Cloud Practitioner Study Guide

Introduction

• Presented by Derek, an I.T support engineer with multiple AWS and Azure certifications.
• The guide serves as an introduction to cloud computing, specifically using AWS.
• Aims to prepare students for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.

Objectives

• Understand the cloud and its business value.
• Be over-prepared for the AWS exam.
• Familiarize with major AWS services and their business applications.
• Boost confidence and test-taking skills.

Exam Structure

What to Expect

• Test Topics:
  • Value of the AWS Cloud (for all professionals)
  • AWS Shared Responsibility Model
  • The Well-Architected Framework (five pillars; note the new sustainability pillar)
  • Common AWS services and use cases

What Not to Expect

• Coding or designing architecture.
• Troubleshooting or migrating workloads.
• DevOps practices.

Tips for Passing the Exam

• Rule out unrelated answers.
• Identify keywords in questions.
• Avoid absolutes like "always" or "never."
• Understand AWS service context and terminology.

Exam Domains Breakdown

• Cloud Concepts: 26%
• Security & Compliance: 25%
• Technology: 33%
• Billing & Pricing: 16%

Cloud Computing Overview

• Definition: On-demand delivery of IT resources over the Internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.
• Key Concepts: Compute, storage, database, networking.
• Parties involved: Providers (AWS, Azure, etc.) and customers (businesses).
• Benefits: Speed, agility, and cost reduction.

Shared Responsibility Model

• AWS Responsibilities:
  • Infrastructure security (hardware, global infrastructure, software).
• Customer Responsibilities:
  • Data security (encryption), configuration of infrastructure, managed services.

Benefits of Using the Cloud

• Increased agility, speed, and availability.
• Pay-as-you-go pricing.
• Economies of scale and global reach.
• Scalability and elasticity.
• Reduced physical infrastructure costs.

Cloud Architecture Principles

• Key Components: Regions, Availability Zones, Edge Locations.
• Pillars of AWS Well-Architected Framework:
  1. Operational Excellence
  2. Security
  3. Reliability
  4. Performance Efficiency
  5. Cost Optimization

Key AWS Services

• Compute Services: EC2, Lambda, ECS (Elastic Container Service), Fargate.
• Storage Services: S3 (Simple Storage Service), EBS (Elastic Block Storage), EFS (Elastic File System), Glacier.
• Database Services: RDS (Relational Database Service), DynamoDB, Redshift.
• Networking Services: VPC (Virtual Private Cloud), Route 53, CloudFront, Direct Connect.
• Security Services: IAM (Identity and Access Management), AWS Shield, WAF (Web Application Firewall), Guard Duty.

Management Tools

• AWS Management Console: Web-based UI for AWS resources.
• AWS CLI: Command Line Interface.
• AWS SDKs: For various programming languages.
• AWS Budgets & Cost Explorer: To manage costs effectively.

User and Identity Management

• IAM Basics: Users, Groups, and Roles. Principle of least privilege.
• Third-Party Integrations: Amazon Cognito for Federated identities.
• Root User Account: Highly privileged; requires MFA for security.

Logging and Monitoring

• CloudWatch: Monitors performance and logs.
• CloudTrail: Tracks user access and API calls.

Pricing and Billing

• TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): Cost comparison of on-premise vs cloud.
• AWS Pricing Calculator and Budgets: Tools to manage costs.

Conclusion

• Preparation and understanding of AWS services are critical for passing the test.
• Practice Labs and quizzes are recommended for hands-on experience.
• Reach out for any questions or further assistance.