Access to data is the greatest advantage businesses and individuals have in this age. However, competitive advantage lies not in accessing data easily, but in unlocking the most from data before its value expires. Given that the volume of data being handled is beyond the capacity of conventional on-premise infrastructures makes the cloud platform a worthy consideration.
Cloud service providers offer enterprises the infrastructure they need to analyze big data faster to obtain actionable insights that will help them add value to their products and business as a whole. Vendors like Amazon Web Services (AWS) offer AWS training and certification in addition to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) primary services.
Why is AWS a top choice for companies
Cloud computing has its advantages including a pay-as-you-go model that businesses have found to be cost-effective. As many of these businesses shift part or their entire operations to the cloud, cloud service providers are reinventing their products as they battle for the top spot. Currently, AWS is leading with big industry players like Western Union and The Walt Disney Company opting for its services.
Here are 6 reasons why AWS is leading the pack as the most preferred cloud computing solutions provider.
- AWS has spread its wings across all regions. AWS currently covers 76 availability zones with 24 regions across the globe and is still expanding with 9 more availability zones in the pipeline including Indonesia, Spain, and Japan. This means that AWS services are widely available and users have the option of deploying applications in multiple regions to reach a wider audience.
- Secure. AWS boasts of reliable security, It offers end-to-end support together with the services. Security features include layers of security encryptions on databases, identity access management (IAM) for allocating user privileges and is part of several compliance programs to ensure the highest level of security on its entire infrastructure.
- Flexible scalability. AWS offers automatic scaling on demand. This feature monitors applications and adjusts capacity automatically with an increase or decrease in demand to maintain peak performance at all times. Additionally, the elastic load balancing (ELB) function distributes the application’s traffic to optimize resources.
- Faster deployments. AWS has the QuickStart feature and other tools that facilitate faster deployment. They help developers and engineers to speed up tests for applications or production environments for use within minutes.
- A wide range of services to suit different requirements. AWS currently offers more than 212 services including cloud storage, computing, databases, analytics, and networking among others. This is an advantage to both start-ups and established businesses who access ready-to-use services for productivity and to improve their services.
- Automated scheduling. Scheduling in AWS is not limited to back-up functions like the EBS Snapshots and AMIs. It also extends to services operations such as Elastic Compute Cloud and Relational Database Service so that they run only when required to do so. Third-party tools like CloudRanger automatically schedule back-up across various geographic locations so that in the event of a calamity, data will not be lost.
What is AWS?
AWS stands for Amazon Web Services. AWS is a cloud computing platform service provider under Amazon that offers its clients access to several computing services including cloud storage, databases, remote computing, as well as new technologies like IoT, ML, AI, and analytics. AWS has grown to command the largest market share of cloud services clients at 32.4%. It is followed closely by Azure at 17.6%, and Google Cloud at 6%.
AWS offers a wide range of services falling under all three categories of cloud services i.e IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. Included within the services are features and functionalities all in a scalable, flexible, and cost-effective way. This gives users opportunities to get the most appropriate tools for their needs.
AWS is surrounded by a large community of users and partners in various industries across the world which includes individuals, small businesses, companies, and public organizations. This is because AWS has established its presence in many regions of the world.
AWS certifications for beginners
Cloud computing skills are in high demand. Therefore, whether you are considering venturing into this space or upskilling in cloud computing, you are certainly on the right track. However, there is a starting point for every beginner and this is what we are addressing today.
Currently, AWS offers a number of certifications based on experience level from the practitioner, associate, professional, and specialty. If you already have some years of experience handling infrastructure on the cloud, then you are better off starting at the associate level. The associate-level certifications will build your AWS knowledge to handle intermediate business tasks.
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AWS Solutions Architect certification – Associate Level
The AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification is ideal if you possess more than one years of hand-on experience in a solutions architect role. Solution architects design, deploy, and manage scalable efficient distributed systems on the AWS platform.
The AWS Solutions Architect certification is a popular certification that lays the foundation for professionals who already have foundational knowledge about distributed systems and cloud computing concepts and desire to know more about the AWS cloud computing concepts, practices, and infrastructure. It is also a good base certification for those who wish to take the Developer – Associate or SysOps Admin – Associate certifications.
However, if you are totally new to cloud computing, it is advisable to first take the AWS Solutions Architect – Practitioner certification.
A new version of this certification (SAA-C02) was released in March 2020 to replace the previous (SAA-C01) version which will be available up to July 1, 2020.
This certification covers the following AWS services:
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
- Simple Storage Service (S3)
- Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)
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AWS Developer Certification – Associate Level
While this certification is designed for developers it can be pursued by other professionals interested in AWS who have already acquired the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate credential.
This certification equips professionals with the knowledge required to develop, deploy, manage, and maintain AWS-powered applications. Knowledge of writing code is recommended.
The latest version of AWS Developer Certification – Associate covers
- Deployment
- Security
- Development with AWS services
- Refactoring
- Monitoring & Troubleshooting
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AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate Level
This certification is intended for those who are interested in pursuing roles in the support and those who run systems, applications, and other elements in the AWS infrastructure.
The AWS SysOps Administrator Certification – Associate covers
- Monitoring and reporting
- High availability
- Deployment and provisioning
- Storage and data management
- Security and compliance
- Networking
- Automation and optimization
How is AWS training beneficial in achieving AWS certification
First and foremost, it is important to point out that course training and self-study both have their place in earning the AWS certification and in most cases both have often been used together.
However, enrolling for a training course is important for the following reasons.
- Self-study has always been associated with studying for the exams unless one is disciplined enough to find opportunities for implementing the theory he/she has learned practically. Without previous working experience, self-study may not yield as tangible results as a course study.
- While some have opted for the self-study route, AWS training is crucial as it offers the learner a detailed curriculum and practical hands-on knowledge about the AWS architecture. This is because it includes relevant exercises, activities, discussions around the AWS topic.
- Course trainers are usually subject matter experts in the AWS field with years of training experience and will have much more to offer to a student compared to gaining knowledge from self-study resources. Nothing beats the valuable interaction with SMEs.
- Training courses typically involve small groups of like-minded learners which opens up the opportunity for interactions, question & answer, and brainstorming sessions that have proved extremely helpful through the learning curve as they expand one’s scope of understanding.
Ready to launch your career in AWS, the best and most rewarding starting point is with a training course. So, enroll for the Solutions Architect Certification Course today.