CE · Beginner · 4.5 hours
Cloud Essentials
A hands-on introduction to cloud computing for complete beginners. You'll work in your own AWS account from the first session — launching servers, storing files, locking down access and setting up monitoring — and leave with a portfolio of evidence and a clear path to AWS certification.
What you'll be able to do
- ✓Explain what cloud computing is and why organizations adopt it
- ✓Navigate the AWS Management Console with confidence
- ✓Launch, connect to and manage EC2 instances
- ✓Store and securely share files with S3
- ✓Apply IAM security basics: MFA, least privilege, roles
- ✓Monitor resources with CloudWatch alarms
- ✓Choose your path to AWS certification (Cloud Practitioner or Solutions Architect)
Prerequisites
- •No prior cloud or coding experience needed.
- •Bring your own laptop: Windows or Mac.
- •8 GB RAM minimum; 16 GB recommended, since you'll run AI agents and create cloud resources.
- •An email address and a payment card for AWS account verification.
Watch before you start
Two short slide decks. Open to everyone, no sign-in needed.
- Introduction to CloudWhat the cloud is, why AWS leads it, and how to create your free AWS account.
- ✓What the cloud is, told through two simple stories
- ✓The five promises of the cloud and the big cloud providers
- ✓Why learn AWS: market share, jobs and salaries
- ✓How AWS is organized: Regions and the core building blocks
- ✓Create your free AWS account step by step, then secure it
- Introduction to AIWhat AI and generative AI are, how Claude works as an agent, and how to set Claude up to build on AWS.
- ✓What AI is, and what makes generative AI different
- ✓LLMs, RAG, MCP and agents, explained like a human body
- ✓How to ask AI good questions and use it safely
- ✓Connect Claude Code or Claude Desktop to AWS with the AWS MCP Server
- ✓Let Claude create and manage AWS resources, with guardrails
Curriculum
- 1
What is Cloud? Why Should You Care?
Cloud fundamentals, AWS global infrastructure, and setting up your own AWS account the secure way — MFA, an admin IAM user, and a billing alert before you spend a cent.
90 min · 6 lab steps · 20 questions
- 2
Core AWS Services, Hands-On: EC2 + S3
Launch your own virtual server on EC2, lock it down with a security group, then store and share a file with S3 — the two services nearly every AWS architecture starts with.
90 min · 6 lab steps · 20 questions
- 3
Security, Monitoring, and Next Steps
Apply least privilege with IAM, watch your resources with CloudWatch alarms, understand the shared responsibility model — and map your path to AWS certification.
90 min · 6 lab steps · 20 questions
How CE uses P.O.W.E.R.
Problem-Driven
- S1 You're launching a startup and need servers for your web app. Do you buy $50,000 of hardware up front and live with it for 5 years — or rent capacity in the cloud, pay monthly, and scale in minutes? We'll compare both, side by side.
- S2 You have an AWS account. Now you need to run a web app (compute), store users' photos and files (storage), and eventually keep data in a database. Which services do what, and how do you stand them up safely? Let's build it.
- S3 Your EC2 instance and S3 bucket are live. But who can access them? How would you know if the server were struggling? And what should you learn next? Three problems — security, monitoring, and direction — solved in one session.
Over-the-Shoulder
- S1 Tour of the AWS Management Console: search bar, Region selector, service menu
- S2 Launch an EC2 instance from scratch, explaining every screen of the wizard
- S3 Walk through an IAM policy JSON: Effect, Action, Resource
Work Real Resources
- S1 Create your own AWS account, lock down the root user with MFA, create an admin IAM user for daily work, and set a billing alert.
- S2 Launch a free-tier-eligible EC2 instance, connect to it, create your own S3 bucket, upload a file and share it securely.
- S3 Create a read-only S3 user, sign in as them to test least privilege, view CloudWatch metrics for your instance and set a CPU alarm with email notification.
Evidence-Based
- S1 Upload screenshots of your console home, MFA confirmation, IAM user, and budget alert.
- S2 Upload screenshots of your running instance, its security group rules, your bucket, and your file opened via its URL.
- S3 Upload screenshots of the restricted IAM user, its permissions policy, CloudWatch metrics, and your alarm.
Reinforce
- S1 20 questions on cloud basics, AWS infrastructure, pricing and account security (~10 mins).
- S2 20 questions on EC2, S3, security groups and core service selection (~10 mins).
- S3 20 questions on IAM, shared responsibility, CloudWatch and certification paths (~10 mins).
FAQ
›Do I need any prior experience?
No. CE is designed for complete beginners. If you can use a web browser, you can do this course.
›Will this cost me money on AWS?
Every lab is designed to fit inside the AWS Free Tier credits new accounts receive. You'll set a billing alert in Session 1, and each session ends with clean-up steps.
›Why do I need to upload screenshots?
Evidence is the E in P.O.W.E.R. Screenshots prove you built real resources, give you a portfolio to show employers, and are required for your certificate (at least 3 per session).
›Is there a minimum quiz score?
Not for the session quizzes: attempt all 20 questions in each session and retake them as often as you like. The certificate needs 70% on the final exam (50 questions, 60 minutes, up to 3 attempts).
›What do I need to get the certificate?
Complete all 3 sessions, then pass the final exam with 70% or more, all between your cohort's start and end dates. The final exam opens on the cohort's first day.
›How does the leaderboard work?
You earn points for every lesson you finish, screenshot you upload, quiz you complete and correct answer, plus a boost for passing the final exam. Ties go to whoever got there first. Names show as first name and last initial.
›Is the certificate an official AWS certification?
No — it's a MyCloudSkill certificate of completion with a public verification link. CE prepares you for the official AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.
›What if I miss a live session?
Sessions are recorded. Watch the recording, complete the lab and evidence, and bring questions to the weekend Q&A.