Cloud Networking Solutions

Cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS); Deployment models (public, private, hybrid, multi-cloud); Shared responsibility model; Global infrastructure concepts; Regions, availability zones, and edge locations.

Virtual networks overview; Subnets and IP addressing in cloud environments; Gateways and routing; Network security groups and ACLs; Load balancers and traffic management; Comparative analysis across major cloud providers.

AWS: VPC, Direct Connect, Transit Gateway; Azure: VNET, ExpressRoute, Virtual WAN; Google Cloud: VPC, Cloud Interconnect, Cloud VPN; Core configuration and management tasks for each platform.

VPC sizing and CIDR planning; Subnet design strategies; Public and private subnet configurations; Routing tables and route management; Network ACLs versus security groups; Advanced VPC features and limitations.

Internet gateways and NAT devices; VPC peering and Transit Gateway architectures; VPC endpoints and private connectivity; Cross-region and cross-account networking; Hub-and-spoke network design patterns.

Designing and implementing VPCs for specific use cases; Multi-tier application architectures; High-availability network design; Load balancing strategies; Traffic flow analysis and optimization; Lab exercises on each major cloud platform.

VPN connections and configurations; Dedicated connections (AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, Google Cloud Interconnect); Connection resiliency and redundancy; Performance considerations and bandwidth planning; Routing policies and BGP configurations.

Network architecture patterns for hybrid deployments; DNS strategy for hybrid environments; Active Directory integration; Network address management and translation; Designing for workload migration; Transitional architectures.

Setting up site-to-site VPN connections; Configuring and testing dedicated connections; Implementing hybrid DNS solutions; Traffic routing and control; Performance monitoring and troubleshooting; Creating network diagrams and documentation.

Multi-cloud business drivers and use cases; Challenges of multi-cloud environments; Cross-cloud reference architectures; Cloud vendor selection strategies; Service compatibility and integration points; Governance and operational considerations.

Multi-cloud network topologies; Cloud-to-cloud connectivity options; Third-party connectivity services and solutions; Network performance optimization; Latency and bandwidth considerations; Cost analysis and optimization strategies.

Unified monitoring and management approaches; Multi-cloud networking tools and platforms; Standardizing network policies across clouds; Troubleshooting in multi-cloud environments; Disaster recovery in multi-cloud scenarios; Implementing and testing multi-cloud connectivity models.

Defense-in-depth for cloud networks; Zero Trust architecture in cloud environments; Microsegmentation strategies; Security group design and management; Network ACL best practices; Provider-specific security features and services.

Web application firewalls; Next-generation firewalls in cloud environments; DDoS protection services; Intrusion detection/prevention systems; Network traffic monitoring and analysis; Implementing security perimeters and DMZs in the cloud.

Data-in-transit encryption; TLS implementation; VPN encryption; Key management services; Certificate management; Encryption at network boundaries; Implementing and testing secure connectivity; Security assessment and compliance verification.

Software-defined networking principles and architecture; Control plane vs. data plane; Network function virtualization; SDN controllers and management; Programmable networks; Benefits and challenges of SDN in cloud environments.

AWS Transit Gateway and Cloud WAN; Azure Virtual WAN and Azure Virtual Network Manager; Google Cloud Network Connectivity Center; Comparing SDN approaches across providers; Implementation strategies and best practices.

Implementing and configuring SDN solutions; Network automation using SDN; Policy-based networking; Traffic engineering with SDN; Monitoring and troubleshooting SDN environments; Performance optimization through SDN; Designing scalable and flexible network architectures.

Docker networking models; Kubernetes networking architecture; Container Network Interface (CNI); Service discovery mechanisms; Network policies for containers; Pod-to-pod communication; External access to containerized applications.

Amazon EKS and ECS networking; Azure AKS networking; Google GKE networking; Container service integration with cloud networks; Load balancing for containerized applications; Service mesh concepts (Istio, Linkerd); Traffic management and routing.

Designing network architecture for microservices; API gateways and management; Inter-service communication patterns; Securing microservices communication; Observability and monitoring; Performance optimization; Implementing and testing microservices networking patterns.

Infrastructure as Code principles for networking; Terraform for multi-cloud network provisioning; CloudFormation for AWS networks; ARM templates for Azure networks; Deployment Manager for Google Cloud; Version control for network code; Testing and validation methods.

RESTful API interaction with cloud networks; Using SDKs for network automation; Creating network-focused CI/CD pipelines; Automated testing of network configurations; Event-driven network automation; Integration with monitoring systems; Infrastructure drift detection.

Building a complete network environment using Infrastructure as Code; Implementing network changes via automation; Developing reusable network modules; Creating self-service network provisioning; Implementing automated compliance checking; Documenting infrastructure code; Developing a comprehensive network automation strategy.

Cloud monitoring services and tools; Network performance metrics and KPIs; Log analysis for network troubleshooting; Distributed tracing in cloud environments; Creating effective monitoring dashboards; Setting up alerts and notifications; Real-time versus historical monitoring.

Bandwidth management and optimization; Latency reduction techniques; Global traffic management and CDN integration; Cost-performance trade-offs; Resource rightsizing; Caching strategies; Connection pooling and multiplexing; Cloud provider acceleration technologies.

Systematic troubleshooting approaches for cloud networks; Identifying bottlenecks and points of failure; Common issues in hybrid and multi-cloud environments; Provider-specific troubleshooting tools; Network flow analysis; Implementing proactive monitoring and automated remediation; Creating a network operations runbook.

High availability network design patterns; Multi-AZ and multi-region architectures; Calculating network availability and SLAs; Fault tolerance versus disaster recovery; Business continuity planning; Recovery Point Objective and Recovery Time Objective for networks; Cost considerations for different resilience levels.

Network failover mechanisms; Active-active vs. active-passive configurations; Global load balancing and DNS failover; Data replication considerations; Network recovery automation; Cloud-specific DR services and features; Cross-region and cross-cloud recovery strategies.

Disaster recovery testing methodologies; Chaos engineering for network resilience; Building network failure simulations; Validating recovery procedures; Documenting DR plans; Continuous improvement of recovery processes; Conducting and documenting DR drills; Creating a comprehensive network resilience strategy.

Understanding cloud network pricing models; Data transfer costs and optimization; Egress charges between clouds and regions; Reserved capacity options for networking; Spot/preemptible instances for network applications; Total cost of ownership analysis; Building cost-efficient network architectures.

Traffic optimization to reduce data transfer costs; Content delivery network integration; Caching strategies for network efficiency; Right-sizing network resources; Identifying and eliminating idle resources; Implementing cost allocation and tagging; Using cost management tools and services.

Building a network cost model; Budget planning for cloud networking; Identifying cost anomalies and trends; Creating cost optimization recommendations; Balancing performance needs with budget constraints; Developing a continuous optimization strategy; ROI analysis for network investments.

Comprehensive capstone project based on real-world scenarios; Designing a complex multi-cloud network architecture; Creating implementation plans and documentation; Addressing security, performance, cost, and resilience requirements; Presenting and defending design decisions; Peer and instructor review process.

5G and edge computing implications for cloud networking; IoT networks and cloud integration; Network as a Service (NaaS) solutions; Network security evolution; AI and ML in network operations; Quantum networking concepts; Preparing for future networking paradigms.

Review of key concepts for cloud networking certifications; Practice exams and question analysis; Test-taking strategies; Final preparation for certification exam; Identifying knowledge gaps; Creating a continuous learning plan for cloud networking expertise.