Cloud Computing blog posts
Top Cloud Certifications
By Abhresh Sugandhi
What is Cloud Computing?Cloud is the new buzzword these days, and the term Cloud Computing is everywhere. Everyone, everywhere, is moving their storage to the cloud, and reaping its immense benefits. With the advent of Cloud storage, there's also been a rise in job opportunities in the field. Cloud Computing jobs relate to professionals in Cloud Data Management systems, who have the expertise to deal with cloud servers and the problems that may arise both on the user level and the server levels.Why Cloud Computing?Due to the rise of Cloud services, like iCloud and Dropbox, to name a few, there's also a rise in the number of professionals needed for the job. Cloud Professionals and engineers are paid handsome amounts for their work - as much as $117892 (Source) per year or even more, depending on the level of experience or expertise. It is a growing field, so jobs are unlikely to diminish over the next few years, in fact quite the opposite. So, it is not too late to gain experience and get started in the world as a Cloud Computing professional.The Need for Certification and Prospective OpportunitiesAs we have mentioned before, the value and salary of a Cloud Professional depends on their experience. One of the ways to show expertise is through certifications. They provide you with appropriate knowledge to deal with the job and provide valuable proof of expertise in the market if they're obtained from reputed sources. A certification is sure to kickstart fruitful career in Cloud Computing. Keeping that in mind, we have compiled a set of the most reputed certifications in the field of Cloud. Top Cloud Certificationsndustry-recognised certifications give you an edge over your non-certified peers, increasing your employability and helping you get ahead in your cloud career. Fresh, certifiable skills are guaranteed to open new career opportunities and increase your salary as well! Listed below are the top cloud certifications that you can consider: Google Certified Professional Data Architect Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solutions Architect- Associate MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure (Microsoft) Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) CompTIA Cloud + VMware VCP7-CMA CCNP Cloud (Cisco) 1. Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect Google Certified Professional Data Architect has the honour of topping the lists of the hugest paying IT certifications in the United States of America. Google is a borderline ubiquitous brand. Most people used a few Google products to reach this article in the first place, so here is the same reputed company offering a certification that validates proficiency on the Google Cloud Platform. It includes the fields of Cloud architecture design, development, and management on different scales and an incredibly high degree of security and standards. Prerequisites: There are no official pre-requisites, but Google recommends more than three years of experience in the industry, including more than a year's worth of designing and management experience using the Google Cloud Platform. Exam Cost & Duration: The exam costs $200 each, (Source), and a test Center can be found on the Google Cloud website. The exam duration is 2 hours long and can be taken in either English or Japanese. Exam Guide: Google Cloud offers an exam guide with a dedicated list of topics and many case studies that can help with studying for the exam. They also offer a training path comprising of texts and videos, which are easy to engage with as well. Salary: The average Pay for a Google Cloud Architect can be around $103K (Source) 2. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solutions Architect- Associate Amazon Web Services is one of the top cloud computing companies in recent times. They have achieved an impressive 43% growth over the last year. They are followed by Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud with a close lead. Amazon Web Services offer certifications at the foundation, associate, and professional levels. This prepares a candidate for developing and architecture roles and offers operational knowledge. The associate certification can be a steppingstone to a potential professional level certification which comes with veteran level jobs and authorizes years' worth of experience in the field of Cloud Computing architecture, and design. Prerequisites: Amazon prefers hands-on experience in the fields of networking, database, computational, and storage AWS services with the ability to perfectly define requirements for an AWS application. They require critical thinking skills taking into view the AWS service format along with knowledge on building security services. Exam Cost: It costs $150. A practice exam can be purchased for $20 USD. (Source). The exam can be taken in English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese languages. Exam Guide: Amazon offers a collection of hands-on training courses, videos, and much more to prepare for the exam. Self-evaluation methods include an exam guide and sample questions. 65 MCQ format questions. Salary: The average Pay an AWS solution Architect can expect is around $121K (Source) 3. MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure (Microsoft)Microsoft is, again, one of the brands which have made a mark on the technology industry today. The MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Course certifies a person's ability to effectively manage cloud data, shows their skill in managing virtual networks, storage management systems, and many more cloud technologies, Prerequisites: One does not just take the MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solution Associate): Azure certification. They must also score a passing grade on an exam called the MSCE, which covers development, and Azure-based and related architecture solutions along with hybrid cloud operations and bits of big data analytics. An MCSE along with two or three pre-requisite exams need to be taken. Exam Cost: The MCSE exam costs $165, (Source) while the pre-requisite exams cost $165 and $300 (MCSA and LFCS, respectively) Exam Guide/Courses: Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) offers free courses and reference matter relevant to Cloud professionals and cloud development. A program called Exam Reply is available that allows candidates to buy a slightly discounted exam, a practice attempt (which needs a slight upcharge), and a retake attempt as well. Salary: The job title that can be earned after this certification is Microsoft Cloud Solution Architect, and this role can earn around $154133 per year. (Source) 4. Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)Offered by the (ISC)^2 (International Information System Security Certification Consortium, the CCSP is a globally recognized certification. It validates a candidate's ability to work within a cloud architecture along with good abilities in the field of design, secure applications, along data and infrastructure. These are carried out under the protocols offered by (ISC)^2, which are a hallmark of security. It's ideal for those who want an enterprise architect role, and other roles include systems engineers, security administrator or a consultant in the field of security. Prerequisites: The (ISC)^2 recommends around five years of experience in the field of IT, including three in Information security and one in any of the domains prescribed by CSSP Common Body of Knowledge. Exam Cost: The exam is provided by Pearson VUE. The standard registration for the exam costs $600 (Source) Exam Guide/Courses: The CCSP examination involves preparation in 6 different domains, as highlighted in the CCSP exam outline. Salary: The job title earned is Cloud Security Professional, a job that can pay up to $138k per annum. (Source) 5. CompTIA Cloud+ An acronym for Computing Technology Industry Association, CompTIA is a non-profit. It serves the IT industry and is one of the global leaders in certifications like the ones you're looking for on the list. These are vendor-neutral, meaning you can apply to a broad range of jobs, and it means you're not restrained to any particular company. They cover certifications from novice to professional levels. CompTIA Cloud+ acts as a foundation-level certification. Like its selling point, Cloud+ offers a piece of foundational knowledge in a broad domain in the Cloud market. It authorizes skills in the maintenance and optimization of cloud software. It shows that a candidate can demonstrate the ability to migrate data to cloud platforms, manage cloud resources and make appropriate modifications, perform automation tasks to improve performance, all the while focusing on security. Prerequisites: It needs 2-3 years' worth of experience in system administration. Exam Cost & Format: The exam includes 90 questions. Available in English and Japanese Costs $338 (Source), The certification expires in 3 years after launch Salary: As a cloud specialist an average pay that can be expected in the US market is around $80317 (Source). 6. VMware VCP7-CMA VMware is a company that is well known within the IT-sphere for its strong grasp of virtualization technologies. The VCP7- Cloud Management and Automation is the latest in a series of certifications the company has rolled out. The vRealise and the vSphere-based program are instrumental in certifying new as well as veteran IT professionals in the field of virtualization in the Cloud. Prerequisites: A prerequisite is to have a minimum of 6-month experience with the vSphere 6 and realized software. One also needs to complete one of the training courses offered by VMware, which keeps updating on the current course list portion of the website. Candidates can choose one out of 3 exams: vSphere 6 Foundations, vSphere 6.5 Foundations, or VMware Certified Professional Management and Automation exam. Exam Cost: vSphere 6 and 6.5 cost $125, whereas the third exam costs $250 (Source). A VMWare candidate ID is needed to register. Exam Guide: Exam Self-study material is available on the certification page. Salary: As a VMWare Staff Engineer, the salary expected could be up to $188446 every year. (Source) 7. CCNP Cloud (Cisco)CCNP stands for Cisco Certified Network Professional. This is one of the more reputed certifications that allows a professional to validate their skills in the fields of data management, cloud architecture, and design and authorize their path as a cloud professional. Along with the Cloud, the CCNP is also available as a Collaboration, Service Provider, Data Centre, and many other fields in the collection of solutions. Be warned, though. Cisco focuses on the practical requirements as well, so their certification process is equally rigorous, with design, practical, architecture-based assessments to keep one on their toes. But in the end, this multidisciplinary approach proves itself. An understanding of Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is also vital. They provide a lot of resources to prepare as well, with assignments, discussion forums, self-assessments, and much more! Training in the fields of CLDING, CLDDES, CLDAUT, CLACI, CLDINF is highly recommended. These cover information on Cisco cloud infrastructure, automation, infrastructure, and troubleshooting. Prerequisites: There are four exams that need to be taken in each of the above fields. They are administered by Pearson VUE. Exam Cost: Each exam costs $300, $1200 total. (Source) Exam Guide: For the study material, Cisco has curated many resources like Learning Network games, self-assessment modules, seminars, videos, and much more. Textbooks and other materials are also available on the Cisco Marketplace Bookstore. Salary: The typical job that can be obtained is Cisco Systems Cloud Engineer that pays around $158010 per annum.(Source) Certification LevelsThese cloud certifications can be segregated into Professional and Associate levels, where various criteria are required to be fulfilled to be eligible to apply for the respective certification. As per the market trends and the demand, here is a detailed description of some of the most coveted certifications: Amazon Web Services - AWS 1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional This certification is for professionals who have experienced hands-on solutions architect roles. A candidate must have 2 or more years of experience in operating and managing the AWS operations. The exam costs 300 USD and is 180 minutes long. This course validates the following abilities: Implementation of cost control strategies Designing fault proof applications on AWS Choosing appropriate AWS services for design and application Migrating the complex applications on AWS Exam criteria 2 or more years of experience in handling cloud architecture on AWS One should have diverse knowledge of AWS CLI, AWS APIs, AWS CloudFormation templates, the AWS Billing Console, and the AWS Management Console Detailed knowledge of the scripting language Must have worked on Windows and Linux Must be able to explain the five pillars of the AWS architecture Framework Practical knowledge of the architectural design across multiple projects of the company. 2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate This course is for professionals who have one year of experience in handling and designing fault free and scalable distributed systems on AWS. This certificate validates the following abilities: In depth knowledge of deploying the secure and powerful applications on AWS Knowledge and application of customized architectural principles Exam criteria The course requires a complete understanding of the AWS global infrastructure, network technologies, security features and tools related to AWS Knowledge of how to build secure and reliable AWS applications Experience of deployment and management of management services. The exam duration is 130-minutes and the fee is $150. The above were some of the main certified courses of AWS. The other two Associate level courses are AWS SysOps Administrator Associate and the AWS Developer Associate. 3. The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – ProfessionalThis exam is for professionals who have experience as a DevOps engineer and have experience in provisioning, operating, and managing AWS environments. This course validates the following abilities: Management and implementation of delivery systems and methodology on AWS Deploying and managing the logging, metrics, and monitoring system on AWS Implementation and management of highly scalable, and self-healing systems on AWS. Automation of security controls, government processes and compliance validation Exam criteria Knowledge and experience in administering operating systems and building highly automated infrastructure. Knowledge of developing code in at least one high level programming language. The cost of the exam is 300 USD and the duration is 180 minutes. There will be 75 questions. Microsoft Web Service – Azure: 1. Azure Developer Associate AZ-204This course will provide you with the skill set to design, build, test and maintain cloud solutions from the start to the end. You will master the basics of developing an app and all the other services Azure provides. This certification course will help you learn the actual syntax and programming languages that are used to integrate the application on Azure. Exam criteria You are required to take an Exam AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure ($165 USD) and must have at least 1-2 years’ of experience with development and azure development. Having a good command in any of these languages like C#, PHP, Java, Python, or JavaScript would be a plus. Getting certified with this course will set you ahead of your peers in the development sector. 2. Azure Data Scientist Associate DP-100Turning data and facts related to a business into useful and actionable insights is an art, and getting the Azure data scientist certification will prove that you have the required expertise in data and machine learning. This course is for professionals who are currently working as a data scientist or are planning to become one soon. Exam: DP-100: Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure ($165 USD) Exam criteria You should have knowledge and experience in data science and in using Azure Machine Learning and Azure Databricks. This certification course can future-proof your career, as there is spectacular growth in internet use and the demand for job roles in this sector will continue to increase year on year. Wondering where to start? Here are some pointers:Are you a Newbie?If you are a lost soul in the world of technology but want to learn, then the perfect way to start is the Azure Fundamentals Course. Any beginner can grasp the fundamentals and get started.Are you in the middle of the road?If you are someone who has average experience and has worked with hands-on AWS, GCP, or Azure then too we would recommend you start with the Fundamental course. Refresh your knowledge and make your basics stronger before you move on to the Administrator Associate certification, which can be very intimidating otherwise. Are you an Expert? If you have had enough experience with cloud computing or have got serious geek vibes in you, then you can take up any speciality or professional certifications to add the missing edge to your expertise. If you still need more clarity, you can explore our cloud certification category page for more details. Need more handholding? Contact our experts by using the Contact Learning Advisor button and fill up a small form. Let’s connect! Why be a Cloud Computing Professional? 1. A Growing Field As more and more of our lives are uploaded on the Cloud, the demand for professionals with the capabilities to handle cloud architecture is increasing by the day. Professionals with the right expertise are paid handsome salaries, and the investments made in certification repay themselves many times over. The demands for Cloud professionals outstrip the supply by a huge margin, making this an easy job for entry-level applicants. 2. A Good PayThe salary for a Cloud Engineer ranges from $117,892 to $229,000 (Source). This is a rewarding field, indeed! You can get onto the entry point of the ladder and work your way up, which is an easy journey if you earn a certification. It is one of the highest paying jobs that can be found in the IT sector. Companies Hiring Certified Cloud Computing Professionals Some of the companies whose certifications we addressed above are also among the key employers in the Cloud Computing market. The key employers for these jobs are listed below. Amazon They are the undoubted leaders in the fields of Cloud Computing and management. They are branching out in the fields of AI, the Internet of things, machine learning, and database management as well, and you can explore exciting new opportunities in any of these fields. As documented above, AWS has faced over 43% growth year after year for a sustained period. They are undoubtedly one of the largest hirers in the field as they need competent workforce for their expanding ventures. Microsoft After the enormous success of the Office 365 platform, Cloud Computing was the next step forward for Microsoft, with the Azure platform. They are neck to neck with Amazon for the number 1 spot in the field of Cloud architecture and database management. IBM The waning brand of IBM has now made a sudden resurgence to capitalize on the demand in the fields of AI, the Information Age, and the new Cloud phenomenon. They have recently acquired Red Hat and have entered the field of hybrid cloud development. They will surely be looking for professionals in the field to boost their chances. Dell Technologies (VMware) VMware, mentioned on the above lists, has partnered with Dell Technologies to form a robust cloud platform. A veteran player in the industry already, VMware has constantly evolved to adapt to advancements in the industry. They have partnerships with all the huge players like AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud as well. ConclusionIt is quite evident that Cloud computing is one of the most exciting and lucrative fields one can be in, considering the investment to return ratio. These certifications offer incredibly excellent value for money and will lead to placements in leading companies, which is not easy via other paths. There is a lot to learn in the field of Cloud Computing, and it is a highly adaptive job as well; that is why one needs to keep an eye on the newest software and architecture in the market. These certifications make sure that you can validate your experience and increase your employability. While there are many certifications available, only the ones from reputed institutions help to get a job. They show that you have the knowledge and expertise to make your mark in the industry. It is never too late to start your learning journey, so grab that certification exam guide and start learning. Happy computing!
Top Cloud Certifications
By Abhresh Sugandhi
What is Cloud Computing?Cloud is the new buzzword these days, and the term Cloud Computing is everywhere. Everyone, everywhere, is moving their storage to the cloud, and reaping its immense benefits. With the advent of Cloud storage, there's also been a rise in job opportunities in the field. Cloud Computing jobs relate to professionals in Cloud Data Management systems, who have the expertise to deal with cloud servers and the problems that may arise both on the user level and the server levels.Why Cloud Computing?Due to the rise of Cloud services, like iCloud and Dropbox, to name a few, there's also a rise in the number of professionals needed for the job. Cloud Professionals and engineers are paid handsome amounts for their work - as much as $117892 (Source) per year or even more, depending on the level of experience or expertise. It is a growing field, so jobs are unlikely to diminish over the next few years, in fact quite the opposite. So, it is not too late to gain experience and get started in the world as a Cloud Computing professional.The Need for Certification and Prospective OpportunitiesAs we have mentioned before, the value and salary of a Cloud Professional depends on their experience. One of the ways to show expertise is through certifications. They provide you with appropriate knowledge to deal with the job and provide valuable proof of expertise in the market if they're obtained from reputed sources. A certification is sure to kickstart fruitful career in Cloud Computing. Keeping that in mind, we have compiled a set of the most reputed certifications in the field of Cloud. Top Cloud Certificationsndustry-recognised certifications give you an edge over your non-certified peers, increasing your employability and helping you get ahead in your cloud career. Fresh, certifiable skills are guaranteed to open new career opportunities and increase your salary as well! Listed below are the top cloud certifications that you can consider: Google Certified Professional Data Architect Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solutions Architect- Associate MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure (Microsoft) Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) CompTIA Cloud + VMware VCP7-CMA CCNP Cloud (Cisco) 1. Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect Google Certified Professional Data Architect has the honour of topping the lists of the hugest paying IT certifications in the United States of America. Google is a borderline ubiquitous brand. Most people used a few Google products to reach this article in the first place, so here is the same reputed company offering a certification that validates proficiency on the Google Cloud Platform. It includes the fields of Cloud architecture design, development, and management on different scales and an incredibly high degree of security and standards. Prerequisites: There are no official pre-requisites, but Google recommends more than three years of experience in the industry, including more than a year's worth of designing and management experience using the Google Cloud Platform. Exam Cost & Duration: The exam costs $200 each, (Source), and a test Center can be found on the Google Cloud website. The exam duration is 2 hours long and can be taken in either English or Japanese. Exam Guide: Google Cloud offers an exam guide with a dedicated list of topics and many case studies that can help with studying for the exam. They also offer a training path comprising of texts and videos, which are easy to engage with as well. Salary: The average Pay for a Google Cloud Architect can be around $103K (Source) 2. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solutions Architect- Associate Amazon Web Services is one of the top cloud computing companies in recent times. They have achieved an impressive 43% growth over the last year. They are followed by Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud with a close lead. Amazon Web Services offer certifications at the foundation, associate, and professional levels. This prepares a candidate for developing and architecture roles and offers operational knowledge. The associate certification can be a steppingstone to a potential professional level certification which comes with veteran level jobs and authorizes years' worth of experience in the field of Cloud Computing architecture, and design. Prerequisites: Amazon prefers hands-on experience in the fields of networking, database, computational, and storage AWS services with the ability to perfectly define requirements for an AWS application. They require critical thinking skills taking into view the AWS service format along with knowledge on building security services. Exam Cost: It costs $150. A practice exam can be purchased for $20 USD. (Source). The exam can be taken in English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese languages. Exam Guide: Amazon offers a collection of hands-on training courses, videos, and much more to prepare for the exam. Self-evaluation methods include an exam guide and sample questions. 65 MCQ format questions. Salary: The average Pay an AWS solution Architect can expect is around $121K (Source) 3. MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure (Microsoft)Microsoft is, again, one of the brands which have made a mark on the technology industry today. The MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Course certifies a person's ability to effectively manage cloud data, shows their skill in managing virtual networks, storage management systems, and many more cloud technologies, Prerequisites: One does not just take the MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solution Associate): Azure certification. They must also score a passing grade on an exam called the MSCE, which covers development, and Azure-based and related architecture solutions along with hybrid cloud operations and bits of big data analytics. An MCSE along with two or three pre-requisite exams need to be taken. Exam Cost: The MCSE exam costs $165, (Source) while the pre-requisite exams cost $165 and $300 (MCSA and LFCS, respectively) Exam Guide/Courses: Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) offers free courses and reference matter relevant to Cloud professionals and cloud development. A program called Exam Reply is available that allows candidates to buy a slightly discounted exam, a practice attempt (which needs a slight upcharge), and a retake attempt as well. Salary: The job title that can be earned after this certification is Microsoft Cloud Solution Architect, and this role can earn around $154133 per year. (Source) 4. Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)Offered by the (ISC)^2 (International Information System Security Certification Consortium, the CCSP is a globally recognized certification. It validates a candidate's ability to work within a cloud architecture along with good abilities in the field of design, secure applications, along data and infrastructure. These are carried out under the protocols offered by (ISC)^2, which are a hallmark of security. It's ideal for those who want an enterprise architect role, and other roles include systems engineers, security administrator or a consultant in the field of security. Prerequisites: The (ISC)^2 recommends around five years of experience in the field of IT, including three in Information security and one in any of the domains prescribed by CSSP Common Body of Knowledge. Exam Cost: The exam is provided by Pearson VUE. The standard registration for the exam costs $600 (Source) Exam Guide/Courses: The CCSP examination involves preparation in 6 different domains, as highlighted in the CCSP exam outline. Salary: The job title earned is Cloud Security Professional, a job that can pay up to $138k per annum. (Source) 5. CompTIA Cloud+ An acronym for Computing Technology Industry Association, CompTIA is a non-profit. It serves the IT industry and is one of the global leaders in certifications like the ones you're looking for on the list. These are vendor-neutral, meaning you can apply to a broad range of jobs, and it means you're not restrained to any particular company. They cover certifications from novice to professional levels. CompTIA Cloud+ acts as a foundation-level certification. Like its selling point, Cloud+ offers a piece of foundational knowledge in a broad domain in the Cloud market. It authorizes skills in the maintenance and optimization of cloud software. It shows that a candidate can demonstrate the ability to migrate data to cloud platforms, manage cloud resources and make appropriate modifications, perform automation tasks to improve performance, all the while focusing on security. Prerequisites: It needs 2-3 years' worth of experience in system administration. Exam Cost & Format: The exam includes 90 questions. Available in English and Japanese Costs $338 (Source), The certification expires in 3 years after launch Salary: As a cloud specialist an average pay that can be expected in the US market is around $80317 (Source). 6. VMware VCP7-CMA VMware is a company that is well known within the IT-sphere for its strong grasp of virtualization technologies. The VCP7- Cloud Management and Automation is the latest in a series of certifications the company has rolled out. The vRealise and the vSphere-based program are instrumental in certifying new as well as veteran IT professionals in the field of virtualization in the Cloud. Prerequisites: A prerequisite is to have a minimum of 6-month experience with the vSphere 6 and realized software. One also needs to complete one of the training courses offered by VMware, which keeps updating on the current course list portion of the website. Candidates can choose one out of 3 exams: vSphere 6 Foundations, vSphere 6.5 Foundations, or VMware Certified Professional Management and Automation exam. Exam Cost: vSphere 6 and 6.5 cost $125, whereas the third exam costs $250 (Source). A VMWare candidate ID is needed to register. Exam Guide: Exam Self-study material is available on the certification page. Salary: As a VMWare Staff Engineer, the salary expected could be up to $188446 every year. (Source) 7. CCNP Cloud (Cisco)CCNP stands for Cisco Certified Network Professional. This is one of the more reputed certifications that allows a professional to validate their skills in the fields of data management, cloud architecture, and design and authorize their path as a cloud professional. Along with the Cloud, the CCNP is also available as a Collaboration, Service Provider, Data Centre, and many other fields in the collection of solutions. Be warned, though. Cisco focuses on the practical requirements as well, so their certification process is equally rigorous, with design, practical, architecture-based assessments to keep one on their toes. But in the end, this multidisciplinary approach proves itself. An understanding of Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is also vital. They provide a lot of resources to prepare as well, with assignments, discussion forums, self-assessments, and much more! Training in the fields of CLDING, CLDDES, CLDAUT, CLACI, CLDINF is highly recommended. These cover information on Cisco cloud infrastructure, automation, infrastructure, and troubleshooting. Prerequisites: There are four exams that need to be taken in each of the above fields. They are administered by Pearson VUE. Exam Cost: Each exam costs $300, $1200 total. (Source) Exam Guide: For the study material, Cisco has curated many resources like Learning Network games, self-assessment modules, seminars, videos, and much more. Textbooks and other materials are also available on the Cisco Marketplace Bookstore. Salary: The typical job that can be obtained is Cisco Systems Cloud Engineer that pays around $158010 per annum.(Source) Certification LevelsThese cloud certifications can be segregated into Professional and Associate levels, where various criteria are required to be fulfilled to be eligible to apply for the respective certification. As per the market trends and the demand, here is a detailed description of some of the most coveted certifications: Amazon Web Services - AWS 1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional This certification is for professionals who have experienced hands-on solutions architect roles. A candidate must have 2 or more years of experience in operating and managing the AWS operations. The exam costs 300 USD and is 180 minutes long. This course validates the following abilities: Implementation of cost control strategies Designing fault proof applications on AWS Choosing appropriate AWS services for design and application Migrating the complex applications on AWS Exam criteria 2 or more years of experience in handling cloud architecture on AWS One should have diverse knowledge of AWS CLI, AWS APIs, AWS CloudFormation templates, the AWS Billing Console, and the AWS Management Console Detailed knowledge of the scripting language Must have worked on Windows and Linux Must be able to explain the five pillars of the AWS architecture Framework Practical knowledge of the architectural design across multiple projects of the company. 2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate This course is for professionals who have one year of experience in handling and designing fault free and scalable distributed systems on AWS. This certificate validates the following abilities: In depth knowledge of deploying the secure and powerful applications on AWS Knowledge and application of customized architectural principles Exam criteria The course requires a complete understanding of the AWS global infrastructure, network technologies, security features and tools related to AWS Knowledge of how to build secure and reliable AWS applications Experience of deployment and management of management services. The exam duration is 130-minutes and the fee is $150. The above were some of the main certified courses of AWS. The other two Associate level courses are AWS SysOps Administrator Associate and the AWS Developer Associate. 3. The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – ProfessionalThis exam is for professionals who have experience as a DevOps engineer and have experience in provisioning, operating, and managing AWS environments. This course validates the following abilities: Management and implementation of delivery systems and methodology on AWS Deploying and managing the logging, metrics, and monitoring system on AWS Implementation and management of highly scalable, and self-healing systems on AWS. Automation of security controls, government processes and compliance validation Exam criteria Knowledge and experience in administering operating systems and building highly automated infrastructure. Knowledge of developing code in at least one high level programming language. The cost of the exam is 300 USD and the duration is 180 minutes. There will be 75 questions. Microsoft Web Service – Azure: 1. Azure Developer Associate AZ-204This course will provide you with the skill set to design, build, test and maintain cloud solutions from the start to the end. You will master the basics of developing an app and all the other services Azure provides. This certification course will help you learn the actual syntax and programming languages that are used to integrate the application on Azure. Exam criteria You are required to take an Exam AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure ($165 USD) and must have at least 1-2 years’ of experience with development and azure development. Having a good command in any of these languages like C#, PHP, Java, Python, or JavaScript would be a plus. Getting certified with this course will set you ahead of your peers in the development sector. 2. Azure Data Scientist Associate DP-100Turning data and facts related to a business into useful and actionable insights is an art, and getting the Azure data scientist certification will prove that you have the required expertise in data and machine learning. This course is for professionals who are currently working as a data scientist or are planning to become one soon. Exam: DP-100: Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure ($165 USD) Exam criteria You should have knowledge and experience in data science and in using Azure Machine Learning and Azure Databricks. This certification course can future-proof your career, as there is spectacular growth in internet use and the demand for job roles in this sector will continue to increase year on year. Wondering where to start? Here are some pointers:Are you a Newbie?If you are a lost soul in the world of technology but want to learn, then the perfect way to start is the Azure Fundamentals Course. Any beginner can grasp the fundamentals and get started.Are you in the middle of the road?If you are someone who has average experience and has worked with hands-on AWS, GCP, or Azure then too we would recommend you start with the Fundamental course. Refresh your knowledge and make your basics stronger before you move on to the Administrator Associate certification, which can be very intimidating otherwise. Are you an Expert? If you have had enough experience with cloud computing or have got serious geek vibes in you, then you can take up any speciality or professional certifications to add the missing edge to your expertise. If you still need more clarity, you can explore our cloud certification category page for more details. Need more handholding? Contact our experts by using the Contact Learning Advisor button and fill up a small form. Let’s connect! Why be a Cloud Computing Professional? 1. A Growing Field As more and more of our lives are uploaded on the Cloud, the demand for professionals with the capabilities to handle cloud architecture is increasing by the day. Professionals with the right expertise are paid handsome salaries, and the investments made in certification repay themselves many times over. The demands for Cloud professionals outstrip the supply by a huge margin, making this an easy job for entry-level applicants. 2. A Good PayThe salary for a Cloud Engineer ranges from $117,892 to $229,000 (Source). This is a rewarding field, indeed! You can get onto the entry point of the ladder and work your way up, which is an easy journey if you earn a certification. It is one of the highest paying jobs that can be found in the IT sector. Companies Hiring Certified Cloud Computing Professionals Some of the companies whose certifications we addressed above are also among the key employers in the Cloud Computing market. The key employers for these jobs are listed below. Amazon They are the undoubted leaders in the fields of Cloud Computing and management. They are branching out in the fields of AI, the Internet of things, machine learning, and database management as well, and you can explore exciting new opportunities in any of these fields. As documented above, AWS has faced over 43% growth year after year for a sustained period. They are undoubtedly one of the largest hirers in the field as they need competent workforce for their expanding ventures. Microsoft After the enormous success of the Office 365 platform, Cloud Computing was the next step forward for Microsoft, with the Azure platform. They are neck to neck with Amazon for the number 1 spot in the field of Cloud architecture and database management. IBM The waning brand of IBM has now made a sudden resurgence to capitalize on the demand in the fields of AI, the Information Age, and the new Cloud phenomenon. They have recently acquired Red Hat and have entered the field of hybrid cloud development. They will surely be looking for professionals in the field to boost their chances. Dell Technologies (VMware) VMware, mentioned on the above lists, has partnered with Dell Technologies to form a robust cloud platform. A veteran player in the industry already, VMware has constantly evolved to adapt to advancements in the industry. They have partnerships with all the huge players like AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud as well. ConclusionIt is quite evident that Cloud computing is one of the most exciting and lucrative fields one can be in, considering the investment to return ratio. These certifications offer incredibly excellent value for money and will lead to placements in leading companies, which is not easy via other paths. There is a lot to learn in the field of Cloud Computing, and it is a highly adaptive job as well; that is why one needs to keep an eye on the newest software and architecture in the market. These certifications make sure that you can validate your experience and increase your employability. While there are many certifications available, only the ones from reputed institutions help to get a job. They show that you have the knowledge and expertise to make your mark in the industry. It is never too late to start your learning journey, so grab that certification exam guide and start learning. Happy computing!
4504
- by Abhresh Sugandhi
- 06 Jul 2021
- 14 mins read
What is Cloud Computing?Cloud is the new buzzword ... Read More
What are the Best Free Cloud Storages in 2021?
By Joydip Kumar
Cloud storage helps slash data on hardware in a remote physical location, which can be accessed from any device with the help of the internet. Below are some of the best free cloud storage in 2019: 1. Microsoft OneDrive: Microsoft provides a cloud storage service and offers 15 GB of free storage to its users. OneDrive, earlier called Skydrive, can be used to store important files securely at one location and these can be accessed from anywhere and from any compatible system. Cloud storage works like a traditional hard drive, the difference being that it is available online and can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Also, companies offer to extend the storage capacity if required. Files of any format can be stored in Microsoft OneDrive, though it is better for Office documents. It offers cross-device and cross-platform design, which implies that you can resume your work from where you left without the need for saving it or making a copy of it. Due to its Office365 integration, it is easy to share your content and files with other users and hence facilitates collaboration among a team. One prominent feature of Microsoft OneDrive is Files on demand. This means you can access your files stored in the cloud from anywhere, without downloading them to your local device which saves a lot of local storage. Since the files are stored and changes are saved in the cloud, the recovery is very convenient in case the system you are working on gets crashed, damaged or stolen. You can easily upgrade your account by buying extra storage in case you are running low on memory. The important features of Microsoft OneDrive: Create and share folders Save notebooks to OneDrive View Office documents online Upload multimedia files from your personal mobile phones. Real time co-authoring File type support Desktop synchronization Search and discovery tools Device reports Documents storage and tracking Permission management Photo management Microsoft Office integration Device specific selective sync 2. Dropbox: Dropbox is operated by the American company Dropbox, Inc., and provides cloud storage and is used for file sharing and collaboration. Dropbox is available as an application for desktop for Windows, Linux and Macintosh operating systems. It is also available as an app for Android, iPad, iPhone and Blackberry. It provides a limited storage capacity of 2GB, which can be upgraded up to 100 GB by purchasing from several plans offered. The upgraded version of Dropbox is called Dropbox Plus. Upgrading to this version offers many benefits like automatic camera roll back up, which implies that all the photos that you click from your personal mobile phone get backed in Dropbox. Dropbox provides a robust API that allows other apps to collaborate with it and use it for file storage and sync. Dropbox does not require a complicated upgrade or timely installations. It is mainly focused on file exchange. It does not limit the number of files you can share or a number of users you can share with. You can even share your files with users who do not have a Dropbox account. It supports the exchange of files among any operating system and any device. Dropbox facilitates easy collaboration among team members. If you edit or make changes to any file that is shared with your team, they will receive a notification about the changes made. Teams can communicate and edit files at a minimal cost. You can easily get started with Dropbox by just downloading the app on your phone. After you create an account, you can start sharing your content. You can even use it offline if you sync your local storage or additional account data with it. To ensure the security of your stored files, Dropbox is designed with multiple layers of protection. Layers of protection include the following: Dropbox files are encrypted using 256 bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). It uses Secure Socket layer or transport layer security to secure data being exchanged with Dropbox apps and servers. Dropbox applications are regularly tested for security threats and if such vulnerabilities exist, it is fixed immediately. During login, two step verification is available to provide additional privacy. The important features of Dropbox are as follows: Automatic updates File storage and file sync Offline access Manually set bandwidth Automatic organization and backup Preview and download Any device accessibility Large files sharing Easy link sharing 3. Google Drive Google Drive is a file storage and sharing service offered by Google. The first 15 GB is free. You can store any kind of files like photos, videos, design, drawings, recordings, and stories. Just like most other cloud services, you can upload your files online, and can access it from anywhere and any device. You can even invite people to view, download or contribute to your project. Google drive provides storage options to any kind of files such as images, sheets, pdf, videos, word documents etc, one can even save their email attachment in google drive directly through Gmail without going through the hassle of moving files. One of the greatest features of Google Drive is that it allows the user to view the file in the browser without having to download it. The files that can be previewed are Adobe, Microsoft Office, images, audios, texts and video files, such an option is not provided by most of the zero knowledge services as those services are unable to decrypt the files. Google Drive's versatility makes it more user-friendly than any other storage platforms. Significant features of Google Drive are: Google drive provides 15 GB free storage on signing up. With the assistance of Google's homegrown office suite, Google docs and other third party applications it is more productive and efficient than most other storage options. It is very versatile as one can store almost any kind of files and preview the same without downloading it. Google drive can be accessed by logging in with your Google account. Many different types of programs can be integrated with Google drive. Google drive's browser interface is fairly intuitive and user friendly. With the help of Google client, one can make optimum use of its sync capabilities. File replication. It provides third party applications library. The only drawback Google Drive has is that it does not provide any specific way to share files, however, it is one of the best storage options as its strength surpasses its weaknesses. 4. pCloud Though pCloud is new in the market compared to its counterparts, it has emerged as a versatile cloud solution for both business and personal use. The features of pCloud which make it stand out among other cloud services, are as follows: pCloud crypto: It provides you with an option to secure your files and data with encryption on your device before uploading on cloud to protect them from any unwanted and insecure access. Lifetime subscription: Unlike other cloud services available in the market, pCloud offers a lifetime subscription, that means you can use its services permanently without going through limited and expensive subscriptions. The advantages of using pCloud are as follows: pCloud rewind: The main reason why people go for cloud storage is data recovery in case of any issue occurring in the local device. It should be easy to recover files in case it is lost due to corruption, virus, or hardware problems. To ensure this, pCloud stores five separate copies of every file you upload at three different locations at a centralized data center facility in Dallas, Texas, so you always have a copy of your file available for download. pCloud has a feature called pCloud rewind which tracks and saves your file history from last 30 days in case if you make any mistakes or accidentally deleted your original file. You can also go for long periods of history by including the extended file history add on (EFH) that keeps previous file versions for up to 360 days. High level security: The sensitive files and data are highly vulnerable in the current date of technologies for hacking and stealing data. Organizations dealing with sensitive data can opt for pCloud since it provides client side encryption service called pCloud crypto. Other cloud service providers use AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) TLS/SSL 256 bit encryption which helps secure your files in transit from device to server. But after these files are uploaded on the cloud storage server, it gets back to its original format. This means that anyone who has access to the server can access the data as well. pCloud offers an additional level of data security where the responsibility of encryption is in the hands of the client. You can encrypt your files or data on your personal system before you upload it on the storage server. You can unlock these files by using the generated key called CryptoPass. Convenient file management: pCloud is available on all digital platforms including Mac, Windows, Linux and also mobile systems like iOS, Android and Windows. This lets you access your file on the go from any system even while you are traveling. All the changes made are saved to the files irrespective of the device it is made on. You can access your files from any device without extra charges. Store your files from other online platforms: If your files or work is saved on Google Drive, Dropbox or any other third party cloud storage platforms, pCloud offers to easily exchange information with these services conveniently and also upload them. You can even sync your information with social media platforms like Facebook, Picasa, and Instagram. 5. Mega Mega is a secure cloud storage offered by Mega Limited, an Auckland based company. Mega offers 50 GB of free storage space. Mega is also available for Windows phone, iOS and Android in the form of mobile apps. It provides services basically through a web based app. For Windows, Linux, and Mac desktop programs, one can download MEGAsync. A folder is created in which one can drag and drop the files that one needs to upload on the MEGA account. For Mozilla Thunderbird users have the option of MEGAbird add on to share large files over email. It was founded by Kim Dotcom in 2013 and was launched on January 19, 2013. Kim Dotcom left the company in 2015 when the company was taken over by a Chinese investor who was wanted for fraud in China and the consequent seizure of the investor's shares by the New Zealand government. The site is now controlled by the New Zealand government. Mega was created for privacy and security reasons and all files are end-to-end encrypted locally before they are uploaded. It has bandwidth limits that have to be set in account settings while uploading through a browser and through desktop client while working in the application. The users of free account receive 15 GB of base storage data and 35 GB trial on signup for one month. Through various achievements, one can activate additional storage but the maximum limit is 50 GB. On the other hand, paid account users have four levels of options: 200 GB (1 TB bandwidth per month) 1 TB storage (2 TB of bandwidth per month ) 4 TB storage ( 8TB bandwidth per month ) 8 TB storage (16 TB bandwidth per month) Significant features of Mega: MEGAchat - It was launched in 2015 as an encrypted alternative to applications such as Skype and others. It is a browser-based chat service that covers email, video, chat, voice, and mobile. Browser extension- They launched a plugin extension MEGA chrome extension in 2015, marketed for its improved downloading and loading and improved security. Later in 2018 it was found that chrome web store extension was compromised due to the addition of code which was designed to steal credentials of cryptocurrency however the original code on GitHub was secure. Desktop sync client- It assists in removing file uploads which have keywords in common that reduces uploading of unnecessary content. API - Mega has recently released a feature of documentation of its API enabling the developers to write their own applications. The whole folder can be uploaded through the browser. Limitations of Mega There is no option to share files among a group of users. One can experience inconvenience while working with browsers other than Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. There is no advanced sharing features, one can send Mega file only by creating a public link. There is a 10 GB bandwidth limit which is refilled every 30 minutes. Hope this article helped you get an understanding of all the best cloud storage available for free. If you want to learn about AWS, you should try the AWS Certification course
8977
- by Joydip Kumar
- 14 Oct 2019
- 8 mins read
Cloud storage helps slash data on hardware in a re... Read More
What is the Microsoft Azure Certification Path?
By Joydip Kumar
At the 2018 Ignite Conference, Microsoft released information about the proposed restructuring of its Azure certifications to convert it into a role-based model. The certifications are now more focused on aligning knowledge according to job roles. With every certification, there is a learning path. You start from the fundamental level and then move on to the associate level and then finally to the expert level. Here are the different roles associated with the different Microsoft Azure certifications: Azure Fundamentals Azure Administrator Associate Azure AI Engineer Associate Azure Data Engineer Associate Azure Developer Associate Azure Solution Architect Expert Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Now, let’s get into this certification path in detail: 1. Azure FundamentalsThis is the foundational level exam created for people who want to validate their skills in using basic cloud services of Microsoft Azure. You can take this exam even if you are not from a technical background. You should take this exam before moving on to any associate or expert level certifications. Although it is not compulsory, it is highly recommended to validate your foundational knowledge. To ace this exam, you must be familiar with the Microsoft Azure platform and its cloud services. Also, you must have knowledge of security, compliance, privacy, support and pricing of Azure. This exam is available only in English at a cost of $99 USD. 2. Azure Administrator AssociateYou need to pass this exam to get the role of Azure Administrator Associate. After passing, you will get an Azure Administrator Associate badge and become a Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate. If you had already passed the 70-533 exam certification, all you needed was to take the Exam AZ-102: Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Transition. However, the Transition exam was shut down after 30th June, 2019. Now, for the role of Azure Administrator Associate Role, you have to take the AZ-103 exam. This exam is also a prerequisite for the Azure’s DevOps Engineer Expert exam. To ace this exam, you must have a thorough understanding of the following: Azure applications, storage infrastructure, cloud, and operating systems Virtualization tools and network components. Command line interface and PowerShell Just like the Azure Fundamentals exam, this exam is only available in English and costs $165 USD. There was also an Azure Administrator Certification Transition Exam for people who have passed the 70-533 - Implementing Azure Infrastructure Solutions Exam, but this Transition exam too was retired on June 30, 2019.. 3. Azure AI Engineer AssociateThis role is for developers working in cognitive services, knowledge mining, and machine learning. Their job is architecting and implementing Microsoft AI solutions using bots, agents, speech, computer vision, and natural language processing. 4. Azure Data Engineer AssociateThis role is for professionals working in designing and implementing the security, privacy, monitoring, and management of data. To do this and satisfy the business needs, the full stack of data services from Azure is used. 5. Azure Developer AssociateTo get a job as an Azure Developer Associate, you need to pass the AZ-203: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure. If you want to apply for the Microsoft Certified Azure DevOps Engineer Expert exam, you need to pass this exam as a prerequisite. All the candidates who want to take this exam must be familiar with the following: Using the Azure platform to design and build cloud solutions Implementing tools and technologies of Azure for developing apps and services Knowledge of at least one programming language supported by cloud >1 year of experience in creating scalable solutions The exam will cover topics such as development for Azure Storage, developing infrastructure of Azure as a Service Compute Solution, implementing Azure Security, monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimizing Azure solutions, and connecting and consuming services of Azure and from third-parties. The exam is available in English at a cost of $165 USD. 6. Azure Solution Architect ExpertFor the role of an Azure Solution Architect Expert, you need to pass two exams - Exam AZ-300: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies and AZ-301: Microsoft Azure Architect Design. To ace these exams you need to be an expert in designing solutions running on the Azure platform. You must have knowledge of computing, security, storage, and network. You also need to have an understanding of planning solutions for meeting the needs of business. 7. Azure DevOps Engineer ExpertFor this role, you need to pass Exam AZ-400. The candidates for this examinations are the professionals working for combining people, technologies, and processes for delivering services and products. They are responsible for meeting the business objectives and the needs of the customers. A DevOps professional must be able to optimize practices, create automation, and improve collaboration and communication. Azure DevOps professional must have the ability of designing and implementing the practices of DevOps for configuration management, version control, building, testing, releasing, infrastructure as code using the Azure technologies. Now, let’s take a look at the different exams you need to pass for becoming an expert in different roles of Azure.1. AZ - 300: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies This exam validates your knowledge of secure and reliable architecting solutions. All the candidates participating in this exam must be familiar with the following: Identification, IT operations, data management, and security More than 1 year of experience architecting solutions Knowledge of Azure administration, development, and DevOps The domains covered in the exam include deployment and configuration of infrastructure, implementing security and workload, architecting cloud technology solutions, creating and deploying apps, developing for the cloud, authentication implementation and securing data. The exam costs $165 USD and is only available in English. 2. Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-301) The prerequisites for this exam is same as the AZ-300: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies. You need to pass the AZ-300 exam to be eligible for the AZ-301 exam. The exam will cover the following domains: Determining requirements of workload Designing for security and identification Designing a data platform solution Designing a strategy for business continuity Designing a strategy for infrastructure Designing to deploy, migrate and integrate applications The price of the certification is $165 USD and the exam is available only in English. 3. AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions Candidate with a badge of Azure Developer Associate or Azure Administrator Associate can become an Azure DevOps Engineer Expert. In both cases, you have to take the AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions Exam. the prerequisites for the exam includes the following: Expertise in Azure administration or Azure development and knowledge of both. Ability of designing and implementing practices of DevOps for infrastructure as version control, code, build, release, compliance, testing, and configuration management using the Azure technologies. Proficient in Agile practices. The exam will cover the following domains: Designing a DevOps Strategy Implementing DevOps Development Processes Implementing Continuous Delivery Implementing Continuous Integration Implementing Dependency Management Implementing Continuous Feedback Implementing Application Infrastructure The exam is available in English at a cost of $165 USD. 4. AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies The role of Azure Security Engineer is the latest to be added in the Azure certification path based on roles. There is only on exam required to get this certification, AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies. Although not a necessity, passing the AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam is recommended before you take the Azure Security Technologies exam. Here are the prerequisites for this exam: Knowledge of how to use the Microsoft Azure platform to implement the security controls. Familiarity with networking, cloud N-tier architecture, and virtualization. Using the security tools for recognizing and addressing vulnerabilities. Protecting the data, applications, and network by implementing security solutions. Ability to automate and script, maintain security status, and knowledge of identity and access management. The AZ-500 exam will cover the following domains: Securing data and applications Implementing platform protection Managing security operations Managing identity and access This exam costs $165 USD and is available only in English. Expired Role-based Azure Certifications After getting feedback from candidates, Microsoft launched new certifications and expired a few. Here are the expired Azure certifications for the role of Azure Developer Associate and Azure Administrator Associate: AZ-100 Microsoft Azure Infrastructure and Deployment AZ-101 Microsoft Azure Integration and Security AZ-200 Microsoft Azure Developer Core Solutions AZ-201 Microsoft Azure Developer Advanced Solutions AZ-202 Microsoft Azure Developer Certification Transition AZ-103 Microsoft Azure Administrator Newly Launched Microsoft Azure Certifications Apart from the above-mentioned role-based certifications, Microsoft had launched 7 other certifications that contribute credit towards MCSE, MCSA, or MCP. Note that a few of the exams in this list have been retired in June 2019 (mentioned below). 1. Exam 70-473: Designing and Implementing Cloud Data Platform Solutions The exam is created for professionals who know how to design and implement Microsoft data platform solutions. They must also have some experience working with cloud-based platform solutions. The exam will include areas like designing and implementing database solutions for Microsoft Azure SQL server and Microsoft SQL Database, designing for scalability, high availability, and disaster recovery, managing and monitoring Azure’s database implementations, and designing and implementing security. This exam has been retired on 30th June, 2019. 2. Exam 70-475: Designing and Implementing Big Data Analytics SolutionsThis exam is for data developers, data architects, data management professionals, and data scientists who use the Microsoft Azure to design big data analytics. They also must have experience in working with big data analytics solutions. The exam objectives include: Design big data interactive solutions and batch processing Design big data real-time processing solutions Operationalizing of end to end cloud analytics solutions This exam has been retired on 30th June, 2019. 3. Exam 70-487: Developing Microsoft Azure and Web ServicesAll the candidates taking this exam must be a developer with at least 3 to 5 years of experience developing web services and at least 1 year of experience developing web APIs and Azure Solutions. The objectives of the exam are: Accessing data Querying and manipulating data through Entity Framework Designing and Implementing Web Services Deploying Web Services and Applications Creation and Consumption of Web API based services 4. Exam 70-537: Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure StackThis exam is for service administrators and infrastructure administrators using Microsoft Azure Stack for providing cloud services. The candidates must also have experience managing and operating Azure Stack environments and have knowledge of Microsoft Azure, Windows Server 2016 and hybrid cloud resources. The exam objectives include: Deployment and integration of an Azure Stack Environment Configuration of IaaS and PaaS for the Azure Stack Environment Maintenance and Monitoring of the Azure Stack Environment Enable DevOps for Azure Stack Tenants Provide Services to Azure Stack Tenants 5. Exam 70-774: Perform Cloud Data Science with Azure Machine LearningCreated for data analysts and data scientists working to build and deploy intelligent solutions through Azure cloud services. Candidates must have experience in Machine Learning, Data Science Processes, and Azure data services. Here are the objectives of this exam: Development of Machine Learning Models Preparation of Data for Analysis through Azure Machine Learning Exporting data from Azure MAchine LEarning Usage of services for Machine Learning Management and operation of Machine Learning Services 6. Exam 70-775: Perform Data Engineering on Microsoft HDInsightIntended for data developers, data architects, data engineers, and data scientists who are working on implementing big data engineering workflows on Azure HDInsight. Working experience in big data analytics solutions is also recommended. The exam objectives include: Implementation of Big Data Batch Processing Solutions Implementation of Big Data Interactive Processing Solutions Administration and Provision of HDInsight Clusters Implementation of Big Data Real-Time Processing Solutions Please note that this exam has been retired on 30th June, 2019. 7. Exam 70-776: Engineering Data with Microsoft Cloud ServicesThis exam is for professionals who design analytical solutions and build operationalized solutions on the Azure platform. Experience in handling issues related to data engineering is also recommended. Here are the objectives of the exam: Use the Azure Data Lake to design and implement analytics Use the Azure Data Factory to design and implement cloud-based integration Use the Azure Stream Analytics to design and implement complex event processing Design and implement Azure SQL Data Warehouse Solutions Manage and maintain Azure Data Lake, Azure Data Factory, Azure Stream Analytics, and Azure SQL Data Warehouse. Preparing for the New Microsoft Azure Certifications There are several classroom training programs and online classes to help you prepare for the new Microsoft Azure certifications. Various platforms also provide practice tests to take after the certification training. Here are a few steps that will help you prepare for the certification exam: 1. Exam detailsGet all the information you can get regarding the certification. This will also help you know about the criteria. 2. Checking prerequisites and course contentTo prepare for the Azure certification, you need to check out the course content. Also, before you select the certification path, you need to take a look at the prerequisites as well. 3. Checking exam overviewThe overview includes information, domains and objectives of the exam. You need to check this out before selecting the training. 4. Taking help of exam guideExam guides will help you understand the roadmap and the components of the Microsoft Certification deeply. 5. Studying Certifications WhitepapersThe certification whitepapers will help you understand the exam objectives and prepare you for the Microsoft Azure Certifications Path. 6. Reading recommendation booksRecommended books are a great way for knowing more about the certifications. For this to work, you need to follow every instruction given in the book. 7. Taking sample questions and practice testsYou need to check out the sample questions and take practice tests after preparing for the certification path. Whether you should go for the Microsoft Azure Certifications or not depends on its scope in the future. There are different aspects covered by this certification including storage, integration, security, reliability, networking, and administration. As you know that all these certifications are cloud-based, you should pursue these certifications to get ahead in your Azure career path. Now you know all there is to know about the Microsoft Azure Certifications and how they can benefit your career. This will help you in selecting the best certification for you. For more information on Azure cloud and certification, try the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals course by KnowledgeHut.
4237
- by Joydip Kumar
- 14 Oct 2019
- 8 mins read
At the 2018 Ignite Conference, Microsoft released ... Read More
Which Azure Certification is Good for You?
By Joydip Kumar
Over the past few years, there has been a paradigm shift in the world of computing, with cloud computing being on the forefront. It is a computing model based on the internet and it provides on-demand data and shared computer processing to computers and devices. With cloud computing, a pool of computing resources can be shared and accessed. This allows the transfer of information in an effortless manner. Cloud computing has enabled enterprises and users to store and process data in third-party data storage centers. This makes it cost effective for companies as overhead costs for IT infrastructure is avoided. Since a large majority of organizations all over the world are adopting cloud computing, there is a high demand for professionals who are skilled in this particular area. Cloud computing experts have a wide range of options in addition to getting lucrative salaries, which is why it is an extremely sought-after position in the world of IT. Do you need to be cloud certified? Before thinking of Azure certification, it is important to know whether getting any cloud certification is worth it for your career. Immense growth of the cloud: The cloud has taken the IT industry by storm and its use is growing by leaps and bounds. Looking at the figures provided by IDC (International Data Corporation), Gartner, Forbes, and others, it is evident that the market revenue for cloud services is increasing at an annual rate of 20% on an average. Businesses of all sizes are being powered by the cloud: Both small businesses and big enterprises are being positively impacted by the cloud. Enterprises have the confidence of PaaS being a scalable and secure application development platform of the future. It is predicted that in a few years, a majority of IT expenditure will amount for cloud-based infrastructure, application, middleware and business process services. Shortage of cloud expertise: Cloud services are becoming the focal point of the IT infrastructure of enterprises. Businesses will have tremendous opportunity if they decide on moving to the cloud. However, they aren’t actually being able to utilize these benefits, mainly because skilled resources are lacking. Lack of skill can cause a company to lose revenue. Also, the skill gap is preventing several enterprises from deploying more cloud platforms. Why Azure Certification over AWS Certification? An IT professional considering taking a cloud certification may be confused whether to go for Microsoft Azure or AWS (Amazon Web Services) certification. For such professionals, the following points should be considered before making a decision: Azure is growing rapidly: The rate of growth of Azure has been better in comparison to AWS over the recent past. It seems Microsoft is beginning to bridge the gap that exists between the two. Microsoft is also improving integration with on-premise software. Azure for Microsoft products: Microsoft has always been associated with large enterprises. Microsoft’s products and services are being used by almost all Fortune 500 companies. Azure remains a worthy proposition for those enterprises that have heavily invested in Microsoft based developer skills and technology. Open source and Linux incorporation: Microsoft didn’t have an open source community until recently. On the other hand, AWS has been open source since the beginning, which is what gave it an advantage over Azure in the open source cloud hosting space. Microsoft and Azure are incorporating open source both in the cloud and on-premises. Moreover, around 1 in every 3 Azure virtual machines run on Linux. .NET Core and PowerShell are open sourced, Hyper-V will run Docker and SQL Server is running on Linux. What certifications and exams are on offer? Microsoft has a vast platform with lots of features. Furthermore, new features are released by Microsoft on a regular basis. As such, the landscape of Azure continuous to evolve regularly. Having said that, with an Azure certification exam, you will gain a good understanding on certain feature sets that form the core of the entire platform. These features include Cloud Services, Web Apps, Messaging, Storage, Virtual Machines and a lot more. Microsoft doesn’t have certifications specifically for each set of Azure features. Instead, the certifications target a particular work role through more encompassing exams. The three main roles targeted in this regard are IT Professional, Developer and Architect. Hence, the materials for each specific exam do end up overlapping, although they target a particular work role. Why Microsoft Azure Certification? Getting certified in Microsoft Azure is indicative of a skill that certainly increases the chances of a candidate getting hired. Given the increasing demand, there has also been a drastic increase in opportunities for Microsoft Azure certified aspirants in recent years. According to reports from Microsoft, more than 1000 new customers daily sign up to MS Azure. This means that around 365,000 companies adopt Azure over the course of a year More than 57% of the Fortune 500 companies are using Azure With the help of Azure, the commercial cloud revenue of Microsoft has increased by 104%. The UK government has officially accredited MS Azure There is also MS Azure Government offering that is backed by the US Government. Key reasons to get a certification in Microsoft Azure Public cloud is on the focus: Around 88% of companies have already used the public cloud, 13% of which are already running over 1000 virtual machines in the public cloud. It is an impressive statistic that should convince you to take some time to learn cloud technologies such as MS Azure. Microsoft Azure holds a fair share of the market: Azure is catching up to its competition at an amazing rate. In fact, a recently conducted survey has found the user base of Azure to be quite comparable to that of AWS. A future-proof technology: The rate at which cloud technologies such as Azure are evolving is tremendous. It is growing at a rate that is faster than the IT sector in its entirety. Easy to learn and adaptable: Microsoft has monopolized the American personal computer market. Most regular users are familiar with the Windows operating system from Microsoft. What this means is that the learning curve for Microsoft is flatter as compared to other platforms. It is definitely advantageous to be aware of the working principles of Azure. If you are exposed to Microsoft tools at work, you will find it easy to learn concepts like Operational Insights and Azure automation. Extreme Potential: The IT space is set to be dominated by the cloud infrastructure. The potential of MS Azure is evident from its rate of growth, which is faster than any other cloud services provider. Extremely efficient tool: Azure can handle most of the conventional tasks of designing, deploying and managing platforms. For gauging the efficiency of cloud platforms such as Azure, the following factors need to be considered: The value added to a large app development project Assistance provided to the Ops facet of Dev/Ops Integration provided with Powershell integration Microsoft Azure meets all the needs for satisfying millions of users across the world. Which certification exam should you take? The industry recognized Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certifications demonstrate your IT professional and developer technical expertise through various industry-recognized exams. On passing your first qualifying MCP exam, you will automatically become a Microsoft Certified Professional. Note that the Microsoft Certified Professional(MCP) certification is no longer available, but will be added to your transcript when you pass an MCP exam. However, you may not be able to get all the program benefits until you successfully earn your first certification. The main consideration is which exam should you take first? To decide that you need to consider the following factors: Your technological experience: The experience you have in technical field will help you determine whether you should go for advanced certification or start with a fundamental one. For instance, a professional having 2 years of experience can’t take up architect-level certification. A strong technical background is a must if you are willing to take an architect-level certification Your present job role: It is always advisable to take a certification that is relatable to your present job role. For instance, a windows or network admin should consider attempting Azure Infrastructure Solutions whereas a .NET developer may attempt Azure developer certification. If you are a professional who is completely new to the technology, it is recommended that you first begin with the Fundamentals certification. Your objective: Any certification that you wish to attempt should align with your goal for the future. For instance, if your aspiration in the future is to become a big data architect, you should first take a big data cloud certification followed by an architect level certification. There is a prerequisite for each exam. Although not mandatory, a good background prepares you for job roles in future that align with the certification you plan on attempting. Azure certifications for IT professionals In 2018, new Azure certifications were added for the IT professionals and some of the existing ones were retired. The new Azure role-based Azure certifications were launched after getting feedback from the previous exam takers. To select the best certification, you must know about all the certifications Microsoft has to offer. Here, we are providing you with six different Azure Certifications path based on the roles: Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 is the foundational level exam created for IT professionals wanting to validate their knowledge of the Microsoft Azure platform. You can take this exam even if you are not from a technical background but have a basic knowledge of the cloud concepts. This exam is also a stepping stone for other associate and expert level Azure certifications. The exam will cover the cloud concepts, the core services of Azure, Azure support and pricing, and security, trust, compliance, and privacy. The exam is available in English and costs $99 USD. Azure Administrator Associate For this role, you need to pass Exam AZ-103. To be eligible for this exam, you must have an understanding of Azure applications, cloud, operating systems, and storage infrastructure. Apart from this, you must know how the virtualization tools and networking components work. Having a basic understanding of Command Line Interface and PowerShell will act as an advantage. In the exam, there will be a number of different domains covered including Implementing and managing storage, configuring and managing virtual networks, managing Azure resources and subscriptions, managing identities, and deploying and managing virtual machines. It is available in English and costs $165 USD. Azure Developer Associate For this role, you need to pass AZ-203 exam. The prerequisites for this exam include expertise in developing apps and services by implementing tools and technologies provided on the Azure platform. At least 1 year of working experience in developing solutions that are scalable is required. Also, the candidate must be proficient in at least one programming language supported by the cloud. During the exam, you will be asked questions regarding developing for Azure storage, developing Azure infrastructure as a solution for service compute, implementing Azure security, troubleshooting, monitoring, and optimizing Azure solutions, and connecting and consuming services from third-parties and Azure. The exam is only available in English and costs $165 USD. Azure Solutions Architect Expert You need to pass two exams for this role, AZ-300 and AZ-301. For the AZ-300 exam: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies, you must have at least 1 year of experience working with the Azure platform. A basic knowledge of data management, identity, security, and IT operations is also required. Also, you must be familiar with DevOps, Azure administration, and Azure development. The exam covers several domains including deploying and configuring infrastructure, implementing security and workloads, creating and deploying apps, architecting solutions using cloud technology, developing for the cloud, securing data, and implementing authentication. The exam, costing about $165 USD, is only available in English. For the AZ-301 exam: Microsoft Azure Architect Design, the prerequisites are the same as for the AZ-300. However, you also need to pass the AZ-300 exam to be eligible for the AZ-301 exam. The domains of this exam include determining requirements of the workload, designing for security and identity, designing a strategy for business continuity, designing a solution for data platform, designing to deploy, migrate, and integrate, and designing a strategy for infrastructure. The exam is only available in English and costs $165 USD. Azure DevOps Engineer Expert The exam for this role is the AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions. To be eligible for this exam, candidates must have knowledge of Azure administration and development. You must have the ability of designing and implementing DevOps practices for version control, infrastructure as code, configuration management, releasing, compliance, building, and testing using the Azure technologies. Also, you must be proficient in Agile practices. The exam will include domains like designing a DevOps strategy, implementing continuous integration and delivery, DevOps Development Processes, continuous feedback, dependency management, and application infrastructure. The exam costs $165 USD and is only available in English. Azure Security Engineer Associate For this new role, you need to pass the AZ-500 exam: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies. The prerequisites for this exam include knowledge of how to implement security controls on the Azure platform, virtualization, Amazon Kubernetes Service, and cloud N-tier architecture. You must have the ability of using security tools for recognizing and addressing vulnerabilities and protecting applications, data, and networks by implementing the security solutions. Expertise in maintaining security status, identity and access management, and scripting and automation is also required. The domains covered in this exam include management of identity and access, and security operations, implementing platform protection, and securing applications and data. The exam is available in English and costs $165 USD. Now that you have all the information regarding the different Azure certifications, you can select the one that best suits your needs. To learn about the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, check out Microsoft Azure Fundamentals course.
7210
- by Joydip Kumar
- 14 Oct 2019
- 8 mins read
Over the past few years, there has been a paradigm... Read More
Google Cloud vs AWS- Which is Better: A Comparison
By Joydip Kumar
Cloud computing has become an integral part of the IT sector. The days of struggling with complicated networking and on-premise server rooms are long gone. Thanks to cloud computing, services are now secure, reliable, and cost-effective. When we talk of top cloud computing providers, there are 2 names that are ruling the markets right now- AWS and Google Cloud. Here, we are going to compare both of them, determining the pros and cons of both. Before we start with the comparison, you should have an understanding of the latest trends in the field of cloud computing. In the sixth annual State of the Cloud Survey of the RightScale, where over 1,000 professionals were interviewed, there were some interesting findings that came out: One of the biggest challenges the cloud computing industry faces is the lack of expertise and resources. Some professionals were worried about the security related to using the services provided by cloud computing. There were a few professionals who thought that performance was a major challenge they faced while using cloud computing services. The report was published in 2016, and since then significant changes have occurred in the field of cloud computing. Hosting sites at AWS and Google Cloud has become fairly easy. There are multiple WordPress hosting providers allowing you to use the cloud without worrying about the technical aspects of cloud computing. Several large enterprises are investing in their engineers and employees and helping them gain certifications offered by cloud computing platforms: AWS –AWS Solutions Architect, AWS Developer, DevOps Engineer, SysOps Administrators Google Cloud - Cloud Architect, G Suite Administrator, Data Engineer Over the past couple of years, security and performance have significantly improved. This is because cloud computing providers have come up with new ways of securely hosting data and delivering it faster. All the traffic between the data centers is now encrypted by default. When it comes to public cloud adoption, AWS is still the leader. The main reason behind this being that AWS was the first cloud computing service to be launched and has significantly shaped the cloud industry. However, other cloud computing providers like Google Cloud and Azure have seen significant growth too. Let’s take an in-depth look at these two market leaders in cloud computing to help you select the best one for your organization. Google Cloud Platform With all the different solutions and services provided by the Google Cloud Platform, you will be able to use the same hardware and software infrastructure used by Google for its own products like Gmail and YouTube. Their first service, Google App Engine, was launched in 2008 in public purview. Here are some of their products: Google Compute Engine Google Cloud Bigtable Google Cloud CDN Google Cloud Datastore Google Cloud DNS Google Cloud Functions Google Container Engine Google BigQuery Google Storage According to the Chief Executive Officer of Google, Sundar Pichai, Google Cloud Platform is one of the top three priorities for the company. The annual run rate for the platform is over $8 billion. Amazon Web Services (AWS) A subsidiary of Amazon.com, this cloud computing service was launched in 2006. Since then, it has offered multiple solutions and services. Here are a few of their products: Amazon CloudFront Amazon DynamoDB Amazon EC2 Container Service Amazon Elastic Beanstalk Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud Amazon Lambda Amazon Redshift Amazon Route 53 Amazon S3 There are some big brands that are using the service provided by the AWS Cloud including Netflix, Nasa, Lamborghini, Time Inc., Airbnb, Expedia, etc. Comparisions Between Google Cloud vs AWS There are many services that are similar between Google Cloud and AWS. With so many products offered by both, we can’t compare them product wise. Instead, we will be covering them according to their compute instances, storage, networking, and billing features. 1. Cloud Let’s compare how both the providers handle their instances i.e., their virtual machines. For virtual machines, Google cloud uses KVM while AWS EC2 uses Xen. Both the technologies offer predefined configurations with a specified amount of network, RAM, and virtual CPU. However, Amazon EC2 refers to them as instance types while Google Compute Engine refers to them as machine types. With AWS EC2, you can equip up to 3,904 GB of RAM and 128 vCPUs. For Google Compute Engine instances, you can equip 3,844 GB of RAM and 160 vCPUs. Google Cloud also allows departing from the predefined configuration and customizing your RAM and CPU resources for fitting your workload. There are other types including AWS EC2 Spot Instances and Google Cloud Preemptible VMs. 2. StorageThis is a very important consideration as it will directly impact the performance of your applications like max IOP per instance/volume, expected throughput (IO), and the ability of bursting capacity for short times. When comparing AWS and Google, there are two types of primary storage that need to be considered: object storage and block storage. Block storage is the virtual disk volume that is used in conjunction with cloud-based virtual machines. AWS EC2 provides this with its Elastic Block Store (EBS) while Google Compute engine uses persistent disks. Object Storage, also known as distributed object storage, are hosted services used to store and access a large number of blobs or binary data. Google Compute Engine uses Google Cloud Storage to provide this service while AWS uses the S3 service for this. Apart from the above-mentioned, both the providers also allow the usage of disks locally attached to the physical machine that is used to run the instance. When compared to persistent disks, this local storage provides very low latency, very high input/output operations per second, and superior performance. You can even achieve several GBs of read and write speeds with this storage, which is incredibly huge. AWS EC2 calls them instance store volumes while Google Cloud refers to them as local SSDs. Google Cloud allows attaching local SSDs to any type of instance. In the case of AWS, only the X1, R3, M3, I3, I2, HI1, G2, F1, and C3 can support instance store volumes. In 2017, Google Cloud announced a price cut on local SSDs for preemptable and on-demand instances. 3. NetworkBoth the providers use different partners and networks for interconnecting their data centers and delivering content to end users via ISPs. For accomplishing this, different products are used. When it comes to Google Compute Engine instances, the achievable network capacity is based on your VM’s CPUs quantity. For peak performance, every core is provided with a 2 Gbits/second cap. Every core increases the network capabilities to a maximum of 16 Gbps for every virtual machine. Amazon EC2 instances, for the large instance sizes, have a maximum bandwidth of 25 Gbps. 10 Gbps/second is the maximum speed for standard instances. When you are comparing the network capabilities of both the providers, network latency plays a major part. When you are working with the business with visitors from a particular geographic location, latency is important. For example, if you have a website in Frankfurt and more than 90% of your customers are from Germany, you will benefit from placing the site on a server in Germany rather than placing it in Asia or the United States. This can make a difference of about 2 seconds. It includes other factors as well like TTFB, DNS, etc. Both, the AWS and Google Cloud, have multiple locations across the globe for you to choose from. On a latency test conducted using Cloud Harmony that offers impartial, reliable, and objective analysis of the performance, 50 servers located around the globe were utilized. The results showed that Google Cloud offered better latency. But the test was run from a specific location. Different location can give different results. For measuring ping times and latency, you can try spinning up small instances on both the providers and running your own tests. 4. BillingBoth providers have a different approach for billing. Both of them also have a very complicated way of doing it. You can try checking out their monthly calculators: Google Cloud Platform Pricing Calculator AWS Simple Monthly Calculator Calculating this monthly amount is not an easy task. There are tools like Cloudability and reOptimize that are built entirely for helping you better understand your bills. Google Cloud Platform uses its BigQuery tool for providing estimated exports. AWS has a dashboard providing insights to your bill. However, both of the cloud platforms are working their best to reduce costs and making billing easier. In September 2017, AWS announced per second billing. This works great for clients who are working on spinning up new instances and carry out a large amount of work in a short duration. After this, Google Cloud also launched the per second billing. This just shows the intense competition between the two where they are simultaneously launching new products. If you are seriously invested in one of the platforms, they will provide you with various ways to save costs. Reserved Instances is one such way by which AWS EC2 offers a significant discount and when used in a particular availability zone, provides a capacity reservation. There are 3 types of reserved instances: Standard Reserved Instances Scheduled Reserved Instances Convertible Reserved Instances Google Cloud uses Committed Use Discounts to all the customers of Compute Engine. So basically, in return for discounted prices, you have to buy the committed use contracts. After analysis, it was found that on using the 1 year standard RI of AWS vs the 1 year committed use discount of Google, the Google’s environment cost 28 percent less than AWS. The 3 year program for both the discount types led to 35 percent less cost in Google environment as opposed to the AWS. 5. Support and UptimeBoth, the AWS and Google Cloud, have multiple community forums and documentation that can help you understand their services for free. AWS Forums Google Cloud Forums AWS Documentation Google Cloud Documentation However, you will have to pay for instant support or assistance. Both of them have support plans. We strongly recommend that you read the fees involved in both before availing of the assistance services. Both of them offer unlimited number of billing and account support cases without any long-term contracts. For Google, there are 3 levels of support available - Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The cheapest plan is the Silver one starting at $150/month. The Gold plan starts at $400/month. You will also be charged a product usage fee of minimum 9% which will decrease as your spend increases. AWS provides 4 levels of support - Basic, Developer, Business, and Enterprise. The cheapest paid plan is the developer starting at $29 per month of 3% of your monthly usage. The Business plan starts at $100 per month along with 10% of product usage fees which will also decrease as the spend increases. When it comes to monthly uptime percentage, both have SLAs providing at least 99.95%. For staying up to date with the incidents, you need to subscribe to their status page. However, both the providers have delayed updating their status dashboards. With AWS, you have the advantage of having different machines within multiple availability zones per region. On the Google Cloud, the same machine per region might have all your instances. However, with Google Cloud you have the ability of live migrating the virtual machines which allow addressing issues like patching, updating and repairing without worrying about the machine reboots. 6. SecurityIn the Clutch’s Second Annual Cloud Computing Survey, it was found that about 70% of professionals felt secure storing their data in the cloud than on their previous, on-premises legacy systems. With Google Cloud Security, you get the benefit of a security model that has been developing over a period of 15 years and is securing products like Gmail, Search, etc. There are about 500 full-time security professionals employed by Google. It provides security features like: All the data in the cloud platform services and in transit between Google, data centers, and the customers is encrypted by default. 256-bit AES is used for encrypting the data stored on persistent disks. A set of regularly changed master keys are used for encrypting the encryption key. Regular audits are used to commit to the security certifications of the enterprise for PCI, SSAE16, ISO 27018, ISO 27017, and HIPAA compliance. Thanks to Google’s relationship with the biggest ISPs in the world, there are fewer hops across the public internet which improves data security. The layers of the storage stack and Google application require that all requests coming from other components must be authorized and authenticated. Google Cloud’s Identity and Access Management uses predefined roles for giving granular access to the specific resources of the Google Cloud Platform. This helps in preventing unwanted access. AWS platform also has a security model with the following features: All the data in transit between the AWS, data centers and the customers is encrypted. 256-bit AES is used for encrypting the data stores on EC2 instances. All the encryption keys are encrypted using regularly changed master keys. It allows creating private networks and controlling access to the applications and instances through AWS WAF’s web application firewall capabilities and Amazon VPC’s network firewalls. AWS Key Management Service allows selecting whether you or AWS will be managing the encryption keys and controlling them. Using AWS CloudHSM, you get hardware-based cryptographic key storage that satisfies all the compliance requirements. You can define, enforce, and manage user access policies using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), AWS Directory Services, and AWS Multi-Factor Authentication. It has service features like SOC, PCI, HIPAA, ISO and other compliance standards that are audit-friendly. From the above it is clear that both cloud computing providers have their pros and cons. Google Cloud has seen rapid global expansion over the past few years. It is also the one to go for if you favour speed and affordable pricing. AWS has been a long-standing name in the history of cloud computing. AWS started it all and is still being copied by other major players in the market. AWS redundancy, support and availability per region have helped it stay at the top. Rest assured, the constant battle between both the cloud providers will result in increased performance, more services and products, and lower prices benefitting hosting partners and customers. You can try the AWS Certification course for learning about all the services offered by AWS.
7050
- by Joydip Kumar
- 14 Oct 2019
- 8 mins read
Cloud computing has become an integral part of the... Read More
How to Pass the AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam?
By Joydip Kumar
Are you planning to appear for the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification in 2019? Looking for some guidance in the right direction? Well, your search ends here. Here is a complete and comprehensive guide of all the things you can expect from the AWS exams and how to best prepare for them!What is the Need for Cloud Computing: Cloud Computing is one of the biggest industries in Information Technology. It has ventured into several sectors and industries over the globe changing the way we commute, communicate and conduct business. Cloud Computing is allowing businesses and clients transact better and incorporate innovative ideas in an effective way and on a massive scale. Plus, the fact that there is no need for up-front investment, only makes things better for small scale enterprises. What is Amazon Web Services: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the global leader in cloud computing. AWS offers over 100 patented services and other additional courses through the Marketplace that can be accessed by people from all across the world. AWS is a credible and reliable cloud computing platform that has abusiness in digital areas such as Silicon Valley, Seattle, and New York. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification- An OverviewAWS Cloud Practitioner Certification is one of the basic platforms that offers Cloud Certifications including those like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. CloudPractitioner Certification is accessible to anyone who is interested in a career in technology and IT. AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification is meant for Systems Engineers, Network Engineers, Developers, Sales, Marketing, and IT leaders. Here is the list of AWS certified roles that you can apply for with the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification: AWS Certified Solution Architect Associate AWS Certified Solution Architect Professional AWS Certified Developer Associate AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate AWS Certified DevOps Professional AWS Certified Networking Specialist AWS Certified Security Specialist AWS Certified Bigdata Specialist. Eligibility Criteria for AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification:Here are some of the basic criteria need to be satisfied to be able to take AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification exam: Minimum ½ year practice of AWS cloud concepts in either of these sectors- purchasing, financial, sales, technical, managerial, etc. Understanding of IT services and their application in AWS Cloud platform. Exam Pattern for AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification: There are two basic types of questions that you’ll find in the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification Exam- objective and subjective. The multiple-choice questions have 4 options, out of which candidates have to select the right one. The other kind is called the multiple-response question where candidates have to think of all possible responses of a question. Beginner level candidates generally opt for the AWS distractor options as they’re easier and have no negative marking for selecting a wrong answer. You will be given 90 minutes to finish the exam. Also, the exam is available in English, Korean, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese at a price of 100 USD. For more information regarding the exam, download the exam guide CLF-C01. What are the ObjectivesAWS Cloud Practitioner Certification Exam: AWS CCP is an exam that aims at testing the candidates practical and theoretical understanding of cloud computing. Acing this exam would make you a certified cloud based developer or analyst. This certification exam evaluates candidate’s knowledge to: Explain the chief characteristics of operating and deploying in the AWS Cloud Identify the key sources of technical help or documentation Define common security model, security and compliance concepts Clarify the elementary principles of AWS Cloud Architecture Elucidate AWS cloud standards Describe the account management, billing, and pricing Explain AWS cloud and its basic infrastructure AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification Subject Areas The curriculum for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification exam has been categorized into four subject areas, such as: S.No.DomainsWeightage1Cloud Concepts28%2Security24%3Technology36%4Billing & Pricing12%1. Cloud Concepts A basic knowledge of Cloud Computing Concepts is mandatory if candidates want to clear the AWS exam. There are generally broad questions asked from this section and includes topics like Fault Tolerance, High Availability, Scalability, and Elasticity. 2. Security Security is another topic that is essential for AWS applicants. This includes various questions related to culpable management, compliance, and security. Below are some of the topics that you may find in your exam: IAM- Managing users, Password policies, and MFA DDoS Protection Cloud Logs Shared Security Model 3. Technology Technology is the most significant field of AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification exam. You should be familiar with the main AWS services if you want to be proficient in this section. Some of the AWS services that you must know include Route 53, Lambda, S3, ELB, SNS, RDS and EC2. 4. Billing & Pricing As AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification exam focuses on the commercial application of AWS, Billing & Pricing becomes an integral topic for applicants. You must have a basic understanding of knowledge of general account information, AWS support, billing processes and how services are billed, cost calculation, taxation and more. How to Prepare for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification: As we all know that training for any certification course is no piece of cake. Candidates need to put in considerable time and effort in the right direction to get a decent score. Here is how one can prepare for the exams; Start with AWS Training Lessons Here are three AWS Training courses that will help you to pass this certification. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials: This course caters to candidates who want to get a complete understanding of AWS Cloud. This course comprises of cloud concepts, AWS amenities, pricing, architecture, security, and support. AWS Technical Essentials: This course enlightens you about AWS services, goods, and some commonplace solutions. It makes you more competent in analysing AWS services so that you will be able to resolve IT issues. AWS Business Essentials: AWS Business Essentials supports candidates who want to know about the advantages of cloud computing, plus monetary profits and cloud-based approaches to help people crack business goals. This course even advises you about safety and acquiescence concepts and helps you understand AWS cloud computing approach. Consult the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification Exam Guide People preparing for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam should definitely consult the AWS CCP guides available online and offline. These books offer a deeper understanding of the core areas that candidates need to focus on. Get Familiar with the Subject Areas When you are preparing for an exam, the subject area or topic is an important part that you should be concentrating on. Objectives of AWS CCP certification exam have already been discussed above, go through them carefully, and then start your training through the suggested study material for each topic area. Go through AWS Whitepapers Since we know that white papers are fashioned to instruct the listeners about a specific and precise methodology. AWS whitepapers are detailed reliable and cover the basic topics such as security, architecture, and economics. Here are some popular AWS whitepapers that will help you in the preparation of AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification exam Overview of AWS How AWS Pricing Works Maximizing Value with AWS AWS Security Best Practices An Overview of the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework The Business Value of AWS: Succeeding at Twenty-First Century Business Infrastructure Self-Study AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam covers the rudimentary concepts and information regarding AWS Cloud. People who have the experience or expertise of working on AWS cloud platform, can easily pass the exam through self-study. We would recommend online courses for candidates who have trouble understanding the concepts and ideas of AWS cloud computing. Browse through the FAQs and blogs to get a better idea about how things work. Take Free Cloud Practitioner Practice Test Taking practice tests for any certification exam is the best way to evaluate yourself for the exam and test your knowledge. If you want to accomplish good grades, you must opt for the free AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner practice exam. These tests are designed in a pattern that resembles the actual exam structure and contents. Schedule the Exam and Get Certified Now that you are done with your preparation and feel confident enough, it is the right time to enrol for the exam. Candidates can choose any testing centre in their locality. A quick look at the AWS training website would give you a list of all the centres near you. Pick a centre and register yourself. Best AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification Books There are several books and notes that candidates can consult while preparing for AWS exams. AWS Exam Guide will give people a step by step guide in order to prepare for the tests. It is a well organised and comprehensive tool for first timers and professionals alike. We have enlisted some important books that will help you to prepare for the AWS certified cloud practitioner exam. Read all or few of these to clear your notions of AWS cloud and pass the certification exam with flying colours. So, here are the suggested AWS certified cloud practitioner books – AWS: The Beginners Guide to Amazon Web Services by Dennis Hutten AWS Basics: Beginner’s Guide by Gordon Wong Learning AWS by Aurobindo Sarkar and Amit Shah Amazon Web Services for Dummies by Bernard Golden Amazon Web Services in Action by Andreas Wittig and Michael Wittig AWS Automation Cookbook – Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment using AWS Services by Nikit Swaraj Suggestions to Follow While Taking AWS Cloud PractitionerExam: Now that you have prepared for the exam, and registered for the same, it is time to face the music and actually appear for the exams. Don’t be nervous, you have done your best and are absolutely prepared for the tests. Take a deep breath, and follow these tips if you feel unsure or under confident about the papers; Start the exam by answering the questions you are sure about. Tackle the simplest problems first. You can then have more time on your hands to think about the difficult questions. Also, don’t spend a lot of time on a single question Keep a watch with you and always check the time when you’re at the exam time. Keeping track of how much time you’ve spent is a great way to manage your answers better. This way you can even attempt all the questions Don’t panic, take a deep breath, and avoid rushing into the answers. Don’t try to complete the questions as fast as you can, try to be accurate as well. Although there is no negative marking, it would be better if you get maximum answers correct The AWS exam lasts for 90 minutes, with enough practice, you can easily solve the papers in the stipulated time. Give mock exams and tests to practice your skills The objective questions are usually the easiest to answer, so do them first, next, pick the questions that have multiple right answers. It is not always the case that only one answer will only be the best answer. Think about all the possible ways in which the question can be answered, and pick the best-case scenario The AWS pattern does have sub questions and sub sections in a single large question. Not every question has the same weightage or answering requirement. Read through the marking scheme and instructions carefully before you answer Don’t rush with the question, read it carefully to understand exactly what is asked of you before you begin with your answer. The Bottom Line Preparing for AWS CCP exams are not a piece of cake, however, it is not as difficult as most people make it sound as well. What you need is the right balance of resources and training. Start with the basics and slowly work your way from there. You don’t need to ace the subjects in one go, take your time, be through with your preparation and we’re sure you will be able to crack the exams. Try out the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification Training course of KnowledgeHut to prepare for the exam. Good luck!
8105
- by Joydip Kumar
- 11 Oct 2019
- 8 mins read
Are you planning to appear for the AWS Cloud Pract... Read More