Updating the Introduction to Cloud Computing Course

It only seems last week that I submitted an updated version of Learning Tree’s Cloud Computing introductory course. Well time passes quickly and Cloud Computing changes just as quickly. Its time to update the course again. Feedback from attendees has been extremely positive and the course is proving extremely popular with a high demand.

So why the update only weeks after the last one ? Two things: firstly, there are changes in cloud products and tools we cover in the course, and secondly, the development team likes to respond to feedback and suggestions we receive from attendees promptly – those comments on evaluation forms attendees provide really are invaluable to us.

Based on feedback and current trends in Cloud Computing we are making the following changes to the course.

• Firstly, the order of the chapters is going to be changed. We teach the architecture and services of the cloud using the SPI (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS) model top down. The order of these will change so that we introduce the architecture bottom up – that is IaaS, SaaS, PaaS. The feeling is that this will be a more logical structure and smoother flow.
• More hands-on exercises. These are always popular in Learning Tree courses. The challenge on this course is developing exercises on a wide variety of different providers products to give a balanced, yet realistic view of what the cloud provides. New exercises will be added that utilise Amazon AWS as well as calculating and evaluating the cost of adopting cloud computing. In the existing exercises, more will be added to highlight integrating services from different cloud vendors.
• Expand on private clouds. As more and more organisations begin to really adopt or at least evaluate private clouds, so we have received requests for more on this topic in the course. Private clouds will now have their own chapter as well as a hands-on exercise working with the Eucalyptus private cloud system.

The above are the major changes to the course we are making as well as updating all tools such as Microsoft Azure and Google App engine to the latest versions. The aim is to have the first run of the new revision by 14 May 2012. So before I sign off and begin work on the new revision, may I take this opportunity to thank all the attendees of the Cloud Computing introductory course for attending the course and providing invaluable feedback.

Chris Czarnecki