AWS Academy Cloud Foundations
Introduction
Throughout the AWS Academy Cloud Foundations course, I gained a strong understanding of cloud computing concepts, AWS services, and best practices. The modules covered essential topics such as cloud architecture, security, pricing, and core AWS services, providing me with a solid foundation in cloud computing.
Key Learnings
Cloud Computing Basics and AWS Global Infrastructure
- Learned about cloud computing models (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS) and the advantages of cloud computing, including reduced capital expenditure, on-demand capacity, and increased speed and agility
- Explored AWS’s global infrastructure, including Regions, Availability Zones, and Edge Locations, which enhance reliability, scalability, and performance
Core AWS Services
- Gained an understanding of valuable AWS services including:
- Compute – EC2 instances, Lambda (serverless computing)
- Storage – S3 (Standard, Infrequent Access, Glacier), Elastic Block Store
- Databases – RDS (relational databases), DynamoDB (NoSQL)
- Networking – VPC, Route 53 (DNS management), CloudFront (Content Delivery Network)
Security and Compliance
- Understood the Shared Responsibility Model, where AWS manages infrastructure security and customers handle security in the cloud
- Explored Identity and Access Management (IAM) for user permissions, Multi-Factor Authentication, and encryption methods for data protection
AWS Pricing and Cost Management
- Learned about AWS pricing models, including Pay-as-you-go, Reserved Instances, and Spot Instances
- Gained knowledge of AWS Pricing Calculator, Trusted Advisor, and Billing Dashboard to manage and optimize cloud spending
Monitoring and Performance Optimization
- Discovered tools like AWS CloudWatch for real-time monitoring and AWS Auto Scaling and Elastic Load Balancer for resource efficiency
- Understood best practices for high availability, fault tolerance, and performance optimization in the cloud
Conclusion
Completing this course has provided me with a strong foundation in AWS cloud computing. Understanding core AWS services, security best practices, and cost management strategies has equipped me with the knowledge to apply these skills in real-world cloud environments. This certification serves as an excellent starting point for further AWS learning and future cloud certifications.