AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate SAA-C02 certification video training course by prepaway along with practice test questions and answers, study guide and exam dumps provides the ultimate training package to help you pass.

Ultimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C02) Preparation Course

Course Overview

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C02) exam is designed for individuals who perform a solutions architect role. This certification validates your ability to design, deploy, and operate applications and infrastructure on AWS. The course will guide you through key AWS services, architectural best practices, and real-world use cases.
This training course is ideal for candidates who want a strong foundation in AWS architecture principles and cloud computing. You will learn how to identify and implement cost-optimized, scalable, and secure solutions.
The course balances theory and practical knowledge. It prepares you to not only pass the exam but to confidently work with AWS in a professional environment. You will understand core AWS services, security features, networking, storage, and compute resources.
This course is updated for the latest SAA-C02 exam version. It reflects current AWS offerings and best practices. Throughout the training, you will explore architectural design patterns and decision-making strategies.

Course Modules

Introduction to AWS and Cloud Computing

This first module introduces the basics of cloud computing and AWS. You will learn what cloud computing is, the advantages it offers, and how AWS fits into the market.
You will explore the core AWS global infrastructure. This includes regions, availability zones, and edge locations that support AWS services.
Understanding the benefits of the cloud, such as elasticity, scalability, and pay-as-you-go pricing, forms the foundation of this module.
You will also get an overview of the AWS Management Console and Command Line Interface (CLI). These tools allow you to interact with AWS services.

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)

IAM is crucial for securing AWS environments. This module teaches how to create users, groups, roles, and policies.
You will understand permission management and best practices for securing your AWS resources.
The concept of multi-factor authentication (MFA) is explained to enhance account security.
Understanding IAM roles and policies helps you control access effectively and follow the principle of least privilege.

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)

EC2 is the core compute service in AWS. This module explores how to launch, configure, and manage virtual servers.
You will learn about instance types, pricing models, and auto-scaling groups.
Key features like Elastic Load Balancers (ELB) are covered to distribute incoming traffic for fault tolerance.
You will also understand how to use EC2 with storage options like Elastic Block Store (EBS).

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)

S3 is AWS’s object storage solution. This module covers how to create and manage buckets, upload objects, and configure access controls.
You will learn about storage classes and lifecycle policies for managing costs and data durability.
Understanding S3 versioning and replication provides insights into data protection and backup strategies.
You will also explore static website hosting on S3 and integration with other AWS services.

Networking Fundamentals with Amazon VPC

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is the backbone of networking in AWS. This module explains how to design and configure secure networks.
You will learn about subnets, route tables, internet gateways, NAT gateways, and network ACLs.
The module covers VPC peering and VPN connections to enable communication between different networks.
Security groups and firewall rules are discussed to control inbound and outbound traffic.
Understanding VPC components is essential for designing secure and scalable architectures.

Databases in AWS

This module explores AWS database services. You will understand the differences between relational databases like Amazon RDS and NoSQL options such as DynamoDB.
You will learn how to choose the right database service based on application needs and performance requirements.
The module also introduces Amazon Aurora, a high-performance relational database compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL.
You will explore backup, restore, and replication options for database availability and durability.

Monitoring, Logging, and Troubleshooting

Monitoring tools help maintain operational health. This module covers Amazon CloudWatch, CloudTrail, and AWS Config.
You will learn how to set up alarms, collect logs, and monitor metrics for AWS resources.
Understanding these tools enables proactive problem detection and effective troubleshooting.
You will also explore audit and compliance features supported by AWS monitoring services.

Security Best Practices

Security is a top priority in AWS architecture. This module discusses encryption, key management, and securing data at rest and in transit.
You will learn about AWS Key Management Service (KMS) and AWS Secrets Manager.
The module covers compliance frameworks and how to design architectures that meet security standards.
Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model reinforces your role in securing AWS environments.

Cost Management and Optimization

Managing costs effectively is critical. This module teaches you to use AWS Cost Explorer, budgets, and Trusted Advisor.
You will learn techniques for right-sizing resources and choosing appropriate pricing models.
Understanding cost implications of different architectural choices helps optimize cloud spending.
You will also explore Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, and spot instances as cost-saving options.

Architecting Resilient and High-Performing Applications

This advanced module focuses on designing for resilience and performance.
You will learn about fault tolerance, high availability, and disaster recovery strategies.
The module covers auto-scaling, load balancing, and multi-region deployments.
Implementing AWS Well-Architected Framework principles guides your design decisions.
You will explore case studies and examples of scalable and highly available architectures.

Introduction to IAM

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is essential for controlling access to AWS resources securely. IAM allows you to manage users, groups, roles, and permissions to ensure only authorized access. The principle of least privilege is fundamental in IAM, granting minimal access needed for tasks to enhance security.

Users, Groups, Roles, and Policies

IAM Users represent individual identities with credentials to access AWS services. Groups simplify permission management by assigning permissions to multiple users collectively. Roles are temporary identities assumed by trusted entities such as users or AWS services. Policies are JSON documents that specify permissions and can be attached to users, groups, or roles to define allowed or denied actions.

Permission Management and Security Best Practices

Grant permissions following the least privilege principle, starting with minimal rights and increasing as necessary. Avoid using the root account for everyday tasks and create IAM users instead. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all privileged accounts to add extra security. Regularly audit permissions and remove any that are unnecessary. IAM Access Analyzer helps monitor and analyze permission settings to maintain secure access control.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA adds an additional authentication layer requiring a second factor such as a time-based code or hardware token. Enabling MFA significantly reduces the risk of compromised credentials. AWS supports various MFA methods, including virtual MFA devices and hardware tokens. Best practice is to enable MFA on all users who access the AWS Management Console.

Role-Based Access and Federation

IAM roles grant temporary permissions to users, AWS services, or external entities. They facilitate secure access without sharing long-term credentials. Federation allows users from external identity providers like corporate directories or social login providers to access AWS without creating individual IAM users. Understanding trust policies and role chaining is vital in complex multi-account or federated environments.

Hands-On Lab: IAM

Create an IAM user with programmatic access and assign it to a group with read-only S3 permissions. Enable MFA on the root and your IAM user account. Create a role with EC2 read-only permissions and attach it to an EC2 instance.

Module 3: Amazon EC2 – Elastic Compute Cloud

Introduction to Amazon EC2

Amazon EC2 offers scalable virtual servers to run applications in the cloud. It enables you to deploy and manage instances quickly without upfront hardware investment. EC2 supports a variety of instance types optimized for different workloads such as compute, memory, or storage-intensive tasks.

Launching and Managing EC2 Instances

EC2 instances launch from Amazon Machine Images (AMIs), which include operating systems and pre-configured software. You can use AWS Marketplace AMIs, community AMIs, or create custom images. Managing instances involves starting, stopping, rebooting, terminating, and resizing based on workload requirements.

Instance Types and Pricing Models

AWS offers instance types like General Purpose, Compute Optimized, and Memory Optimized to suit different use cases. Pricing options include On-Demand, Reserved Instances, Spot Instances, and Savings Plans. On-Demand provides flexibility without commitment, Reserved Instances and Savings Plans offer cost savings for longer use, and Spot Instances allow discounted usage with potential interruptions.

Auto Scaling Groups

Auto Scaling dynamically adjusts the number of running EC2 instances based on demand. Policies use metrics like CPU utilization to scale out or scale in. Auto Scaling improves availability by spreading instances across multiple Availability Zones and reduces costs by terminating unnecessary instances when demand falls.

Elastic Load Balancing (ELB)

Elastic Load Balancers distribute incoming application traffic across multiple EC2 instances to improve fault tolerance and availability. There are Application Load Balancers (HTTP/HTTPS), Network Load Balancers (low-latency TCP), and Classic Load Balancers (legacy support). Configuring listeners, target groups, and health checks is critical to effective load balancing.

Security Groups and Network ACLs

Security Groups are virtual firewalls controlling inbound and outbound traffic at the instance level. You define rules based on protocols, ports, and IP addresses. Network Access Control Lists (NACLs) operate at the subnet level and provide stateless filtering. Both layers are vital to securing EC2 instances from unauthorized access.

Practical Exercise: EC2

Launch a Linux EC2 instance via the AWS Console. Connect using SSH. Create and assign a security group allowing HTTP and SSH access only from your IP. Set up an Auto Scaling Group with a Launch Template and basic scaling policy. Create an Application Load Balancer and attach it to your Auto Scaling Group. Test the load balancer’s DNS endpoint.

Introduction to Amazon S3

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is an object storage service designed for scalability, security, and high availability. It stores data as objects within buckets and offers virtually unlimited storage capacity. S3 is widely used for backup, archiving, data lakes, and static website hosting.

S3 Buckets and Object Management

Buckets are containers for storing objects in S3. Each bucket has a globally unique name and region designation. Objects consist of data and metadata. You can upload, download, and delete objects via the console, CLI, SDKs, or APIs. Managing buckets involves configuring permissions, versioning, and lifecycle policies.

Storage Classes and Lifecycle Policies

S3 offers multiple storage classes to balance cost and access needs. Standard is for frequently accessed data. Intelligent-Tiering optimizes costs by automatically moving data between tiers. Infrequent Access and Glacier classes are cheaper but have retrieval delays. Lifecycle policies automate transitions between storage classes and object expiration.

Security and Access Control in S3

Access to S3 buckets and objects is controlled through bucket policies, ACLs, and IAM policies. Encryption options include server-side encryption with AWS-managed keys, customer-managed keys, or client-side encryption. S3 also supports logging and versioning to track access and protect against accidental deletion.

Versioning and Cross-Region Replication

Versioning keeps multiple variants of an object in a bucket, enabling data recovery from unintended overwrites or deletions. Cross-Region Replication copies objects automatically to another AWS region to enhance disaster recovery and data locality.

Hands-On Lab: S3

Create an S3 bucket. Upload objects and set bucket policies for read-only access to anonymous users. Enable versioning on the bucket. Set up a lifecycle policy to transition older objects to Glacier storage. Configure cross-region replication to another bucket in a different region.

Module 5: Amazon VPC – Virtual Private Cloud

Introduction to Amazon VPC

Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) allows you to create isolated virtual networks within AWS. You control subnets, IP address ranges, route tables, and network gateways to build secure cloud networks tailored to your requirements.

Designing Secure Networks in AWS

Design your VPC with multiple subnets across Availability Zones to enhance fault tolerance. Public subnets host resources with internet access; private subnets host internal resources. Use NAT gateways to allow outbound internet access for private instances securely.

Subnets, Route Tables, and Gateways

Subnets divide your VPC IP range into segments. Route tables control traffic routing between subnets and to external networks. Internet gateways provide access to the internet. Virtual Private Gateways enable VPN connections to on-premises networks.

Security Groups and Network Access Control Lists

Security Groups function as virtual firewalls for instances, filtering traffic based on rules. They are stateful and operate at the instance level. Network ACLs provide stateless filtering at the subnet level and can allow or deny traffic. Combining both provides layered security.

VPC Peering and VPN Connections

VPC peering connects two VPCs privately, allowing resources to communicate as if on the same network. VPN connections securely link on-premises data centers to AWS VPCs over the internet using IPsec tunnels. Both are critical for hybrid cloud architectures.

Hands-On Lab: VPC

Create a VPC with public and private subnets across two Availability Zones. Configure route tables, internet gateways, and NAT gateways accordingly. Create security groups to allow SSH only from your IP. Set up a VPC peering connection between two VPCs and test connectivity between instances.

Prepaway's AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate SAA-C02 video training course for passing certification exams is the only solution which you need.