Cloud Computing Fundamentals: Architecture and Service Models

Understanding cloud infrastructure is an essential foundation for modern technology roles, systems design, and software delivery. This text-based course provides a structured introduction to cloud concepts, guiding you from basic terminology to practical architectural decision-making. What you'll learn: - Understand foundational cloud principles, virtualization mechanics, and the shared responsibility security model - Distinguish between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS to choose the right service model for any workload - Evaluate public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud deployment strategies for scalability, security, and compliance - Compare core compute, storage, networking, and identity services across AWS, Azure, and GCP - Explore modern cloud patterns including container fundamentals, serverless computing, and infrastructure-as-code principles The course begins with foundational vocabulary and cloud economics before exploring deployment models, provider ecosystems, and practical architecture patterns through written explanations and structured examples. Designed entirely for beginners, this course requires no prior cloud administration or systems experience. Start reading today to build your foundation in modern cloud computing.