Architecting on AWS

The Architecting on AWS course is a comprehensive three-day classroom training designed to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of building IT infrastructure on the AWS platform. This course focuses on the architectural principles, services, and best practices for designing secure, scalable, and highly available applications in the cloud.

Delivery Method

This course is delivered through a mix of:

• Classroom training
• Hands-on labs

Hands-on Activity

This course allows you to test new skills and apply knowledge to your working environment through a variety of practical exercises.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify AWS services and their architectural principles.
• Design resilient and highly available architectures on AWS.
• Understand the benefits and trade-offs of various architectural strategies.
• Optimise AWS cloud services based on organisational requirements.
• Implement and control the flow of data in an AWS environment.
• Ensure security, scalability, and cost-effectiveness in AWS cloud solutions.

We recommend that attendees of this course have the following prerequisites:

• Familiarity with AWS Cloud concepts (AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials recommended).
• Basic understanding of distributed systems, multi-tier architectures, and cloud computing concepts.
• Prior experience in IT infrastructure design (networking, databases, and storage) is beneficial but not mandatory.

Target Audience

This course is intended for:

• Solutions Architects seeking to deepen their knowledge of AWS services and architecture.
• System Administrators, Developers, and IT professionals involved in designing cloud architectures.
• Technical individuals looking to prepare for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam.

The course will cover the following key topics:

Introduction to AWS

• Overview of AWS cloud concepts
• Understanding global infrastructure
• Exploring the AWS Well-Architected Framework

Designing Your Environment

• Designing for high availability
• Identifying single points of failure
• Automating disaster recovery strategies

Networking

• Configuring Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
• Designing with public and private subnets
• Implementing VPC Peering, AWS Direct Connect, and AWS VPN

Core AWS Services

• Compute: EC2, Auto Scaling, Elastic Load Balancing
• Storage: S3, Glacier, EBS, EFS
• Databases: RDS, DynamoDB, ElastiCache, Redshift

Identity and Access Management

• Securing access to AWS services
• Implementing AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
• Configuring Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Securing Your Architecture

• Implementing security in VPCs
• Understanding AWS shared responsibility model
• Applying encryption in transit and at rest

Architecting for Cost Efficiency

• Managing costs using the AWS Pricing Calculator
• Optimising with Reserved Instances, Spot Instances, and Savings Plans
• Monitoring and tracking costs with AWS Cost Explorer

Designing Storage and Databases

• Selecting the appropriate storage options
• Designing for data consistency and database durability
• Implementing backup strategies

Monitoring and Logging

• Setting up Amazon CloudWatch for monitoring
• Understanding AWS CloudTrail for governance and compliance
• Configuring alarms and notifications

Dealing with Constraints and Trade-offs

• Identifying performance bottlenecks
• Balancing security, cost, and performance requirements
• Making informed architectural decisions

Scaling and Performance Optimisation

• Implementing auto-scaling strategies
• Optimising compute and storage performance
• Designing for scalability and elasticity

Course Summary and Exam Preparation

• Recap of key concepts
• Guidance on preparing for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam
• Q&A session and further learning resources