Certiport Cloud Computing

This accelerated CertiPort Cloud Computing, Information Technology Specialist program is a way for students to validate entry level IT skills sought after by employers. The IT Specialist program is aimed at candidates who are considering or just beginning a path to a career in information technology.

Students can certify their knowledge in a broad range of IT topics, including software development, database administration, networking and security, mobility and device management, and coding.
At the end of this course, you’ll achieve your CertiPort Cloud Computing certification.

Through Firebrand’s Lecture | Lab | Review methodology you’ll certify at twice the speed of traditional training and get access to courseware, learn from certified instructors, and train in a distraction-free environment.

40% faster

Distraction-free environment

Audience

Candidates for this exam will be able to identify and describe end solutions that leverage cloud technologies, considerations that span across solutions and the "art of the possible" in utilizing cloud to develop solutions.

CertiPort Cloud Computing

1. Determine if cloud solution is appropriate

1.1 Explain advantages provided by cloud to stakeholders

• Describe cloud infrastructure

• Distinguish between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

• Show how cloud allows building applications cheaper than with traditional models

• Show how cloud allows building applications faster than with traditional models

1.2 Explain cost to stakeholders

• Identify the use case (new development or transition of existing product or service)

• Identify the resources that will be required to construct the service or product using cloud-hosted components (include compute, data, and network costs)

• Identify support plan that will be required to meet performance, availability, scalability, and reliability (PASR) criteria

• Consider factors that go into return on investment

1.3 Explain performance to stakeholders

• Identify performance criteria

• Consider what solutions meet the criteria

• Assess cost and availability of technical expertise

1.4 Explain reliability to stakeholders

• Identify reliability criteria, including network speeds

• Consider what solutions meet the criteria

• Understand service-level agreement (SLA) with cloud provider

• Consider disaster-recovery and backup plans (including backup redundancy or replication factor)

1.5 Explain availability to stakeholders

• Identify the use case (new development or transition of existing product or service)

• Identify any upstream or downstream SLAs that will govern availability requirements

• Establish availability metrics

• Assess the SLA offered by the cloud-hosted solution

1.6 Explain scalability to stakeholders

• Identify the use case (new development or transition of existing product or service)

• Understand that rules can be set to adjust resources based on need

1.7 Recommend off-the-shelf (OTS) or custom solutions as needed

• Identify the use case (new development or transition of existing product or service)

• Evaluate if existing OTS offering meets performance, availability, scalability, and reliability needs

• Evaluate technical effort needed for custom solution

• Evaluate if custom solution can exceed OTS on PASR criteria

2. Developing cloud architecture

2.1 Choose between public, private, and hybrid cloud implementations

• Identify the security and privacy requirements for the solution (focusing on networking options that each provides) • Consider limits imposed by tenancy in various cloud implementations

2.2 Draw an architectural diagram (show data flows)

• Break down the proposed solution into compute, data, and networking components

• Produce logical groupings for the components

• Mark data flows between components (including the protocol)

• Identify system and component boundaries (including responsibility model)

2.3 Define requirements

• Decide whether to virtualize server, network, storage, and desktop

• Be aware of design patterns like microservices and serverless

• Consider networking infrastructure, storage devices, memory, and end-user devices required

2.4 Identify how services communicate through application programming interfaces (APIs)

• Identifying services with which the application needs to integrate

• Interact using an API 2.5 Create virtual machines

• Determine the operating system for the virtual machines

• Choose the appropriate size for the virtual machines

• Decide on geographic setting for the virtual machines (latency, legal requirements)

• Configure options (e.g., time limitations, scaling, backups) for the virtual machines

2.6 Identify data storage requirements

• Distinguish between structured and unstructured data

• Determine amount of storage needed

• Consider location of storage

• Consider storage security

3. Implementing the cloud development life cycle

3.1 Create content in virtual environments

• Understand that a source-code management system needs to be set up

• Install and configure the prerequisite packages in the virtual environment

• Save changes and keep track of the codes in a source code management system (such as Github)

3.2 Perform testing

• Provide different test cases, test scenarios, and test scripts

• Run the tests and report the bugs iteratively

3.3 Structure the overall cloud-based solution

• Integrate systems and applications within the selected environment

• Integrate systems and applications with legacy systems

• Integrate systems and applications with third-party applications

• Distinguish between containers and virtual machines

• Know when to choose containers over virtual machines

3.4 Deploy application on server

• Decide on the strategy to deploy a new application, replacing a previous one

• Understand version control

• Identify cloud-hosted solutions to create code and data pipelines (e.g., cloud-native CI/CD offerings and workflow automation like GitHub Actions)

• Identify existing CI/CD practices

4. Managing cloud operations

4.1 Manage operational costs

• Understand usage-based pricing

• Scale up and scale down to meet demand cost-effectively

4.2 Develop business continuity and disaster recovery policy

• Identify potential risks and disaster scenarios

• Establish on-premise vs offsite backup strategy

4.3 Provide support to users

• Identify protection and security policies for external and internal users

• Provide application and hardware support for internal users

• Provide training tools for internal and external users

4.4 Monitoring cloud systems

• Log events

• Monitor hardware and software (e.g., interpret graphs and dashboards)

• Understand notifications or alerts for provisioning backup

5. Understanding cloud governance

5.1 Comply with privacy and regulatory requirements

• Identify relevant privacy requirements based on geographical and domain constraints (e.g. BIPA, HIPAA, PDP, FERPA, COPPA, GDPR, CCPA, etc.) as well as organization-specific policies

• Identify cloud-provider compliance for these privacy regulations

• Assess types of data managed within the environment

• Assess location and storage of data

• Be aware of NIST and ISO frameworks and standards

5.2 Comply with ethical guidelines

• Consider the impact of bias, lack of transparency, and lack of accountability

• Explain potential bias and transparency challenges with prebuilt services

5.3 Managing cloud security

• Understand options and concepts for identity verification and authentication, including digital identity and multifactor authentication

• Understand access policies and authorizations (e.g., options for access, vendor-provided roles vs. custom roles and permissions, and access hygiene, including least privilege access, removal of access when not needed, disabling accounts)

• Understand the importance of data security and encryption

• Understand options to protect against unauthorized access in cloud environments (including intrusion detection and prevention, firewalls

As part of your accelerated course, you’ll sit the following exam at the Firebrand Training centre, covered by your Certification Guarantee:

Cloud Computing: 35 - 45 MCQ

Duration - 50 Minutes

The exam is vendor-neutral, although candidates should understand, at least at a fundamental level, the terminology used by both Azure and AWS. Candidates should have at least 150 hours of instructor or hands-on experience developing and deploying cloud solutions.

To be successful on the test, the candidate is also expected to have the following prerequisite knowledge and skills:

• 8th grade reading skills
• An understanding of how communication occurs on a network
• Digital literacy skills, including the ability to research, create content, and solve problems using technology
• Computational thinking skills, including the ability to decompose a problem into smaller parts and solve problems through automation

Although not requited, the following skills will help a candidate learn about cloud computing more easily:

• Familiarity with at least one programming or scripting language
• Familiarity with data storage technologies, including relational databases
• Familiarity with TCP/IP
• Familiarity with common network security controls

Your accelerated course includes:

• Accommodation *
• Meals, unlimited snacks, beverages, tea and coffee *
• On-site exams **
• Exam vouchers **
• Practice tests **
• Certification Guarantee ***
• Courseware
• Up-to 12 hours of instructor-led training each day
• 24-hour lab access
• Digital courseware **

* For residential training only. Accommodation is included from the night before the course starts. This doesn't apply for online courses.
** Some exceptions apply. Please refer to the Exam Track or speak with our experts.
*** Pass first time or train again free as many times as it takes, unlimited for 1 year. Just pay for accommodation, exams, and incidental costs.

Seven reasons why you should sit your course with Firebrand Training

• Two options of training. Choose between residential classroom-based, or online courses
• You'll be certified fast. With us, you’ll be trained in record time
• Our course is all-inclusive. A one-off fee covers all course materials, exams**, accommodation* and meals*. No hidden extras.
• Pass the first time or train again for free. This is our guarantee. We’re confident you’ll pass your course the first time. But if not, come back within a year and only pay for accommodation, exams and incidental costs
• You’ll learn more. A day with a traditional training provider generally runs from 9 am – 5 pm, with a nice long break for lunch. With Firebrand Training you’ll get at least 12 hours/day of quality learning time, with your instructor
• You’ll learn faster. Chances are, you’ll have a different learning style to those around you. We combine visual, auditory and tactile styles to deliver the material in a way that ensures you will learn faster and more easily
• You’ll be studying with the best. We’ve been named in the Training Industry’s “Top 20 IT Training Companies of the Year” every year since 2010. As well as winning many more awards, we’ve trained and certified over 135,000 professionals

*For residential training only. Doesn't apply for online courses
**Some exceptions apply. Please refer to the Exam Track or speak with our experts

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