A Career in Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a cluster of networked elements that provide services and need not be individually addressed or managed by the users. The whole provider-managed package of hardware and software can be taken as an amorphous cloud. There is a high on-demand availability of computer system resources, and cloud storage and computing power are in high demand without direct active management by the user. Bigger clouds usually have functions distributed over multiple locations. Each location is a data center, and it relies upon sharing resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale. The “Pay-as-you-go” model is typically used by cloud providers, which helps reduce capital expenses, but it may also lead to unexpected operating expenses for unaware users. 

Software is everywhere, from keeping the record of your sleep-wake cycle, foot-steps count to business transactions, all these little details can be stored and the business-related applications, other stuff can be stored. Application development is in high demand in the IT industry, and so are the developed applications that can be deployed on the cloud. Since the platform is much more comfortable to use and easy and faster to work with, data can be stored and extracted from anywhere and everywhere in the world using any device unless you have an account and password.

Cloud Computing helps users to take advantage of all the possible technologies without the need for deep knowledge or expertise with each of them. It aims to cut down costs and helps the users to focus on their core business instead of being impeded by any IT obstacles. A fundamental technology aiding cloud computing is virtualization. Virtualization software does the work of separating a manually computing device into one or more virtual devices. These converted manually computing devices (virtual devices) can be easily used and managed to perform the required computing tasks. Operating system-level virtualization creates a scalable system of multiple independent computing devices, idle computing resources can be allocated and used more efficiently. Virtualization gives the agility needed to speed up IT operations and reduces cost by increasing infrastructure usability. Autonomic computing automates the process through which any user can have hands-on resources on-demand. Automation increases the pace of the process, reduces labor costs, and reduces the possibility of human error by minimizing user involvement. Cloud computing references concepts from utility computing to provide metrics for the services used. Cloud computing aims at addressing QoS, Quality of Service, and reliability problems of other grid computing models.

A Career in Cloud Computing

• Cloud Engineer: Cloud Engineer is a person who is responsible for managing many technical processes through a given cloud-based system. They are designated to design, maintain, plan, and monitor the existing business infrastructures for boosting innovation and scalable leads by the technical processes. A cloud engineer has to have good knowledge of Python, PHP, .Net, general Network Management Functions, and in-depth knowledge of virtual networks. The role has to work with a cross-functional team to access application product support for better costing and forecasting project analysis migrated to the cloud. 

• Cloud Architect: A Cloud Architect is an organization responsible for preparing a cloud-computing strategy, including action plans and designs for a cloud system. The role moves the business processes of various organizations to the cloud platform. One must have a thorough understanding of Domain Name System (DNS), TCP, IP protocols, and other elements in computer networking. The role requires computer programming language knowledge such as JavaScript, Python, Go, and Java to work on projects. The role also has to negotiate third-party contracts by communicating to the vendors related to hardware and cloud technologies, working closely with IT security to monitor privacy. 

• Cloud Consultant: A Cloud Consultant is responsible for providing technical research and studies that justify cloud management plans with the scope for development in the cloud services and architecture adhered by the organization. The role requires a strong IT background to implement, migrate, design, and maintain cloud applications. It also requires in-depth knowledge of at least one operating system with basics of HTML Apex, JavaScript and possesses good customer service skills to help clients meet their requirements. 

• DevOps Cloud Engineer: DevOps Cloud Engineers are responsible for coordinating with different cloud developers to integrate cloud-based solutions for the efficient performance of cloud-based projects bound to the organization’s architecture. The architecture mainly revolves around technologies like Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, or AWS. Programming languages like Ruby, Java, Python, or Pearl are essential to fit right in the job. The role collaborates with Research and Development in the market as Developers to deploy automated solutions to expand existing software capabilities, monitoring user feedback and responses towards the newer product release and communicating the details with the R&D team to improve product interface intuitively from the user’s perspective.  

• Cloud Infrastructure Engineer: The Cloud Engineer is responsible for developing a secure and robust cloud-based infrastructure to associate with the system demanding cloud networks. The role works closely with Hardware Engineers and other developers with excellent thinking, analytical and verbal skills. It also requires proficiency in Python, Go, Linux, Service Level Agreements (SLAs)/ Service Level Objectives (SLOs), and high-transactional IP Routing protocols. 

• Cloud Security Engineer: A Cloud Security Engineer is responsible for building secure solutions related to designing and workload implementation on cloud-based systems. The role develops cloud-based programs that can be installed, maintained, or upgraded on the availability of cloud computing. They also perform threat simulations and penetration tests to determine whether they impact the security design and application development or not. They also implement cryptography, data encryption, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and Single Sign-In to enable security recommendations while detecting incidents. They must have in-depth knowledge of programming languages like Java and Python, upgrading existing security environments. 

• Data Engineer: Data Engineer is responsible for preparing data stored encrypted over the cloud for analytical and operational uses. Data Engineers use data acquisition methods like sharing, transforming, and purchasing data to build data lakes from the relevant and multiple data sources for auditing and data governance. They align cloud infrastructure with existing business requirements through programming languages such as MongoDB, SQL, Python, and tools such as Apache, Spark, Amazon Redshift, and Snowflake. They improve the efficiency, quality, and reliability of data developed, constructed, or maintained by the stakeholder requirements.  

• Full-Stack Developer: Full-Stack Developers are the prime-time engineers of advanced technology. They dedicatedly work with mobile, web, or native application stack development, helping clients to plan every phase of assigned and upcoming projects. The role works both on front-end and back-end development descriptively with extensive programming knowledge of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML for front-end and PHP, Angular JS, Apache, and Linux for back-end. These play an essential role in business continuity and scalability, meeting customer needs, designing and developing APIs for broader reach, and creating databases and servers of variable compatibility levels accessed quickly from mobile or web. 

• Cloud System Administrator: Cloud System Administrator maintains, troubleshoots, and develops the network connections through real-world experience of cloud-network types and managing on-demand firewall requests. The Cloud Administrator also implements and defines policies for cloud-based systems for customers to quickly communicate with the services that the system replicates live. The role helps the organization by assuring the seamless delivery of all the services at small or large levels. It involves operational efficiency with proficiency in coding languages like Python, Ruby, Pearl, Java or .Net and knowledge of tools like Puppet, Chef, and Ansible administering the network types. 

• UI Developer: UI Developer is responsible for creatively translating software design components and associated elements into a project. The role requires an individual to be proficient in front-end technologies such as Angular, Flutter, frameworks such as Django, and languages such as CSS, Java; UI Developer maintains these translations. They also write unit tests and work with QA Engineers to define end-to-end test cases involving user agility. They are also responsible for planning the website layout, fully functional and visually appealing through front-end technology from the users’ perspective. 

The free Career in Cloud Computing online certification course will talk about the various cloud careers available, and briefly what cloud computing is and where it stands in today’s technology. The course will take you through multiple roles and responsibilities and the domains the roles would work on. It will also describe in brief the relationship between different roles. At the end of this course, you will decide what career you prefer based on your interest and skills. You can earn a Certification Cloud Computing Course or learn a free Cloud Computing course online. Happy Learning!