Preparing for the Professional Cloud Architect Examination (PPCAE) – Outline

Detailed Course Outline

Module 0 - Introduction to the Professional Cloud Architect Certification

Topics:

  • Role of a Professional Cloud Architect and scenario introduction*
  • Certification value and benefits
  • Certification process

Objectives:

  • Describe the purpose and benefits of the PCA certification.
  • Explain the certification process.

Module 1 - Designing and planning a cloud solution architecture

Topics:

  • Scenario: Defining initial technical and business design considerations for Cymbal’s migration to a cloud solution

Objectives:

  • Identify considerations involved in designing solution infrastructure that meets business and technical requirements.
  • Describe options for designing network, storage, and compute resources leveraging Google Cloud.
  • Explain the elements of a migration plan.
  • Recognize the potential for future solution improvements.
  • Determine the skills you need to develop in order to design and plan solution architecture leveraging Google Cloud.

Module 2 - Managing and provisioning a solution infrastructure

Topics:

  • Scenario: Provisioning and deploying the cloud solution per Cymbal’s requirements

Objectives:

  • Identify considerations involved in configuring network topologies, individual storage systems, and compute systems.
  • Determine the skills you need to develop in order to manage and provision solution infrastructure.

Module 3 - Designing for security and compliance

Topics:

  • Scenario: Identifying the security and compliance considerations pertinent to Cymbal’s cloud solution

Objectives:

  • Explain recommended design practices to ensure security across a cloud solution.
  • Recognize aspects of designing for compliance.
  • Determine the skills you need to develop in order to apply Google’s recommended approach to designing for security and compliance.

Module 4 - Analyzing and optimizing technical and business processes

Topics:

  • Scenario: Analyze costs, KPIs, etc. and identify opportunities for optimization

Objectives:

  • Describe the technical and business processes involved in solution production.
  • Identify ways to optimize processes and develop procedures to ensure reliability of solutions in production.
  • Determine the skills you need to develop to optimize technical and business processes involved in producing a cloud solution.

Module 5 - Managing implementation/Ensuring solution operations and reliability

Topics:

  • Scenario: How the PCA helps establish best practices for Cymbal’s solution deployment and ongoing operations

Objectives:

  • Describe best practices for development and operations teams to ensure successful solution deployment.
  • Explain methods to interact with Google Cloud programmatically.
  • Explain methodologies for managing configuration and code updates and tools available for monitoring and analyzing KPIs.

Module 6 - Your Next Steps

Topics:

  • Learn how to break down a case study to pinpoint business and technical requirements, and find differentiators
  • Finalizing your study plan
  • Creating a weekly study sheet
  • Registering for the exam

Objectives:

  • Create a personalized study plan.
  • Review next steps.