Understanding the Difference Between Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS

Day 3: Cloud Computing

What Is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of compute power, database storage, applications, and other IT resources through a cloud services platform via the Internet with pay-as-you-go pricing. Whether you are running applications that share photos to millions of mobile users or you’re supporting the critical operations of your business, a cloud services platform provides rapid access to flexible and low-cost IT resources. With cloud computing, you don’t need to make large upfront investments in hardware and spend a lot of time on the heavy lifting of managing that hardware. Instead, you can provision exactly the right type and size of computing resources you need to power your newest bright idea or operate your IT department. You can access as many resources as you need, almost instantly, and only pay for what you use.

Cloud computing provides a simple way to access servers, storage, databases and a broad set of application services over the Internet. A cloud services platform such as Amazon Web Services owns and maintains the network-connected hardware required for these application services, while you provision and use what you need via a web application.

Why to use cloud computing?

1. On Demand

Most cloud computing services are provided self service and on demand, so even vast amounts of computing resources can be provisioned in minutes, typically with just a few mouse clicks, giving businesses a lot of flexibility and taking the pressure off capacity planning.

2. Broad network access

You can access to resources from any where. Access the servers, network from WAN, LAN, Internet etc.

3. Scalability or elasticity

The benefits of cloud computing services include the ability to scale elastically. In cloud speak, that means delivering the right amount of IT resources—for example, more or less computing power, storage, bandwidth—right when its needed and from the right geographic location. You can scale up and down very quickly and on demand.

4. Resource Pooling

Resource pooling providers serve multiple clients, customers or "tenants" with provisional and scalable services.

5. Measured service

It eliminates the capital expense of buying hardware and software and setting up and running on-site data centers—the racks of servers, the round-the-clock electricity for power and cooling, the IT experts for managing the infrastructure. you can only pay when you consume computing resources, and only pay for how much you consume.

Service models in Cloud Computing.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): 

It is abstraction layer in a data center. Infrastructure as a Service, sometimes abbreviated as IaaS, contains the basic building blocks for cloud IT and typically provide access to networking features, computers (virtual or on dedicated hardware), and data storage space. Infrastructure as a Service provides you with the highest level of flexibility and management control over your IT resources and is most similar to existing IT resources that many IT departments and developers are familiar with today.

IAAS allows you to scale up and down. on demand, Automate the services.

Platform as a Service (PaaS):

Platforms as a service remove the need for organizations to manage the underlying infrastructure (usually hardware and operating systems) and allow you to focus on the deployment and management of your applications. This helps you be more efficient as you don’t need to worry about resource procurement, capacity planning, software maintenance, patching, or any of the other undifferentiated heavy lifting involved in running your application.

Developers develop the application against platform. 

Software as a Service (SaaS):

Software as a Service provides you with a completed product that is run and managed by the service provider. In most cases, people referring to Software as a Service are referring to end-user applications. With a SaaS offering you do not have to think about how the service is maintained or how the underlying infrastructure is managed; you only need to think about how you will use that particular piece software. A common example of a SaaS application is web-based email where you can send and receive email without having to manage feature additions to the email product or maintaining the servers and operating systems that the email program is running on.

Leveraging the services in cloud and build additional services.

Deployment models in cloud:

Private:

Deploying resources on-premises, using virtualization and resource management tools, is sometimes called “private cloud”. On-premises deployment does not provide many of the benefits of cloud computing but is sometimes sought for its ability to provide dedicated resources.  In most cases this deployment model is the same as legacy IT infrastructure while using application management and virtualization technologies to try and increase resource utilization.

Public:

A cloud-based application is fully deployed in the cloud and all parts of the application run in the cloud. Applications in the cloud have either been created in the cloud or have been migrated from an existing infrastructure to take advantage of the benefits of cloud computing. Cloud-based applications can be built on low-level infrastructure pieces or can use higher level services that provide abstraction from the management, architecting, and scaling requirements of core infrastructure.

IAAS from AWS is a public cloud. Pooling of resources and ability to reach.

Hybrid:

A hybrid deployment is a way to connect infrastructure and applications between cloud-based resources and existing resources that are not located in the cloud. The most common method of hybrid deployment is between the cloud and existing on-premises infrastructure to extend, and grow, an organization's infrastructure into the cloud while connecting cloud resources to internal system. For more information on how AWS can help you with your hybrid deployment, please visit our hybrid page.

Community cloud:

A community cloud in computing is a collaborative effort in which infrastructure is shared between several organizations from a specific community with common concerns (security, compliance, jurisdiction, etc.)

Cloud for Government, Health and Insurance companies. It is specific to particular industry.

Day 2: AWS Certification Tracks

For any professional to demonstrate that you can effectively design and manage infrastructure in AWS then certification is best place to start. For an individual, it gains recognition and visibility for skills and proficiency with AWS. It strengthens credibility with your peers and employers. For employers, it becomes easy to identify skilled professionals. it reduces risks and cost involved in implementation of infrastructure on AWS platform. It enhances customer satisfaction. Certification helps you to advance your career and helps employer find skilled cloud professionals. AWS certifications is designed similar with other competitors like VMware, Google and Microsoft.

Different types of certification tracks in AWS.

1. Cloud practitioner
2. Architect

3. Developer
4. Operations
5. Specialities

The Cloud Practitioner exam provides individuals with an overall understanding of the AWS Cloud to validate their knowledge with an industry-recognized credential.

Architecting exams validate technical knowledge for solutions architects, solution design engineers, and anyone who designs applications and systems on AWS.

Developing exams validate technical knowledge for software developers who develop cloud applications on AWS.

Operations exams validate technical knowledge for SysOps administrators, systems administrators, and those in a DevOps role who create automatable and repeatable deployments of applications, networks, and systems on the AWS platform.

Technical knowledge for AWS experts who also possess expertise in specific technical areas. They’re designed for individuals with at least one role-based AWS Certification plus deep proficiency and real-world experience in an area of specialization

Various levels based certification in each tracks.

1. Foundational

2. Associate

3. Professional

Foundational - Validates overall understanding of the AWS Cloud. Prerequisite to achieving Specialty certification or an optional start towards Associate certification.

Associate - Technical role-based certifications. No prerequisite.

Professional - Highest level technical role-based certification. Relevant Associate certification required.

Conclusion: If a candidate is certified, There is high chance of candidate get shortlisted for job and out stand from other people applied for interview. It is sometimes may help you screening your CV but doesn't mean it guaranteed job. 

Day 1: Start with AWS

The AWS Cloud provides a broad set of infrastructure services, such as computing power, storage options, networking and databases that are delivered as a utility: on-demand, available in seconds, with pay-as-you-go pricing. From data warehousing to deployment tools, directories to content delivery, over 90 AWS services are available. New services can be provisioned quickly, without upfront capital expense. This allows enterprises, start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses, and customers in the public sector to access the building blocks they need to respond quickly to changing business requirements.



How to start with AWS and Prepare for Certification?

1. Solid understanding of cloud computing
2. Good understanding of Microsoft Active directory, Operating system essentials like Windows and Linux
3. Understanding of network essentials
4. Knowledge on Virtualization
5. Understanding of storage
6. Understanding of databases
7. High Availability
8. Updates about AWS and newsletters
9. AWS account and Pricing