Cloud Architecture Studio

By the end

What you'll build

• Decompose a workload into requirements and map them to the six AWS Well-Architected pillars.
• Design highly available architectures across multiple Availability Zones and remove single points of failure.
• Apply load balancing and Auto Scaling to scale a tier horizontally and statelessly.
• Decouple synchronous request paths using queues and events (SQS/SNS/EventBridge) with idempotent workers.
• Select the right data layer (relational, NoSQL, cache, object) from access patterns and consistency needs.
• Build cost models in spreadsheets and Python — on-demand vs reserved vs spot, with break-even analysis (illustrative snapshots, not live prices).
• Evaluate a given architecture against a Well-Architected checklist and identify the highest-severity risk.
• Analyse failures: read a post-mortem, find the root cause, and re-architect to eliminate the fault.
• Reproduce core designs on real free infrastructure (AWS Free plan / AWS Educate / Killercoda) and verify what you built.
• Assemble a full HA, decoupled, cost-aware architecture as a graded capstone that feeds SAA-C03 preparation.

Curriculum

What's inside

8 modules · 34 lessons

1. 01

   Module 1 — Thinking Like a Cloud Architect

   4 lessons
   • Welcome to the Architecture Studio (start here)
   • The architect's mental model: requirements → trade-offs
   • Service-selection matrix (core services)flashcard sr
   • Warm-up kata: your first VPC (learn the tool)arch builder
2. 02

   Module 2 — High Availability & Multi-AZ

   5 lessons
   • Failure domains, blast radius, and the availability budget
   • Lab: the availability math (series vs redundant)python lab
   • Kata: highly available two-tier app across 2 AZsarch builder
   • Scenario check: high availability & Multi-AZquiz
   • Error analysis: 'the Multi-AZ that wasn't' (post-mortem)
3. 03

   Module 3 — Scaling & Load Balancing

   5 lessons
   • Scale up vs scale out, statelessness, and load balancing
   • Lab: capacity & Auto Scaling math (with N+1 across AZs)python lab
   • Kata: scale out and offload static contentarch builder
   • Scenario check: scaling & load balancingquiz
   • Scaling & load-balancing quick recallflashcard sr
4. 04

   Module 4 — Decoupling: Queues & Events

   4 lessons
   • Decoupling with queues and events
   • Kata: decouple slow work with SQS + workersarch builder
   • Lab: sizing the worker fleet and draining a backlogpython lab
   • Scenario check: decoupling & async workquiz
5. 05

   Module 5 — Choosing the Data Layer

   5 lessons
   • Choosing the data layer: relational, NoSQL, cache, object
   • Data-layer selection matrixflashcard sr
   • Scenario check: pick the data storequiz
   • Lab: DynamoDB capacity & cost from access patternspython lab
   • Read scaling done right: replicas, caching, and a common trap
6. 06

   Module 6 — Cost-Aware Design

   5 lessons
   • Cost-aware design and the pricing models
   • Cost model 1: the monthly billspreadsheet lab
   • Cost model 2: reserved vs on-demand savingsspreadsheet lab
   • Lab: cost model & reserved break-even in Pythonpython lab
   • Scenario check: cost optimizationquiz
7. 07

   Module 7 — Well-Architected Reviews & Evals

   3 lessons
   • The Well-Architected Framework and how a review works
   • Kata: Well-Architected re-design for the Reliability pillararch builder
   • Well-Architected evaluation: score these designsquiz
8. 08

   Module 8 — Real Infrastructure & Capstone

   3 lessons
   • Graduate to real infrastructure (guided, free, no surprise bills)
   • Evidence check: prove you touched real infrastructurequiz
   • Capstone: design the whole system (graded)arch builder

The shape of it

How this course works