Great cloud architecture is pattern-driven, not vendor-driven: the same reliability, security, performance, and cost principles apply whether you build on AWS, Azure, or GCP. This course teaches cloud design by pattern — multi-tier applications and auto-scaling, serverless and containerized compute, networking from virtual networks to CDN and DNS, multi-cloud and hybrid strategies, and FinOps discipline — so you can design scalable, resilient, cost-efficient infrastructure on whichever platforms your organization uses.

Modules

The Pillars of Cloud Architecture

Lessons

• Thinking in Well-Architected Pillars Preview
• Reliability and Security as Design Inputs
• Balancing Performance Against Cost

Multi-Tier Design and Auto-Scaling

Lessons

• Anatomy of a Multi-Tier Cloud Application
• Horizontal Scaling and Statelessness
• Auto-Scaling Policies and Load Testing

Modern Compute Patterns

Lessons

• Choosing Between VMs Containers and Functions
• Serverless Architectures and Event-Driven Design
• Container Orchestration and Microservices Boundaries

Cloud Networking Design

Lessons

• Virtual Networks Subnets and IP Planning
• Load Balancers and Traffic Distribution Patterns
• CDN and DNS Strategies for Global Reach

Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Strategies

Lessons

• When Multi-Cloud Makes Sense and When It Does Not
• Hybrid Cloud Connectivity Patterns
• Portability Abstraction and Lock-In Trade-Offs

FinOps and Cost Optimization

Lessons

• The FinOps Operating Model
• Rightsizing Commitments and Discount Instruments
• Building a Cost-Aware Engineering Culture