Cloud Engineering Foundations

Explore computer hardware and operating systems, IP addressing, DNS, HTTP, routing, and how clients communicate with servers. Use these foundations to understand the network paths and services that cloud applications depend on.

• How Computer Hardware and Operating Systems Work Together

  Distinguish computer hardware from operating system software using a simple example.

• Set Up a Network Exploration Workspace

  Prepare a workspace with a terminal, curl, and Wireshark ready for network exploration.

• Understand Clients and Servers

  Diagram how a browser acting as a client exchanges information with a server.

• Read an IP Address and Port

  Identify the IP address and port in a simple network endpoint.

• Recognize Private and Public IP Addresses

  Classify example IP addresses as private or public.

• Trace How Routers Forward Network Traffic

  Use a route-tracing command to identify the hops traffic takes to a destination.

• Resolve Website Names with DNS

  Use a DNS lookup command to find the IP address associated with a domain name.

• Inspect HTTP Requests and Responses with curl

  Use curl to identify the request and response involved in an HTTP exchange.

• Observe DNS and HTTP Traffic in Wireshark

  Capture and label a DNS lookup and HTTP exchange in Wireshark.

• Capstone Project: Map a Website’s Network Journey

  Create a network path map for a real website using DNS lookup, route tracing, curl, and Wireshark evidence.

Set up a practical environment and build confidence with Linux commands, files, permissions, processes, and remote access. Learn Python fundamentals—including variables, control flow, functions, and working with files—to automate basic cloud engineering tasks.

• Set Up Your Linux and Python Development Environment

  Set up an Ubuntu terminal, Python 3, and a code editor for the course exercises.

• Navigate the Linux File System

  Use pwd, ls, and cd to locate and move between directories in a Linux terminal.

• Create and Organize Files and Directories

  Create, copy, move, and remove files and directories using Linux commands.

• Read Files and Save Command Output

  Display the contents of a text file and redirect terminal output into a file.

• Understand Linux File Permissions

  Inspect and change file permissions so a script can be run safely.

• Inspect and Manage Running Processes

  Find a running process and stop it using standard Linux process commands.

• Connect to a Remote Linux Machine with SSH

  Connect to a course-provided Linux machine using SSH and an access key.

• Write Python Variables and Basic Data

  Write a Python program that stores and displays text, numbers, and Boolean values.

• Use Python Conditions, Loops, and Functions

  Write a Python program that uses conditions, a loop, and a function to process a list of cloud resource records.

• Read and Write Files with Python

  Write a Python program that reads records from a file and saves results to a new file.

• Capstone Project: Build a Cloud Resource Inventory Reporter

  Build a Python command-line tool that reads a cloud resource inventory file and writes a summary report.

Understand cloud service models, regions and availability zones, shared responsibility, identity and access, security basics, reliability, and cost management. Use these concepts to evaluate cloud architectures and make informed design choices.

• Understand Cloud Computing and Deployment Options

  Describe how cloud computing provides on-demand access to computing resources and distinguish public, private, and hybrid cloud deployments.

• Compare IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

  Classify common cloud services as infrastructure, platform, or software services and explain what the customer manages in each model.

• Locate Cloud Resources with Regions and Availability Zones

  Select an AWS region and availability zone for a basic workload using location and resilience requirements.

• Set Up a Safe AWS Learning Workspace

  Configure an AWS learning account with multi-factor authentication, a billing budget alert, and access to the AWS Console and CloudShell.

• Apply the Shared Responsibility Model

  Identify which security tasks belong to AWS and which belong to the customer for a selected cloud service.

• Control Access with IAM and Least Privilege

  Create and inspect an AWS Identity and Access Management policy that grants only the permissions needed for a simple task.

• Protect Cloud Data and Network Access

  Choose appropriate encryption and network-access controls for a basic cloud workload.

• Improve Reliability with Redundancy and Backups

  Choose an availability-zone and backup approach that meets a stated recovery need.

• Estimate and Monitor Cloud Costs

  Estimate a simple workload’s monthly cost with the AWS Pricing Calculator and set a matching AWS Budget alert.

• Capstone Project: Design a Secure, Reliable, Cost-Aware Cloud Architecture

  Create an AWS architecture diagram for a sample web application and justify its service, access, reliability, and cost choices.

Learn how virtual networks, subnets, routing, firewalls, compute, storage, and managed services work across AWS and Azure. Deploy and connect basic cloud resources while practicing secure network and access configurations.

• Explore Cloud Regions and Resource Organization

  Identify a region and locate the basic resource organization features in the AWS and Azure consoles.

• Install and Verify AWS and Azure Command-Line Tools

  Install the AWS CLI and Azure CLI and verify that each can access a training environment.

• Create a Virtual Network and Subnets

  Create a VPC or VNet with separate subnets using the cloud console or command-line tools.

• Control Network Paths with Routes

  Configure a route table that directs traffic between a subnet and an internet connection.

• Protect Resources with Cloud Firewalls

  Apply security group or network security group rules that allow only required network traffic.

• Launch and Connect to a Cloud Virtual Machine

  Launch a virtual machine and connect to it using SSH or RDP.

• Store Files in Cloud Object Storage

  Create an S3 bucket or Azure Blob container and securely upload and retrieve a file.

• Grant Access with Cloud Identity and Roles

  Assign a least-privilege role that allows a cloud resource to access a specific storage location.

• Connect to a Managed Cloud Database

  Provision a managed database and configure network access so only an approved resource can reach it.

• Project: Build a Secure Web Server with Cloud Storage

  Build and test a web server on a virtual machine that securely accesses an object-storage bucket or container.

• Capstone: Deploy the Web Service in the Other Cloud

  Deploy an equivalent secure web service in the other cloud using a virtual network, virtual machine, and object storage.

Provision and configure Linux servers on AWS, Azure, and a virtual private server, then deploy a simple application using Python. Practice updates, logs, monitoring, backups, troubleshooting, and operational security.

• Set Up Your Terminal, SSH Client, and Python

  Install and verify the tools needed to connect to Linux servers and run Python.

• Navigate Linux and Run Basic Shell Commands

  Use basic shell commands to navigate folders and inspect files on a Linux server.

• Manage Linux Users and File Permissions

  Create a user and set file permissions that control who can access a file.

• Connect Securely and Control Network Access

  Connect to a Linux server with SSH and configure rules that limit network access.

• Provision an Ubuntu Server on AWS

  Launch an AWS EC2 Ubuntu server with secure SSH access.

• Provision an Ubuntu Server on Azure

  Create an Azure Ubuntu virtual machine with secure SSH access.

• Provision an Ubuntu Server with a VPS Provider

  Create a VPS Ubuntu server and connect to it using SSH.

• Update Linux and Check Server Resources

  Apply Linux updates and inspect basic server resource usage.

• Deploy a Simple Python Application

  Run a simple Python application on a Linux server and verify that it responds.

• Use Logs to Troubleshoot Application Problems

  Find relevant server logs and use them to diagnose a common application problem.

• Back Up Server Data and Apply Basic Security Practices

  Create a restorable backup and apply basic steps to protect server access and data.

• Project: Deploy and Operate a Python App on a Cloud Server

  Deploy a Python application on an AWS, Azure, or VPS Linux server and demonstrate its operation using logs, resource checks, and a backup.

Design, deploy, document, and operate a small cloud-based application that brings together networking, Linux, Python, security, and cloud services. Review core concepts through architecture decisions and operational scenarios relevant to entry- and mid-level cloud certifications.

• Set Up Your Cloud Engineering Workspace

  Install and verify Python, Git, and the AWS CLI on your computer.

• Translate Application Needs into a Cloud Architecture

  Draw an architecture diagram showing how a Python application, server, network, and users connect.

• Plan a Virtual Network and Control Traffic

  Create an AWS network plan that identifies a virtual network, subnet, route, and traffic rules.

• Connect to and Manage a Linux Cloud Server

  Connect to an AWS Linux server and use basic commands to inspect and manage it.

• Build a Small Python Web Application

  Create and run a simple Python web application locally.

• Deploy the Python Application to AWS

  Deploy the Python application to a Linux server and verify that it responds to a web request.

• Secure Application Access and Credentials

  Apply least-privilege access rules and store application credentials without exposing them in code.

• Monitor Application Health and Investigate Problems

  Use AWS monitoring tools and Linux logs to identify the cause of a simulated application issue.

• Make Cloud Design Decisions in Certification Scenarios

  Choose suitable networking, compute, security, and monitoring options for entry-level cloud scenarios.

• Capstone Project: Deploy and Document a Secure Cloud Application

  Build, deploy, and document a Python application on AWS with a planned network, controlled access, and basic operational monitoring.