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Embarking on an AWS learning journey in 2025 requires dedication, structured learning, and hell lot of hands-on practice!!!! Trust me by following this roadmap, you’ll build a solid foundation in AWS cloud services, gain experience with real-world applications, and can obtain certifications to validate your expertise. Whether you’re aiming to become a Solutions Architect, DevOps Engineer, or a specialist in areas like security or machine learning, AWS offers vast opportunities for growth and advancement in cloud computing.
Remember to pace yourself, apply what you learn with practical projects, and keep up with new developments in the AWS ecosystem to stay relevant and marketable in the fast-paced world of cloud computing.
Step-by-Step AWS Learning Roadmap for 2025
This roadmap is designed to guide you through the learning process, from understanding the basics to mastering advanced AWS services, all while preparing for key AWS certifications.
1. Understand the Basics of Cloud Computing
Before diving into AWS, it's important to have a foundational understanding of cloud computing concepts. These include the various cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), deployment models (public, private, hybrid), and basic cloud architecture.
Topics to Learn:
What is Cloud Computing?
Introduction to cloud models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
Benefits of cloud (scalability, cost-effectiveness, flexibility)
Overview of cloud computing deployment models (public, private, hybrid)
Introduction to AWS
AWS core services and architecture
AWS global infrastructure (Regions, Availability Zones)
AWS Free Tier: Understand the services available under the free tier
AWS Well architected framework
Suggested Resources:
AWS Training and Certification Portal: Free resources and webinars.
Online Courses: you can learn from free YouTube video tutorials, take paid courses from Udemy, Coursera and other platforms or go for Offline or Online sessions choice is yours, whatever suits you.
2. Learn Core AWS Services
After understanding the basics of cloud computing, the next step is to dive deeper into AWS core services. These services form the foundation of most AWS solutions.
Topics to Learn:
Compute Services:
EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)
Lambda (Serverless Compute)
Elastic Beanstalk (PaaS for Application Deployment)
Storage Services:
S3 (Simple Storage Service)
EBS (Elastic Block Store)
Glacier (Archival Storage)
Networking:
VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) and its components
Route 53 (DNS & Routing)
ELB (Elastic Load Balancer)
Databases:
RDS (Relational Database Service)
DynamoDB (NoSQL Database)
Aurora (Managed MySQL/PostgreSQL)
Security and IAM:
IAM (Identity and Access Management)
Security Best Practices in AWS
Suggested Resources:
AWS Free Tier: Practice using services like EC2, S3, and Lambda.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03): This is one of the best beginner certifications to start with.
3. Hands-On Practice and Small Projects
Now that you've learned about AWS services, it's time to apply your knowledge. Get your hands dirty with practice, this will help you in understanding how these services work together to build cloud solutions. Spend good number of hrs here which will eventually craft your understanding better.
Suggested Projects:
These are very basic project but for someone who is just getting started, below will surely help:
Launch an EC2 Instance: Learn how to deploy a virtual machine and host a simple website.
Build a Static Website on S3: Use S3 to host static content, with routing and caching.
Set up a VPC with Private and Public Subnets: Learn about networking, security, and routing in AWS.
Create a Serverless App with AWS Lambda: Use Lambda, API Gateway, and DynamoDB to build a simple serverless app.
List can go long!!!!
Suggested Resources:
AWS Labs: Hands-on exercises available in the AWS console.
GitHub Repositories: Search for AWS-based sample projects.
AWS Online Training: Practice through AWS Skill Builder and cloud simulation environments.
4. Advanced AWS Services
Once you're comfortable with the basics, it’s time to learn about more advanced AWS services that are often used in complex and enterprise-level applications.
Topics to Learn:
AWS DevOps Tools:
CodePipeline (CI/CD)
CodeBuild (Build Automation)
CodeDeploy (Automated Deployment)
Containers and Kubernetes:
Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service)
Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service)
Docker & Kubernetes fundamentals
Machine Learning:
Amazon SageMaker (Machine Learning on AWS)
AWS Rekognition (Image/Video Analysis)
AWS Lex (Building chatbots)
Analytics:
AWS Redshift (Data Warehousing)
AWS Athena (Serverless Queries)
AWS Kinesis (Real-time Streaming Data)
Suggested Resources:
AWS Whitepapers: For deeper insights into architecture and best practices.
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional: Advanced level certification for DevOps and CI/CD workflows.
AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty: If interested in AI/ML applications on AWS.
5. Specialize in a Cloud Domain
As AWS offers a broad range of services, you may choose to specialize in a particular domain based on your career goals or interests.
Specialization Areas:
Security:
Learn AWS security tools (CloudTrail, Guard Duty, Macie, Shield).
Focus on AWS Certified Security Specialty certification.
Machine Learning:
Get deeper into ML services with AWS Sage Maker.
Focus on AWS Certified Machine Learning - Specialty.
Big Data:
Specialize in data storage, processing, and analytics with AWS Redshift, Athena, EMR, and Kinesis.
Focus on AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty.
DevOps:
Master automation, CI/CD, and infrastructure as code (CloudFormation, Terraform).
Focus on AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional.
Suggested Resources:
- AWS Certification Path: Choose based on your career goals.
6. Get AWS Certified (Preparation for Exams)
AWS certifications are a great way to validate your skills and demonstrate your expertise to potential employers. Here are the recommended certifications based on your experience level:
Entry-Level (0-1 Year):
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner: Ideal for beginners. Covers basic AWS concepts and services.
AWS AI Practitioner: Ideal for beginners to cover but mainly focus AI in AWS
Associate-Level (1-2 Years):
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate: Focuses on designing scalable and cost-effective systems in AWS.
AWS Certified Developer – Associate: Aimed at developers, focusing on creating and deploying applications on AWS.
AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate: Focuses on operations and management of AWS environments.
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate: Focus on designing and working with ML services and models
AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate: Aimed at associates who want to focus on core data-related AWS service and data modelling.
Professional-Level (3+ Years):
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional: Advanced certification that focuses on complex architecture and multi-tier systems.
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional: Focuses on deploying and automating AWS infrastructure.
Specialty Certifications:
AWS Certified Security – Specialty: For professionals with a deep focus on security.
AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty: Focuses on ML services and models.
AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty: For professionals working with large datasets and analytics on AWS.
Suggested Resources:
- AWS Training and Certification Portal: Official preparation courses and practice exams.
7. Stay Updated and Engage with the AWS Community (Ongoing)
AWS evolves quickly, with new services and features being launched regularly. To stay ahead of the curve:
Follow AWS blogs, release notes, and whitepapers.
Attend AWS re-invents, AWS webinars, and local meetups.
Participate in the AWS Developer Forums and Stack Overflow.
Engage in GitHub repositories for open-source AWS projects.
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