DCT Cloud Fundamentals

Course Overview

This 3-day hands-on workshop introduces participants to the foundational concepts of cloud computing — including cloud models, deployment architectures, and essential services. Learners will explore real-world use cases, perform guided labs using open-source or free-tier tools, and build confidence in navigating cloud environments.

​

Target Audience

• IT professionals new to cloud technologies

• System administrators and developers transitioning to cloud environments

• Students or tech enthusiasts with general IT knowledge

​

Learning Objectives

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand core cloud computing concepts and terminology

• Differentiate between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

• Identify and explain public, private, and hybrid cloud models

• Use a cloud platform to deploy and manage basic workloads

• Understand cloud networking, storage, and security fundamentals

• Estimate and optimize cloud costs

 

Topics

Day 1: Introduction to Cloud Concepts and Architecture

Module 1: Cloud Fundamentals

• What is Cloud Computing?

• Key characteristics (on-demand, elasticity, scalability, pay-as-you-go)

• The evolution of cloud computing

• Benefits and challenges

• Common use cases

Module 2: Cloud Service Models

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

• Platform as a Service (PaaS)

• Software as a Service (SaaS)

• When to use each model

Hands-on Lab 1 (2 hours):

• Deploying a Virtual Machine using a free-tier or open cloud (e.g., AWS Free Tier, Azure Free, or OpenStack demo)

• Exploring instance types, regions, and availability zones

Module 3: Cloud Deployment Models

• Public, Private, Hybrid, and Multi-cloud

• Cloud providers overview: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, OpenStack

• Comparing deployment strategies

 

Day 2: Core Cloud Services and Infrastructure

Module 4: Cloud Compute, Storage, and Networking

• Virtual Machines and Containers

• Object, Block, and File Storage

• Cloud Networking Basics (VPCs, subnets, routing, security groups)

Hands-on Lab 2:

• Create a virtual network and connect two VMs

• Configure firewall rules and test connectivity

• Upload and retrieve files using an object storage bucket

 

Module 5: Cloud Security and Compliance

• Shared Responsibility Model

• Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• Encryption basics (data at rest, in transit)

• Security best practices

Group Activity

• Design a secure cloud environment for a small business scenario

 

 

Day 3: Cloud Automation, Management, and Cost Optimization

 

Module 6: Cloud Management and Monitoring

• Cloud dashboards and CLI tools

• Resource tagging and organization

• Monitoring and logging basics

• Introduction to Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Hands-on Lab 3:

• Automate VM creation with a simple Terraform or cloud CLI script

• Monitor instance performance and resource usage

 

Module 7: Cloud Economics and Cost Optimization

• Pricing models (on-demand, reserved, spot)

• Estimating cloud costs

• Cost optimization strategies

• Tools for budgeting and billing alerts

 

Module 8: Emerging Cloud Trends & Wrap-up

• Serverless computing overview

• Containers and Kubernetes basics

• Edge and hybrid cloud trends

• Review and final Q&A