Cloud Computing Foundation

Course Description

Duration 2 days – 14 hrs

Overview

Cloud computing is the term given to the availability of IT resources usually supplied by an external 3rd party service provider and accessed using the Internet and in which the end user has constant on-demand access. These resources can be provided with minimal user manage mentor service provider interaction.

Cloud Computing Certification will give individuals and the organizations they work for a comprehensive understanding of cloud computing and the possible delivery models.

This two-day classroom training course provides an overview of Cloud computing and its relationship with other areas of information management. This training is based on acknowledge of the fundamental concepts of Cloud computing and an understanding of the deployment, architecture and design of a Cloud computing platform.

Objectives

Understand the business case for going to the cloud
Understand virtualization architecture
Describe security and privacy issues
Technical and organizational challenges
Public, private & hybrid delivery models
Understand federation and presence
Describe cloud computing standards and best practice
Describe how mobile device can be used in the cloud
Creating a cloud action plan

Audience

Individuals who are researching, planning or supporting an implementation of Cloud computing

Pre- requisites

There are no formal entry requirements but delegates are expected to have a basic understanding of computing, IT networks and how they are used to support the requirements of users in an organization

Course Content

The Concept and Evolution of Cloud Computing

Origins: Time-sharing mainframes (1960s), ARPANET, Project MAC
“Cloud” metaphor early uses (1993–1994 by General Magic / AT&T)
Adoption milestones: AWS (2002/2006 EC2 & S3), Google Docs (2006), Azure (2010), OpenStack (2010), iCloud (2011)
Driving forces: virtualization, scalability, elasticity, shifting from CapEx to OpEx models
Standards & definitions: NIST essential characteristics and ISO updates

Cloud Computing Architectures: SOA, Tiered, Multi-, and Data Center

SOA foundations: loosely coupled services, modular component services, integration into cloud design
Tiered architectures: front-end (web), application, database layers
Multi-tier & multi-cloud: combining services across providers, balancing load, avoiding vendor lock-in
Data center/cloud synergy: on‑premise virtualization vs. cloud infrastructure; hybrid/cloud bursting concepts
Core architectural components: front-end clients (thin/fat/mobile), back-end servers, storage, delivery, and network interlinks

Benefits and Limitations of Cloud Resources

Benefits:

Scalability and elasticity, dynamic provisioning of resources
Cost-efficiency—pay-as-you-go model, reduced CapEx
Accessibility over diverse device types and global reach

Limitations:

Security and privacy concerns, shared infrastructure vulnerabilities, loss of control
Visibility and governance challenges, complexity in debugging and abstraction leakage
Cost overruns, inefficient resource use, unanticipated configuration expenses

Using and Accessing the Cloud from Desktop and Mobile Devices

NIST’s “broad network access”: access via laptops, mobile phones, tablets, thin/thick clients
Client types: fat clients, thin clients, zero clients, mobile interfaces and browser-based/cloud apps
Access mechanisms: REST APIs, web portals, SDKs, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)
Considerations: network latency, bandwidth, responsive UI, secure authentication

Security in the Cloud and Identity Management

Shared responsibility model across IaaS, PaaS, SaaS layers
Cloud threats: insecure APIs, data leakage, hyperjacking, multitenancy risks
Identity & Access Management (IAM): access control, multifactor authentication, privilege segmentation
Mitigation: encryption at rest/in transit, key management (KMS/HSM), logging, compliance frameworks

Build Local Cloud Network

Core concepts: virtualization, local data centers, on-premise/cloud hybrid model

Techniques:

Private cloud via virtualization platforms (e.g., VMware, OpenStack)
Hybrid integration: connecting local to public clouds using VPN or direct links
Tooling: setting up VMs, hypervisors, private cloud orchestration

Considerations: resource pooling, redundancy, scalability, fault tolerance

Supporting Cloud Use with VPN Access, Scripting Languages, and Data Backup

VPN setup: secure tunnel to cloud environments (site-to-site or client-to-site)
Scripting & automation: Terraform, Ansible, Shell/Python scripts for provisioning and deployment

Backup strategies:

Cloud-native solutions (snapshots, versioning, replication)
On-premise or hybrid backup tooling for data protection
Scheduling, retention policies, and restore mechanisms

Understanding the Business Case (Costs & Benefits) of Cloud Computing

Cost drivers:

OpEx model characteristics, cost optimization needs
Hidden costs: data egress, idle resources, SLA credits vs penalties

Benefits analysis:

Improved agility, faster deployments, resource elasticity
Managed services reduce internal burden, support remote workforce

Financial governance:

FinOps practices, cloud cost management tools (e.g., AWS Cost Explorer, Azure Cost Management)
ROI and TCO modeling, budget forecasting, governance

How to Evaluate the Performance of Your Cloud Implementation

Key metrics:

Latency, response time, resource utilization, SLA compliance
Scalability: load testing, auto-scaling thresholds

Tools & Techniques:

Monitoring solutions – cloud-native (CloudWatch, Azure Monitor) and third-party (Nagios, SolarWinds)
Load testing (JMeter, Locust), real user monitoring

Analysis: