand or that are growing rapidly.
- Flexibility: Cloud computing is very flexible, so businesses can easily change their IT infrastructure to meet their changing needs. This can be helpful for businesses that need to quickly adapt to new market conditions or that need to support new applications.
- Reliability: Cloud computing providers offer a high level of reliability, so businesses can be confident that their data and applications will be available when they need them. This is because cloud providers have redundant infrastructure in place and they monitor their systems 24/7.
Challenges of cloud computing:
- Security: Cloud security is a major concern for businesses, as they need to make sure that their data is safe and secure in the cloud. Cloud providers offer a variety of security features, but businesses need to implement additional security measures to protect their data.
- Compliance: Businesses need to make sure that their cloud computing environment complies with all applicable regulations. This can be a challenge, as regulations vary from country to country.
- Vendor lock-in: Once a business has migrated to the cloud, it can be difficult to switch to a different cloud provider. This is because cloud providers often use proprietary technologies and APIs.
Different types of cloud computing (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
There are three main types of cloud computing: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).
- IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): IaaS provides businesses with access to computing resources such as servers, storage, and networking. Customers are responsible for managing and maintaining their own applications on the IaaS platform.
- PaaS (Platform as a Service): PaaS provides businesses with a platform for developing, deploying, and managing their applications. PaaS providers take care of managing the underlying infrastructure, such as servers, storage, and networking.
- SaaS (Software as a Service): SaaS provides businesses with access to software applications over the Internet. SaaS providers host and manage the software applications, and customers access the applications through a web browser.
Popular cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
The three most popular cloud computing platforms are AWS, Azure, and GCP.
- AWS (Amazon Web Services): AWS is the leading cloud computing platform, offering a wide range of services including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. AWS is known for its innovation and its wide range of services.
- Azure (Microsoft Azure): Azure is a cloud computing platform offered by Microsoft. Azure offers a wide range of services including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. Azure is known for its integration with Microsoft products and services.
- GCP (Google Cloud Platform): GCP is a cloud computing platform offered by Google. GCP offers a wide range of services including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. GCP is known for its machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities.
Module 2: Cloud Infrastructure
Compute resources (EC2, VMs, containers)
Compute resources are the foundation of cloud computing. They provide the processing power and memory that applications need to run.
EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) is Amazon's flagship compute service. It provides businesses with access to a wide range of virtual machine instances, from small single-core instances to large multi-core instances.
VMs (virtual machines) are software computers that run on top of a physical computer. VMs allow businesses to isolate their applications from each other and to share resources more efficiently.
Containers are a lightweight alternative to VMs. Containers package applications with their dependencies into a single unit that can be run on any operating system.
Storage resources (S3, EBS, Glacier)
Storage resources provide businesses with a place to store their data. Cloud computing providers offer a variety of storage options, including object storage, block storage, and archive storage.
S3 (Simple Storage Service) is Amazon's object storage service. It is designed for storing large amounts of data, such as images, videos, and log files.
EBS (Elastic Block Store) is Amazon's block storage service. It is designed for storing data that needs to be accessed frequently, such as database files and application files.
Glacier (Glacier Archive) is Amazon's archive storage service. It is designed for storing data that is rarely accessed, such as backups and historical data.
Networking resources (VPCs, subnets, security groups)
Networking resources provide businesses with the ability to connect their applications to the internet and to each other. Cloud computing providers offer a variety of networking options, including virtual private clouds, subnets, and security groups.
VPCs (virtual private clouds) are isolated networks that businesses can create within the cloud. VPCs allow businesses to control their own network traffic and implement security measures to protect their data.
Subnets are divisions of a VPC. Subnets allow businesses to segment their network and apply different security policies to different parts of their network.
Security groups are firewalls that allow businesses to control traffic to and from their resources. Security groups allow businesses to open specific ports and block specific IP addresses.
Databases (RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB)
Databases are used to store and manage data. Cloud computing providers offer a variety of database services, including relational databases, NoSQL databases, and in-memory databases.
RDS (Relational Database Service) is Amazon's managed relational database service. RDS makes it easy to set up, operate, and scale relational databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle.
Aurora is a fully managed, MySQL- and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database that combines the speed and scalability of a commercial database with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of an open-source database.
DynamoDB is a fully managed, multi-region, multi-master, durable database with built-in security, backup and restore, and in-memory caching for internet-scale applications.
Module 3: Cloud Services
Serverless computing
Serverless computing is a cloud computing execution model in which the cloud provider dynamically manages the allocation and provisioning of server resources. The cloud provider takes care of provisioning and managing the servers so that developers can focus on writing code without worrying about managing infrastructure.
- AWS Lambda is a serverless computing service that allows developers to run code without provisioning or managing servers. Lambda functions are executed in response to events such as HTTP requests, changes to S3 buckets, or messages from other AWS services.
- Azure Functions is a serverless computing service that allows developers to run code without provisioning or managing servers. Azure Functions can be triggered by events such as HTTP requests, messages from queues, or changes to Azure Blob Storage.
- GCP Cloud Functions is a serverless computing service that allows developers to run code without provisioning or managing servers. Cloud Functions can be triggered by events such as HTTP requests, messages from Cloud Pub/Sub, or changes to Cloud Storage.
Managed services
Managed services are cloud computing services that the cloud provider manages on behalf of the customer. The cloud provider takes care of provisioning, managing, and maintaining the service so that customers can focus on using the service without having to worry about managing the underlying infrastructure.
- RDS (Relational Database Service) is a managed relational database service that offers a variety of database engines, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server. RDS makes it easy to set up, operate, and scale relational databases.
- Aurora is a fully-managed MySQL- and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database that combines the speed and scalability of a commercial database with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of an open-source database.
- DynamoDB is a fully managed, multi-region, multi-master, durable database with built-in security, backup and restore, and in-memory caching for internet-scale applications.
Application services
Application services are cloud computing services that help developers build, deploy, and manage web applications.
- API Gateway is a fully managed service that makes it easy to create, publish, maintain, monitor, and secure APIs at any scale.
- ALB (Application Load Balancer) is a load balancer that distributes traffic across multiple application instances. ALBs can be used to improve the performance and reliability of web applications.
- CDN (Content Delivery Network) is a network of servers distributed around the world that deliver content to users with low latency. CDNs can be used to improve the performance of web applications by delivering static content from servers that are closer to the user.
Monitoring and logging services
Monitoring and logging services are cloud computing services that help developers monitor the performance and health of their applications.
- CloudWatch is a monitoring and observability service that provides data and actionable insights to monitor applications, infrastructure, and resources.
- Application Insights is an application performance management (APM) service that helps developers monitor the performance of their web applications.
- Stackdriver is a monitoring and observability service that provides data and actionable insights to monitor applications, infrastructure, and resources.
Module 4: Cloud Security
Identity and Access Management (IAM, RBAC)
IAM is the process of managing digital identities and their access to resources. It is essential for cloud security because it helps to ensure that only authorized users have access to cloud resources.
RBAC stands for Role-Based Access Control. It is a type of IAM that assigns users to roles and then grants permissions to those roles. RBAC helps to simplify IAM by allowing administrators to manage permissions at the role level instead of the individual user level.
Examples of IAM and RBAC in cloud computing:
- AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) allows you to create and manage users, groups, and roles. You can then grant permissions to these users, groups, and roles to access AWS services and resources.
- Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is a cloud-based identity and access management service. Azure AD allows you to create and manage user accounts, groups, and applications. You can then grant permissions to these user accounts, groups, and applications to access Azure resources.
- GCP Identity and Access Management (IAM) allows you to create and manage users, groups, service accounts, and roles. You can then grant permissions to these users, groups, service accounts, and roles to access GCP resources.
Data Encryption
Data encryption is the process of converting data into an unreadable format so that it cannot be accessed by unauthorized users. It is essential for cloud security because it helps to protect sensitive data from being compromised.
Types of data encryption:
- At-rest encryption: Encrypts data when it is stored in the cloud.
- In-transit encryption: Encrypts data when it is being transmitted between the cloud provider and the customer.
Examples of data encryption in cloud computing:
- AWS Key Management Service (KMS) provides a way to generate, store, and manage encryption keys. You can use KMS to encrypt data stored in AWS services, such as S3, EBS, and RDS.
- Azure Key Vault is a cloud-based service that provides a secure way to store and manage encryption keys. You can use Azure Key Vault to encrypt data stored in Azure services, such as Azure Blob Storage and Azure SQL Database.
- GCP Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) provides a way to generate, manage, and use encryption keys. You can use Cloud KMS to encrypt data stored in GCP services, such as Cloud Storage and Cloud SQL.
Network Security
Network security is the process of protecting networks from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. It is essential for cloud security because it helps to protect cloud resources from network attacks.
Types of network security controls:
- Firewalls: Inspect and control incoming and outgoing network traffic.
- Intrusion detection systems (IDS): Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and generate alerts.
- Intrusion prevention systems (IPS): Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and block or drop malicious traffic.
Examples of network security in cloud computing:
- AWS Network Firewall (WAF) is a cloud-based service that protects web applications from common web attacks, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
- Azure Application Gateway is a cloud-based service that provides load balancing, web application firewall (WAF), and other features for web applications.
- GCP Cloud Load Balancing provides load balancing, traffic management, and security features for web applications.
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerability management is the process of identifying, assessing, and remediating vulnerabilities in systems and networks. It is essential for cloud security because it helps to reduce the risk of cloud resources being exploited by attackers.
Steps in vulnerability management:
- Identify: Identify vulnerabilities in cloud resources using vulnerability scanners and other tools.
- Assess: Assess the severity of vulnerabilities based on their exploitability, impact, and remediability.
- Remediate: Remediate vulnerabilities by patching systems, changing configurations, or implementing other controls.
Examples of vulnerability management in cloud computing:
- AWS Systems Manager Vulnerability Manager is a service that helps you identify and remediate vulnerabilities in AWS resources.
- Azure Security Center is a service that provides a unified view of security alerts and recommendations for Azure resources.
- GCP Cloud Security Command Center is a service that provides a unified view of security alerts and recommendations for GCP resources.
Module 5: Cloud Deployment and Management
Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, Bicep)
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the practice of managing infrastructure as code. This means that the definition of infrastructure is stored in a text file, which can then be used to deploy and manage infrastructure in a repeatable and consistent way.
Benefits of IaC:
- Repeatability: IaC allows you to deploy infrastructure in a repeatable way. This means that you can be confident that your infrastructure will be deployed the same way every time.
- Consistency: IaC helps you to maintain consistency across your infrastructure. This means that all of your infrastructure will be configured the same way, which can help to reduce errors.
- Version control: IaC allows you to version control your infrastructure. This means that you can track changes to your infrastructure over time and roll back to previous versions if necessary.
Popular IaC tools:
- Terraform is an open-source IaC tool that can be used to manage infrastructure on a variety of cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, and GCP.
- CloudFormation is an AWS-specific IaC tool that can be used to manage AWS infrastructure.
- Bicep is an Azure-specific IaC tool that can be used to manage Azure infrastructure.
Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) is a set of practices that helps you automate the development, testing, and deployment of software.
Benefits of CI/CD:
- Faster release cycles: CI/CD allows you to release software more frequently. This is because CI/CD automates the development, testing, and deployment process.
- Higher quality software: CI/CD helps to improve the quality of software by automating testing. This means that you can catch errors early on in the development process.
- Reduced risk: CI/CD reduces the risk of deploying software by automating the deployment process. This means that you can be confident that your software will be deployed correctly.
Popular CI/CD tools:
- GitHub Actions is a CI/CD tool that is integrated with GitHub. GitHub Actions allows you to automate your development, testing, and deployment process using workflows.
- Azure DevOps is a CI/CD tool that is integrated with Azure. Azure DevOps allows you to automate your development, testing, and deployment process using pipelines.
- GCP Cloud Build is a CI/CD tool that is integrated with GCP. GCP Cloud Build allows you to automate your development, testing, and deployment process using triggers.
Cloud Cost Optimization
Cloud cost optimization is the process of reducing the cost of cloud computing.
Tips for cloud cost optimization:
- Right-size your resources: Choose the right size of resources for your workload. Don't overprovision resources, as this will waste money.
- Use managed services: Managed services can help you to reduce the cost of managing your infrastructure. Managed services are typically more expensive than managing your own infrastructure, but they can save you money in the long run by reducing the amount of time and effort you need to spend on managing your infrastructure.
- Monitor your costs: Monitor your cloud costs to identify areas where you can save money. You can use cloud cost monitoring tools to track your costs and identify trends.
Module 6: Cloud Case Studies
Cloud computing is being used by businesses of all sizes to improve their efficiency, agility, and scalability. Here are a few real-world examples:
- Netflix: Netflix uses cloud computing to stream video to over 220 million subscribers worldwide. Netflix's cloud infrastructure is highly scalable and can handle spikes in traffic during peak viewing times.
- Airbnb: Airbnb uses cloud computing to power its platform, which connects travelers with hosts who rent out their homes. Airbnb's cloud infrastructure is highly available and can handle the large volume of transactions that Airbnb processes each day.
- Spotify: Spotify uses cloud computing to stream music to over 180 million active users worldwide. Spotify's cloud infrastructure is highly reliable and can handle the large volume of data that Spotify streams each day.
- Amazon: Amazon uses cloud computing to power its e-commerce platform, which sells a wide range of products to customers around the world. Amazon's cloud infrastructure is highly scalable and can handle the large volume of traffic that Amazon experiences during peak shopping seasons.
- Google: Google uses cloud computing to power its search engine, email service, and other products and services. Google's cloud infrastructure is highly reliable and can handle the large volume of data that Google processes each day.
These are just a few examples of how businesses are using cloud computing to improve their operations. Cloud computing is a powerful tool that can be used by businesses of all sizes to achieve their goals.
In addition to the case studies above, here are some other examples of how cloud computing is being used in different industries:
- Healthcare: Cloud computing is being used in the healthcare industry to store and share patient data, power electronic health records (EHRs), and develop new medical treatments.
- Financial services: Cloud computing is being used in the financial services industry to process financial transactions, manage risk, and develop new financial products.
- Education: Cloud computing is being used in the education industry to deliver online courses, store student data, and power educational tools.
- Retail: Cloud computing is being used in the retail industry to power e-commerce platforms, manage inventory, and analyze customer data.
- Manufacturing: Cloud computing is being used in the manufacturing industry to design products, optimize production processes, and track supply chains.
Cloud computing is a rapidly growing field, and new applications for cloud computing are being developed all the time. As businesses continue to adopt cloud computing, we can expect to see even more innovative uses of cloud computing in the future.
Conclusion
Cloud computing is a complex and ever-evolving field, but this course has provided you with a solid foundation in the essential concepts and skills that you need to be successful as a cloud engineer.
You have learned about the different types of cloud infrastructure, cloud services, and cloud deployment and management tools. You have also had the opportunity to apply your knowledge to real-world cloud computing scenarios through hands-on labs and projects.
With the skills you have learned in this course, you will be well-positioned to start your career in cloud computing or advance your existing career in this field.
Here are some specific ways that you can use your new skills:
- Design and implement cloud-based solutions for businesses of all sizes.
- Manage cloud infrastructure and services.
- Automate cloud deployment and management processes.
- Optimize cloud costs.
- Secure cloud environments.
- Provide cloud support and training to other team members.
As cloud computing continues to grow in popularity, the demand for skilled cloud engineers will only increase. By taking this course, you have taken the first step towards a rewarding and successful career in cloud computing.
Related Links
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional Official Study Guide (Exam SAA-C03) by AWS
Azure Solutions Architect Expert Design and Deploy for Azure (Exam AZ-305) by Microsoft
Cloud Computing: A Practical Approach by Anthony T. Velte, Toby J. Velte, and Robert Elsenpeter
I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
