A self-paced starter pack for beginners, career changers and non-technical professionals who need a solid grounding in cloud computing. Six lessons cover core cloud concepts, service and deployment models, compute, storage and networking, security and the shared responsibility model, pricing and cost management, and architecture good practice with tips for studying towards an entry-level cloud exam. It is vendor-neutral learning and exam-study support only; it does not include an exam voucher and does not award any certification.
What you will learn
- Explain what cloud computing is and its main benefits
- Distinguish IaaS, PaaS and SaaS and public, private and hybrid cloud
- Describe core compute, storage and networking services
- Explain the shared responsibility model and basic cloud security
- Describe cloud pricing models and cost controls
- Apply well-architected principles and plan entry-level exam study
Lessons
- Core Cloud Concepts
- Service and Deployment Models
- Compute, Storage and Networking
- Security and Shared Responsibility
- Pricing and Cost Management
- Architecture Good Practice and Exam Study
Self-paced course from Tech Skills Library. Educational content only; it is not an accredited qualification, licence or credential.
Lessons
Core Cloud Concepts
Service and Deployment Models
Cloud services are classified by how much the provider manages and where they are deployed. Service models Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): virtual machines, storage and networks. You manage operating systems and applications. Platform as a Service (PaaS): managed runtimes and databases. You manage applications and data. Software as a Service (SaaS): complete applications such […]
Compute, Storage and Networking
Three building blocks underpin most cloud solutions. Compute Virtual machines with chosen CPU, memory and operating system. Containers for packaged applications. Serverless functions triggered by events. Auto scaling adds or removes capacity based on demand. Storage Object storage: files and media accessed over HTTP; highly durable and scalable. Block storage: disks attached to virtual machines. […]
Security and Shared Responsibility
Security in the cloud is shared between provider and customer. The shared responsibility model The provider is responsible for security of the cloud: data centres, hardware and core infrastructure. The customer is responsible for security in the cloud: data, identities, access, configuration and applications. The split changes with service model: in SaaS the provider manages […]
Pricing and Cost Management
Cloud costs can be lower than on-premises, but only with active management. Pricing models On-demand: pay per hour or second, no commitment. Reserved or committed use: discounts for one- or three-year commitments. Spot or preemptible: large discounts for interruptible capacity. Free tiers: limited free usage for learning and small workloads. Cost drivers Compute time, storage […]
Architecture Good Practice and Exam Study
Well-architected principles guide good cloud design. Pillars Operational excellence: automate and improve operations. Security: protect data and systems. Reliability: recover from failure and meet demand. Performance efficiency: use resources efficiently. Cost optimisation: avoid unnecessary costs. Sustainability: minimise environmental impact. Design principles Design for failure, automate, scale horizontally, use managed services and monitor everything. Studying for […]