4 Big Cloud Computing Trends for 2024

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.Cloud Certification courses train professionals in tools and technologies related to the cloud to bring efficiency into their work. You can find multiple options for top Azure certifications that train professionals at different levels in their careers in the cloud domain. Choosing one will direct your career and help you achieve great heights. For more information, check out Cloud certification course.Since organizations all over the world are adopting cloud computing, there is a high demand for professionals. Here is a list of best Azure certifications to upskill your career in our blog.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. Obtaining one of the best Azure certifications not only boosts your credibility but also aligns you with the most in-demand cloud computing roles in the industry.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 yearMore than 57% of the Fortune 500 companies are using AzureWith the help of Azure, the commercial cloud revenue of Microsoft has increased by 104%.The UK government has officially accredited MS AzureThere is also MS Azure Government offering that is backed by the US Government.Microsoft Azure Certification Levels  Just like any other certification type, the most in-demand Azure certification options are also categorized into four levels. From beginner to advanced, there are multiple options that cloud enthusiasts can choose based on their current and target position.  Fundamental: Certifications under this category are for beginners who have just begun their journey and plan to get a promising start. Even candidates from non-IT backgrounds should start from a fundamental level. Associate: If you have a fundamental understanding of the Azure principles, you are good to go with the associate-level certification. It will introduce you to advanced concepts and boost your career to reach an expert level.  Expert: If you have prior experience in the cloud computing domain, expert-level AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification courses would be apt. You learn advanced-level skills and tools that help you gain proficiency. Specialty: As the name suggests, this category of Azure certifications is for those who wish to gain expertise in a particular cloud domain. For example, Azure security, SAP workloads, and other best Microsoft Azure certification options offering specialty.  Best Azure Certifications for IT Professionals 2024In 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 choose the best Azure certifications, it's essential to understand the variety of certifications that Microsoft offers. Here, we are providing you with the top Azure Certifications path based on the roles:Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals - AZ-900Azure Administrator Associate - AZ-104Azure Developer Associate - AZ-204Azure Solutions Architect Expert - AZ-305Azure DevOps Engineer Expert - AZ 400Azure Security Engineer Associate - AZ-500Azure Data Fundamentals - DP-900Azure AI Fundamentals - AI-900Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals - SC-900Azure Data Scientist Associate - DP-100Azure Database Administrator Associate - DP-300Azure AI Engineer Associate - AI-100/AI-102Identity and Access Administrator Associate - SC-300Security Operations Analyst Associate - SC-200Azure IoT Developer Specialty - AZ-2201. Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals - AZ-900AZ-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.Azure Fundamentals Certification 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.Certification Level: It is the fundamental level of Azure certification for beginners who are planning their careers in cloud computing.  Skills Required: There are no skills required to attend the coaching. However, after getting trained, you will gain skills like proficiency in cloud computing.  Required Exam: After you have completed the training, you are required to sit for the exam, qualifying for which you will get awarded the Azure fundamentals certification. Validity: The certification is valid for two years.2. Azure Administrator Associate - AZ-104 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. 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.Azure Administrator Associate certification 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.Certification Level: It is a fundamental level certification in Azure.Skills Required: After completing this certification, your interpersonal skills get empowered. Additionally, you get trained in Azure resource deployment.Required Exam: You can clear the exam on your first attempt if you prepare well. There will be 60 questions in total, and you have to score a minimum of 700 marks.3. Azure Developer Associate - AZ-204 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.Azure Developer Associate certification exam is only available in English and costs $165 USD.Skills Required: After completing the certification, you get skilled in optimizing and troubleshooting solutions. Moreover, your interpersonal skills also get better. Required Exam: The qualifying exam will have 40 to 60 questions, and the minimum score is 700. You have to qualify for this exam to get certified. Validity: The certification is valid for only two years.4. Azure Solutions Architect Expert - AZ-305You 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. 5. Azure DevOps Engineer Expert - AZ 400The 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.6. Azure Security Engineer Associate - AZ-500 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.7. Azure Data Fundamentals - DP-900The certification trains the candidates to implement efficient solutions on the basis of new-age cloud data services. Furthermore, you learn the best practices for working with data in the cloud. It is the best azure certification for beginners. Prerequisites: As a prerequisite, you should have a thorough understanding of relational and non-relational data.  Price: The cost of this certification is $99. Certification Level: It is a foundation-level certification course.    Skills Required: To clear the certification exam, you should be skilled enough to describe how to work with relational data. Furthermore, your core data concepts should be clear. Required Exam: To get certified, you have to sit for the exam and qualify for it. The exam is available in different languages, and you have to get 70% marks to pass it. Validity: The certification remains valid for a lifetime.  Certification Salary : The average salary after completing this certification is $121K.8. Azure AI Fundamentals - AI-900This certification provides you with an overview of the machine learning and AI concepts. After completing the certification, your basic understanding of cloud concepts and client-server applications will get better.  Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for the certification course. The candidate should have the zeal to learn and a basic awareness of computing.  Price: The cost of this certification is $99. Certification Level: It is an associate-level certification course.    Skills Required: After completing the coaching, the skills you will acquire include describing fundamental principles of machine learning and demonstrating features of conversational AI workloads.  Required Exam: To get certified, you have to sit for the exam and qualify for it. The exam is available in different languages, and you have to get 70% marks to pass it. Validity: The certification remains valid for a lifetime.  9. Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals - SC-900This certification is for those who want to learn about the fundamentals of security, compliance, and SCI across cloud-based services.   Prerequisites: As prerequisites, you should have experience and knowledge in operating systems, networking, storage structures, and databases. Price: The cost of this certification is $99. Certification Level: It is an associate-level certification course.     Skills Required: The skills required for completing this certification are an understanding of basic concepts of security and compliance.   Required Exam: To get certified, you have to sit for the exam and qualify for it. The exam is available in different languages, and you would have to answer 40 to 60 questions. Validity : The certification remains valid for a lifetime.10. Azure Data Scientist Associate - DP-100The certification allows you to create optimized environments for data science workloads on Azure. You also learn to run data experiments and create predictive models.  Prerequisites: To earn the certification, you should have knowledge of Python and Machine learning frameworks.  Price: The cost of this certification is $165. Certification Level: It is an advanced-level certification.  Skills Required : You should have an understanding of machine learning models before sitting for this certification. Required Exam : The exam to acquire DP-100 certification is not so difficult. It has an open-book feature that makes it easier. Validity: The certification remains valid for one year.11. Azure Database Administrator Associate - DP-300This certification is for database administrators and data engineers who wish to gain specialization in Azure data management. It trains you in designing and implementing strategies to move databases between Azure and on-premises.  Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites that you should fulfill before this certification. However, fair knowledge of IT skills is beneficial.  Price: The cost of this certification is $165. Certification Level: It is a fundamental certification level for security experts. Skills Required : To qualify for the exam, you should be proficient with database administration skills and managing Azure data solutions. Required Exam: If you prepare well, you can crack the exam on your first attempt. It is available in different languages, and the qualifying mark is 700.  Validity : This certification comes with a validity of one year.  12. Azure AI Engineer Associate - AI-100/AI-102It is a basic certification that covers machine learning and AI concepts in Azure. This certification is for software developers wishing to build a career in Azure AI services.  As a prerequisite of this certification, you should have knowledge of Microsoft Azure and the ability to navigate the Azure portal. Furthermore, knowledge of C# or Python is a plus. Price: The cost of this certification is $165. Certification Level: It is a foundation-level certification course. Skills Required: To qualify for the exam, you should be skilled in describing considerations for AI-enabled application development. Furthermore, you should be skilled in creating conversational solutions with Bots.  Required Exam: It is one of the hardest exams, with a total of 40-60 questions. Only if you have prepared well can you qualify and get certified. Validity: The certification is only valid for one year from the date of qualifying for the exam.13. Identity and Access Administrator Associate - SC-300This certification helps individuals acquire skills like managing and implementing an identity management solution. The certified professionals also become proficient in enforcing policies and troubleshooting.   As a prerequisite, you should have a fair understanding of Microsoft Azure resources and applications.  Price: The cost of this certification is $165. Certification Level: It is an advanced-level certification in Microsoft Azure. Skills Required: To sit for the qualifying exam, you should be skilled in managing Azure and identity protection. Furthermore, you should know how to implement app registration.  Required Exam: The qualifying exam is immediately difficult. There are 40 to 60 questions in total, and you should get at least 700 marks. Validity : The certification is valid for only one year.  14. Security Operations Analyst Associate - SC-200The certification trains you to reduce organizational risks by eliminating active attacks on the cloud environment. Furthermore, you learn to improve the company's protection practices. Candidate must be familiar with cyber attacks, potential threats, and incident management. Additionally, he must be familiar with Microsoft 365 and Azure services. Price: The cost of this certification is $165. Certification Level: It is an advanced-level certification in Azure Skills Required: You should be skilled in writing scripts and sharpen your interpersonal abilities before opting for this certification. Required Exam: There are 40-60 questions in the qualifying exam, and you need 700 as a passing mark to get certified.   Validity: The certification is valid for one year.15. Azure IoT Developer Specialty - AZ-220The certification trains the candidate in coding required to build and manage the cloud. The certified IoT developer also sets up the physical devices for the organization. Prerequisites: The candidate should have a basic awareness of cloud solutions in IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS Price: The cost of this certification is $165. Certification Level: It is an associate-level certification Skills Required: You should be skilled in Microsoft Azure fundamentals.  Required Exam: The exam is a little challenging. You require more than 700 marks to qualify it. Validity: The certification is valid only for one year. 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 is rapidly transforming the IT industry, with market revenue for cloud services increasing by 20% annually, according to IDC, Gartner, and Forbes.Businesses powered by the cloud: Companies of all sizes are adopting cloud solutions. Enterprises view PaaS as a scalable, secure application development platform, and it's predicted that most IT spending will soon focus on cloud-based infrastructure, applications, and services.Shortage of cloud expertise: Despite the cloud's growing importance, many businesses struggle to maximize its benefits due to a lack of skilled professionals. This skill gap not only limits cloud adoption but also results in revenue loss for enterprises. Cloud expertise is in high demand, making certification valuable for career growth.Which Cloud Certification Exam Should You Take?Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certifications demonstrate IT and developer expertise through industry-recognized exams. Upon passing your first qualifying MCP exam, you automatically become a Microsoft Certified Professional.Though the MCP certification is no longer available, it will still be added to your transcript upon passing an MCP exam. However, full program benefits may only be accessible once you earn your first certification.The main question is which exam to take first. Consider these factors:Technological experience: Your experience in the technical field will help determine if you should pursue an advanced or fundamental certification. For example, a professional with two years of experience shouldn't attempt an architect-level certification, which requires a strong technical background.Present job role: It's advisable to choose a certification related to your current job. A Windows or network admin might pursue Azure Infrastructure Solutions, while a .NET developer could focus on Azure developer certification. If you're new to the field, start with the Fundamentals certification.Objective: Your certification should align with future career goals. For example, aspiring big data architects should first pursue a big data cloud certification, followed by an architect-level one. A solid background prepares you for roles that match your certifications.Key Reasons to Get a Certification in Microsoft AzurePublic 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/OpsIntegration provided with Powershell integrationLooking to boost your career in IT? Discover the comprehensive ITIL course details that will equip you with the essential skills. Don't miss out on this opportunity to excel in the ever-evolving tech industry. Enroll now!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.Microsoft Azure meets all the needs for satisfying millions of users across the world. 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.ConclusionA career in cloud computing is promising and secure and comes with excellent monetary advantages. Moreover, the demand for cloud experts is high and expected to increase even more, which makes it an attractive career option. However, building a career in this competitive market is challenging. As it is an alluring option, you will find many enthusiasts trying their luck in this industry. So, you should stand out and brush your skills to an exceptional level to sail through. That is where the best Azure certifications help. You can choose the certification program you want depending on the level you are at and where you want to reach as a cloud expert. It will prepare you to do the job efficiently, win the trust of your employers, and enjoy a fruitful professional journey.   You May Also Like:Microsoft Azure Certifications Cost in 2024Is Azure Certification Worth It?Microsoft Azure Certifications Validity & RenewalHow to Get Azure Certification in 2024?Microsoft Azure Certification PathTop Azure Job Opportunities to Look in 2024Microsoft Azure Benefits and Use CasesTop 12 Azure Skills that are demand in 2024Azure Career Path Guide to build your career in 2024What is Microsoft Azure?

A vital component of the IT industry in today’s world is Amazon Web Services (AWS). Cloud-deployed applications are constructed using these services as building pieces. AWS-savvy experts are in great demand due to the immense advantages these services provide. Earning AWS certifications is the best way for professionals to demonstrate their proficiency. Listed in order to increase the level of knowledge, AWS offers 11 different certifications. For your certification exam preparation, AWS provides both online and in-person classes. To further assist you in understanding the fundamentals of AWS, AWS also suggests reading through a few whitepapers. In this article, I will be listing out the most recommended AWS Whitepapers to benefit you in your preparation. Let’s start with the basics first.  What is Amazon Web Services Whitepaper? By simplifying difficult concepts into understandable insights, the aws cloud practitioner white papers serve as excellent examples of a wealth of knowledge and expertise. These whitepapers are authored by AWS experts and provide guidelines for comprehending AWS services, architectural best practices, security measures, and use cases particular to a given industry. Additionally, by breaking down complex cloud subjects, AWS whitepapers assist businesses in making well-informed decisions about cloud architecture. They are a great knowledge source for aspirants preparing for AWS certifications.  Why Is It Relevant to AWS Exams? Whitepapers are extremely useful in AWS exam preparation. Here’s why: Simplifying the Complexity of Cloud Computing: The special value of AWS whitepapers lies in their ability to reduce the complexity that cloud computing has by nature. The AWS whitepapers offer an organised approach to understanding the AWS environment. For exam aspirants, they make complex cloud computing concepts like serverless computing, containerisation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics easier to understand. Whitepapers like aws whitepapers for solutions architect associate make complicated cloud ideas easier to understand by providing thorough explanations, graphics, case studies, and real-world examples. Provides latest and relevant learning: New technologies and services are always being added to the cloud computing space, which is perpetually improving. Whitepapers from AWS are vital resources for learning that keep professionals informed about the newest innovations and trends. AWS white papers such as aws whitepapers for cloud practitioner exam that explain new topics like serverless computing, machine learning, AI-driven analytics, and edge computing are filled with in-depth analysis, case studies, and practical examples. By reading and applying AWS whitepapers, aspirants can remain ahead of the curve, innovate, and adapt in the cloud.  Practical application: AWS whitepapers like aws whitepapers for cloud practitioner provide advice on how to put theoretical background into practice in addition to practical implementation guidance. Additionally, the content includes comprehensive setup instructions, configuration samples, and best practices to help in configuring and managing AWS services. Professionals can accomplish their goals by learning from AWS's offerings and best practices by using the whitepapers. Which AWS Whitepapers Are Essential to Read? When you must prioritize your reading list during you Cloud Computing courses, start with the below mentioned whitepapers which are amongst the most essential: 1) Overview of Amazon Web Services: Amazon Web Services' cloud-based products are covered in the whitepaper, Overview of Amazon Web Services. These products include: IoT, Development, Managing, Storage, Networking, Analysis, Databases, and Computers. A summary of the advantages of the AWS Cloud and an introduction to the platform's services are also included in the whitepaper. This is amongst the recommended aws solution architect associate white papers. 2) How AWS Pricing Works: The "How AWS Pricing Works" whitepaper from AWS gives a summary of the costs associated with several of the company's most well-known services.  These are a few of the whitepaper's main points:  For more than 160 cloud services, AWS provides a range of price options. There are no recurring fees or other charges when you cease using the services; you only pay for what you use. Usually, you pay per gigabyte for data transit and storage. The prices listed for AWS do not include value-added tax (VAT) or sales tax, among other relevant taxes and charges. For most of its cloud services, AWS offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model. You can take charge of your expenses and consistently optimize your spending using AWS. A breakdown of Amazon EC2 costs is also included in the whitepaper. 3) Introduction to DevOps on AWS: In addition to showing, you how AWS services can assist eliminate the undifferentiated heavy lifting involved in DevOps adaptation, this paper highlights AWS capabilities that can help you expedite your DevOps journey. It also explains how to leverage Infrastructure as a Service (IaC) to consistently and reliably provision and manage your cloud resources, as well as how to develop a continuous integration and delivery capability without having to manage servers or create nodes. Amazon Web Services has become an integral part of the IT sector. These services form the building blocks of the applications deployed in the cloud. Because of the benefits these services offer, professionals with expertise in the AWS are highly in demand. And what is the best way to prove your expertise other than getting AWS certifications?There are 11 certifications offered by AWS categorized according to their expertise level. AWS offers classroom and digital courses to help you prepare for these certification exams. To know more, check out Cloud Computing courses fees. Apart from this, AWS also recommends some whitepapers that can help you get a better grasp of the AWS concepts:1. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification ExamAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification is the foundational level certification exam that will help you validate your skills and knowledge of the AWS cloud. Also, it is a prerequisite alternative for some of the AWS specialty exams.The following whitepapers are recommended for this course:Overview of Amazon Web Services – Covers all the cloud-based products offered by AWS for computing, storing, networking, analysis, databases, developing, managing, security, IoT, etc.Architecting for the Cloud – This whitepaper provides advice and guidance on architecture and how it is applied in cloud computing. You will be introduced to all the basic concepts required to design AWS solutions.How AWS Pricing works – In this whitepaper, you will learn about how AWS services are priced. It covers on-demand, reservation-based, pay-as-you-go payment model that provides the best ROI.2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – AssociateAWS Solutions Architect certification exam validates your skills in designing distributed applications. This includes knowledge of building secure and reliable applications using the AWS platform, troubleshooting, disaster recovery, data security practices, deployment of hybrid systems, etc.To prepare for this certification exam, you must study the following AWS whitepaper:AWS Well-Architected – This whitepaper was created to help the cloud architects in building resilient, efficient, high-performing, and secure infrastructure for their system and applications. The framework provided by the AWS is based on the five pillars – Reliability, Operational Excellence, Performance Efficiency, and Cost Optimization. With this whitepaper, you will be able to learn how to use a consistent approach for evaluating architectures and implementing designs.3. AWS Certified Developer- AssociateAWS Developer certification is an associate-level certification is all about developing and maintaining applications using the AWS platform. This also covers other AWS services like storage, databases, workflow, notifications, and change management services. To ace this certification exam, you need to go through the following AWS whitepapers:AWS Security Best Practices – It is for professionals working on designing and configuring the infrastructure and applications deployed on the AWS platform. It includes the best practices used in defining the Information Security Management System (ISMS) for protecting your data and assets.Practicing Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery on AWS – It covers the concepts and advantages of continuous integration and continuous delivery used as a part of the DevOps initiative.Implementing Microservices on AWS – This whitepaper includes how to use microservices for speeding up deployment cycles, improving scalability and maintainability, etc.Serverless Architecture with AWS Lambda – This whitepaper aims to give an overview of AWS lambda and the best practices used to build serverless applications on AWS.Optimizing Enterprise Economics with Serverless Architecture – This whitepaper is created to help the senior architects, Chief Technology Officers (CTOs), and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) get an understanding of the impact of serverless architecture on IT economics, team agility, and market.Running Containerized Microservices on AWS – It guides developers and architects on running containerized applications on the AWS platform. This includes security, lifecycle management, and architectural design patterns for containerized applications deployed on the AWS.Blue/Green Deployments on AWS – This whitepaper covers the Blue/Green deployment technique that shifts traffic between identical environments of application’s different versions to release application.4. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator -  AssociateCreated for system administrators,  AWS SysOps Administrator certification requires knowledge in operational as well as technical aspects of AWS. You must know how to deploy applications on the AWS platform, transfer data between data centers and the AWS, select the right AWS service, secure and manage the system.You can try the following whitepapers to get a better grasp of these concepts:Architecting for the Cloud – Made for developers and solutions architects, this whitepaper includes concepts on how to build solutions that can be deployed on the AWS platform. You will be learning about the benefits of attributes specific to cloud computing like infrastructure automation and elasticity.Amazon Web Services: Overview of Security Processes – This whitepaper covers the operational security and physical processes that are used for describing the server and network architecture of the AWS platform. You will be learning how to ensure the security of the data and application deployed on the AWS platform.Development and Test on Amazon Web Services – In this whitepaper, you will learn how AWS adds value to the different aspects of the software development cycle. For development, it will cover how to manage version control, project management tools, AWS environment, build process, and the best practices used on the AWS platform. For the test, it includes managing testing environment, running tests like fault tolerance testing, acceptance testing, load testing, etc. Studying this whitepaper will help you select the right scenario for your project. This whitepaper is meant for project managers, system architects, developers, and testers.Backup, Archive and Restore approaches on AWS – This whitepaper deals with solutions used for backing up your data on the cloud. There are discussions on the best practices used for protecting data on the AWS platform. You will learn about backing up, archiving, and restoring data. This whitepaper is meant for IT administrators, backup architects, and solutions architects that are working in the field of securing data in the IT environment.Amazon Virtual Private Cloud Connectivity Options – Created for Amazon VPC administrators, corporate network engineers, and architects, this whitepaper reviews the connectivity options available on the AWS. You will get an overview of all the options that can be used for facilitating network connectivity.5. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – ProfessionalFor  AWS Solutions Architect – Professional certification, a candidate must know best practices used for implementing AWS-based applications and cost-optimization. Also, they must have the skills required for migrating complex applications to the AWS platform and must be able to make architectural recommendations.Go through the following whitepapers to prepare for this certification exam:Encrypting Data at Rest – This whitepaper covers all the government or industry regulations, organizational policies involved in encryption at rest for protecting the data. You will learn about the different options that you can use for data encryption at rest available today.Web Application Hosting in the AWS Cloud – Meant for System architects and IT managers working to use the cloud for achieving scalability for meeting their computing needs, this whitepaper covers methods for achieving scalable and highly available web hosting.Migrating AWS resources to a new AWS Region - This whitepaper is created for customers of AWS who want to transfer their existing resources to a new region of AWS. It is not a definitive guide containing steps for the migrating process. However, it contains different methods and options that you can use for migrating different services to a new region.6. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – ProfessionalThis certification demonstrates your skills of provisioning, managing, and operating applications on the AWS platform. It focuses on the fundamentals of using the DevOps movement required for automating processes and continuous delivery. You must know about implementing different methodologies used for automating the production operations. Here is a list of whitepapers you need to study to ace  AWS DevOps Engineer – Professional certification:Microservices on AWS – In this whitepaper, you will learn how to use microservices as an organizational and architectural approach for development. All the characteristics of microservices are summarized in this whitepaper including the challenges faced while building microservices. You will also learn how you can leverage the AWS as a product team to overcome these challenges.Running Containerized Microservices on AWS – In this whitepaper, there are discussions about the best architectural practices used for adopting containers on AWS. You will learn about leveraging the Microservices’ principles of Martin Fowler and mapping them to real-life considerations and twelve-factor app pattern. With this whitepaper, you will be able to use the best software design patterns and practices to build microservices.Infrastructure as Code – This whitepaper covers the Infrastructure as Code, the best practice used for automating the provision of infrastructure services. It covers the advantages of using Infrastructure as Code and leveraging the AWS’s capabilities for supporting the DevOps initiatives. This practice acts as a catalyst to attain a velocity that is more responsive to customer’s needs.7. AWS Certified Big Data – SpecialtyAWS Big Data – Specialty certification is for professionals working in the field of data analysis with experience in designing and architecting big data solutions. You must have the skills in using the AWS tools for automating the process of data analysis, security practices, architectural practices, designing and maintaining big data, etc. Following is a list of whitepapers that will help you prepare for this certification exam:Streaming Data Solutions on AWS with Amazon Kinesis – This whitepaper is created for data analysts, data engineers, and big data developers who want to shift from batch to real-time analytics. It covers the analytics’ evolution and how AWS services like Amazon Kinesis Analytics, Amazon Kinesis Firehose, and Amazon Kinesis Streams can be used for implementing real-time applications.Big Data Analytics Options on AWS – It covers big data analytics services offered by the AWS cloud. Created for data scientists, architects, and developers, this whitepaper ends with scenarios showcasing the different analytics options in working.AWS Database Migration Service Best practices – This paper gives an overview of all the best practices used for AWS DMS. This service allows the organization to minimize their associated downtime while changing database engines and migrating the database workloads to the AWS platform.Migrating Applications to AWS – In this whitepaper, you will learn how to use AWS Data Migration Service and AWS Schema Conversion Tool for transferring the on-premise database to the Amazon Relational Database Service. It covers all the features and benefits of using these tools and a step-by-step guide for migrating the database to the Amazon RDS. There are discussions on data migration and schema processes irrespective of the target database.8. AWS Certified Advanced Networking -  SpecialtyTo ace  AWS Advanced Networking -  Specialty certification, you must know how to use the AWS platform for performing complex networking tasks using the hybrid IT networking architecture. You should know how to architect and implement network solutions using AWS services. Also, you must be an expert in implementing compliance, automating tasks, optimizing the network, troubleshooting, etc. The following list of whitepapers will help you prepare for this exam:AWS Best Practices for DDoS Resiliency – This whitepaper will help you improve the application's resiliency against the Distributed Denial of Service attacks. You will be learning about the attacks, the capabilities of AWS, DDoS-resilient reference architecture, and migration techniques. This paper is created for security engineers and IT decision-makers working in the field of security, networking, and AWS.An Introduction to High-Performance Computing on AWS – In this paper, you will cover the benefits of using HPC workloads for computing on AWS. You will learn about how cloud services are used by organizations for gaining access to the most advanced computing capabilities.Integrating AWS with Multiprotocol Label Switching - This whitepaper covers the best high-availability architectural practices used for integrating the Amazon Virtual Private Cloud to the Multiprotocol Label Switching network.9. AWS Certified Security – SpecialtyTo prepare for  AWS Security – Specialty certification, you must know the basics of security and the security services offered on the AWS platform like data encryption, identity, and access management, monitoring, incident response, logging, data protection, etc. Here is a list of whitepapers that will help you get a clear understanding of the above-mentioned concepts:AWS Key Management Service Best Practices – This whitepaper covers the usage of AWS KMS, the difference between different customer master keys, auditing the use of keys, ensuring least privilege using AWS KMS key policies, etc.AWS Security Best Practices – In this whitepaper, you will get an overview of topics like identifying, protecting, and categorizing assets of AWS and managing the AWS resources’ accessing details. You will also learn how you can secure data, application, operating system and the infrastructure.Security at Scale: Governance in AWS -  This whitepaper will help you learn how to use the resources of AWS to achieve high-level governance. You will go through the features and governance related to the services of AWS. Using the AWS platform for building your integrated environment is also covered in this whitepaper.Security at Scale: Logging in AWS – This whitepaper covers all the logging requirements of common compliance. You will also learn about all the features of AWS CloudTrail and how it satisfies the logging requirement.AWS Security Best Practices – This whitepaper provides an overview of security topics like identification, categorization, and protection of assets on AWS, management of access to AWS resources, and discussions on different ways used for securing data, operating system, application, and the overall infrastructure.Security at Scale: Governance in AWS -  This paper covers methods of achieving high-level governance using the AWS resources. With the help of this paper, you will be able to understand the features of security and governance incorporated in the AWS services and how you can build your integrated environment on the AWS platform.Security at Scale: Logging in AWS – With this whitepaper, you will get a complete overview of the requirements of common compliance in relation to logging. Apart from this, you will also learn about the different features of AWS CloudTrail and how it can be used for satisfying the logging requirements.10. AWS Certified Machine Learning – SpecialtyThis  AWS Machine Learning – Specialty certification is for professionals who know how to create, implement, and maintain Machine Learning solutions. The exam validates your skills to design secure, reliable, cost-optimized, and scalable solutions for machine learning problems. You should also know how to identify the right AWS service. The following whitepapers will help you ace this certification:Machine Learning Foundations – This paper will help create a foundation of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence and how technicians and researchers can use AWS services for deploying machine learning solutions.Managing Machine Learning Projects – This whitepaper covers the best practices used to manage machine learning projects. You will learn to manage and mitigate the risks involved in the deliverance of the complex machine learning systems. It is intended for software development engineers, data scientists, managers, and business stakeholders.Power Machine Learning at Scale – It includes the best practices used for the execution of machine learning workflows. You will learn about the recommended solutions, challenges, and end-to-end considerations as well as execution of parallelized modeling at scale thorough high-performance computing on AWS.Unlock Your Potential with ITIL 4 Intermediate Certificates - Elevate Your Career Today!These whitepapers will aid in expanding the knowledge of the AWS cloud. The technical content of these whitepapers including the guides, reference material, and reference architecture diagrams is written by the AWS community.Can AWS Whitepapers Help to Pass AWS Certifications?While not mandatory, amazon aws whitepapers are a great resource for passing tests such as certified Solutions Architect Associate. I say this because, rather than being simple multiple-choice questions, most of the exam's questions will be scenario-based.The extensive specifics of each service Amazon offers are covered in its whitepapers. Hence, those documents are vital for comprehending the situations and determining how to use the specific service correctly. It will be quite challenging for you to pass the exam if you don't study the aws ccp whitepapers.ConclusionI conclude by saying that recommended AWS Whitepapers can help you discover the mysteries of cloud computing. By providing best practices for architecture, security, and compliance, these papers help you learn and apply the best practices in cloud computing. They act as invaluable resources during the cloud adoption process by addressing issues unique to the business and promoting ongoing learning.Not only do AWS whitepapers provide useful information, but they also act as change agents, enabling AWS certification aspirants to fully understand AWS services and recognise the advantages of cloud computing in an increasingly digital environment. All recommended whitepapers are thoroughly covered in curriculum of KnowledgeHut Cloud Computing courses. You May Also Like:2023 AWS Certification Eligibility RequirementsAWS Certification Syllabus: 2023 UpdatedHow To Renew Aws Certification?Is AWS Certification Worth in 2023?A Guide to AWS Certification Path: 2023 RoadmapAWS Certification Exam Schedule for 2023AWS Certification Career Path: 2023 GuideHow Much Does an AWS Certification Cost?A Complete Guide on AWS Certification Exam2023 AWS Certification Exam Essentials

Since the birth of cloud computing, virtualization has become a common practice in IT. It creates virtual versions of physical items like storage devices, desktops, and servers. Cloud service providers offer these resources, allowing companies to rent them without managing physical services. This reduces IT costs and enhances performance by not limiting physical servers to a few applications. If you're interested in learning more, explore some of the best Cloud Computing courses online. Read this article to discover the benefits and drawbacks of virtualization in cloud computing.What Is Virtualization in a Cloud?Physical servers can be very costly, especially if you have to use multiple of them for different applications in the company. And usually, only a fraction of the capacity of these physical servers is used on a regular basis, which costs the business a lot of money without bringing in any satisfying results. And that is why nowadays, cloud computing uses server virtualization.This is where Virtualization comes in. Essentially, it creates an abstraction cover over the actual physical server. This creates a completely virtual computing system, which is also known as a VM or Virtual Machine.These allow organizations and companies to run multiple operating systems applications and virtual computers on just one physical server. Virtualization divides one physical server into multiple virtual servers to put it to its maximum using capacity and run the system smoothly. This makes sure that the investment the company makes on its physical server is returned with the highest level of performance and saves extra costs. In the next part of the article, we will be talking about the advantages of virtualization in cloud computing and also about the disadvantages of virtualization in cloud computing.Benefits of Virtualization in Cloud ComputingNow that you know what Virtualization is, we have to talk about the benefits of using virtualization in cloud computing. Virtualization decreases expenses while increasing scalability in a cloud environment, but there are also some other benefits of virtualization in a cloud environment. And you can also use this knowledge when you research AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification price and other important cloud computing-related courses online.1. Protection From System Failures While talking about virtualization in cloud computing benefits, we have to talk about how they offer protection against system failures. All systems are prone to crashing at least once in a while, no matter what high-end technology your organization might be using. Even though your business can survive a few glitches, if the developer who is working on an important application suddenly faces a system failure, then it can ruin all their hard work and their progress will be lost.That is why virtualization is important in these scenarios. It automatically backs up all the data across a few devices. This makes sure that you can access these files from any device as they are saved in the virtualized cloud network. So even if the system goes under for a while, you will not lose your progress.2. Hassle-Free Data Transfers Data transfer also becomes very smooth with virtualization. You can very easily transfer data from a physical server to a virtual cloud and vice versa. Long-distance transfer of data and files also becomes easier under virtualization. Instead of looking through hard drives to find data, instead, you can find them in the virtual cloud space very easily. Data locating and transfer becomes hassle-free with virtualization.3. Firewall and Security Support Traditional data protection methods can provide your data security, but it costs a lot as well. But with the help of virtualization and virtual firewalls that can restrict access to important data and it only costs a fraction of the money. Cybersecurity is a central focus of IT, but with virtualization, you can very easily solve cybersecurity issues and provide premium protection to your data without any extra costs.4. Smoother IT Operations If you want to increase the efficiency of your IT professionals, then you can do so with the help of virtualization. These virtual networks are faster and easier to operate. They also save all the progress instantaneously and eliminate downtime by doing so. Virtualization can also help your team solve crucial problems within the cloud computing system.5. Cost-Effective Strategies This is a great advantage of virtualization in cloud computing. So, if you want to reduce the operational costs of your organization, then virtualization is a great way to do so. All of the data is stored on virtual clouds, which eliminates the need to have multiple physical servers, which reduces business costs by a lot and reduces waste as well. Maintenance fees and electrical fees also go down in this process. A lot of server space is also saved thanks to virtualization, which can be used for other important purposes.6. Disaster Recovery Is Efficient and Easy As we already said, if physical servers face an issue, your data can be lost forever, or even if it is not, it takes a lot of time and effort to recover it. But in virtualization, data is always backed up onto the cloud system, and thus the recovery process becomes hassle-free and duplication also becomes very easy.7. Quick and Easy Set Up Setting up physical servers and systems is a time-consuming and complicated process. Not only that, but it also costs a lot of money. But setting up a virtual system in the cloud computing space is pretty easy, and it takes much less time to set up the whole software system efficiently.8. Cloud Migration Becomes Easy A lot of people tend to think that migrating to a cloud-based system is going to be pretty difficult. But in reality, the migration from physical servers to a virtual cloud system is pretty easy and does not take a lot of time, either. It also saves them power costs, cooling costs, maintenance costs and the costs of a server maintenance engineer as well.9. Reduce Downtime If a physical server is stricken by some disaster and needs to be fixed, it could take up days of time and a lot of money. But with a virtual system, even if one virtual machine has been affected, you can easily clone or replicate the system and it will only take minutes. This helps the business continue to run smoothly soon after running into a bump.10. Virtualization Saves Energy With a virtual system that replaces physical servers, you can also cut down on the costs of running and maintaining those physical servers on a daily basis. The organization can cut back on maintenance, power and energy costs while managing waste better as well.11. Increase Efficiency and Productivity Virtualization comes with the upside of fewer servers to take care of. And with fewer servers, your IT team will now be free of the burden of maintaining the infrastructure and hardware. Instead of going through the arduous process of installing the updates in the servers one by one, they can do it on the main virtual server once, and it will be maintained throughout all the VMs. Much less time will be consumed in maintaining the systems which will increase productivity.12. Streamlined Processing and Operations Virtualization centralizes resources and management. Which makes it easier for the IT team to maintain the system in a more streamlined way. Instead of juggling individual devices, which can be complicated, they can manage their operations from a single source. Repair, software installation, patching and maintenance become much easy and less time-consuming. So it frees up your IT team to focus their energy elsewhere.13. Control Independence and DevOps During Dev/Tests, developers can easily clone a virtual machine since the cloud environment is always segmented into various VMs. They can run a test on this clone very easily without interrupting the production system. You can apply the latest software patch to a virtual clone and, after a successful run, can put it into the production application of the company.Disadvantages of Virtualization in Cloud Computing  Now that we have talked about all the amazing benefits of virtualization cloud computing let us talk about the cons as well. The use of virtualization in cloud computing will bring a lot of advantages to your organization, but it will also bring some disadvantages that you have to think about.1. Data Can Be at Risk  Virtualization happens on third-party resources, which can put data at risk. If your virtual cloud space does not have enough firewalls and other security features, then your data can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks.2. Learning New Infrastructure  The process of shifting from physical servers to virtual ones can be easy, but the people who were used to working with physical servers will also have to learn new technologies. The organization also has to hire cloud computing experts to guide the process, which can be a bit long and tedious. 3. High Initial Investment  Even though virtualization cuts costs in the long run, the initial investment to set up a cloud-based system can be a bit expensive. A lot of unskilled organizations can also purchase services that they do not need, but they hike up the prices. So learn what kind of cloud services your company needs before you think about virtualization.Looking to enhance your IT skills? Join our ITIL 4 course online and gain valuable knowledge. Boost your career with our unique training program. Enroll now!Conclusion  Now that you have learned the drawbacks and benefits of virtualization in cloud computing, you can think about applying it to your organization. You can also learn more about it in KnowledgeHut best Cloud Computing courses. These courses are designed to help you master all the new trends, technologies and tools involved in the cloud computing environment.