What to know before you read.
- A cloud project should explain architecture and operations, not merely prove that a page is online.
- Identity, logs, backups and cost estimates belong in the first version.
- Use infrastructure as code or repeatable documentation so another person can recreate the environment.
Choose a small but complete workload
Deploy a static site with an API, a simple web application or a scheduled data task. Define users, data, expected traffic and availability before selecting services. Keep the application simple enough that cloud decisions remain the visible learning outcome.
Draw boundaries before provisioning
Map public entry points, private resources, identities, data stores and external dependencies. State which component can communicate with which other component and why. Use least-privilege roles rather than long-lived credentials in code.
Make deployment repeatable
Use infrastructure as code where practical or write precise setup steps. Store configuration separately from secrets, tag resources and define how a new version rolls out. A reproducible small environment is stronger evidence than a large manually configured one.
Operate what you deploy
Collect logs and metrics, add a health check and one actionable alert. Create a backup or snapshot, document recovery and test one failure. Estimate monthly cost at normal and higher demand.
| Concern | Evidence to include | Question to answer |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Role and network diagram | Who can access each resource? |
| Reliability | Health check and recovery test | What happens when a component fails? |
| Observability | Logs, metric and alert | How will you know behaviour changed? |
| Cost | Estimate and tags | What drives the bill? |
Publish an architecture narrative
Explain choices, alternatives, limitations and shutdown steps. Add diagrams only where they clarify relationships. The Cloud Computing Fundamentals Certificate of Specialisation builds these decisions progressively across 30 Hours and 2 Months.
Questions readers often ask.
Which cloud provider should I use for a project?+
Use the provider available to you or relevant to your goal; keep the architecture explanation provider-neutral.
Does a cloud project need Kubernetes?+
No. Use it only when orchestration solves a real project need. Simpler managed services often teach more clearly.
How do I prevent unexpected cost?+
Set budgets, tag resources, estimate data transfer and shut down temporary or idle resources.
Beginner guide