AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate
As organizations rapidly migrate their infrastructure and services to the cloud, the demand for skilled cloud architects is at an all-time high. The AWS SAA-C03 certification is designed for IT professionals who want to gain expertise in cloud architecture design and solution planning using Amazon Web Services.
This course introduces you to the core architectural principles of building on AWS, such as:
- Designing for failure and elasticity
- Decoupling application components
- Choosing the right database and storage solutions
- Optimizing for performance and cost
With a mix of theory, labs, and real-world projects, this course prepares you for the AWS SAA-C03 exam and equips you with the confidence to architect modern, cloud-native applications.
This certification is ideal for those who:
- Have hands-on experience designing distributed applications and systems on the AWS platform.
- Want to build a career in cloud architecture, DevOps, or cloud consulting.
- Are responsible for making architectural decisions that align with business needs.
The certification covers a wide range of AWS services including EC2, S3, RDS, IAM, VPC, CloudFront, Lambda, CloudFormation, Route 53, and more, focusing on real-world architecture use cases.
- Solutions Architects looking to validate or enhance their AWS knowledge.
- Cloud Engineers and DevOps professionals involved in designing and deploying applications on AWS.
- System Administrators transitioning from on-premise to cloud-based environments.
- Software Developers who want to understand how to build and deploy applications in the AWS ecosystem.
- IT Professionals and Networking Engineers seeking AWS certification to advance their careers.
- Freelancers or Consultants who architect cloud-native solutions for clients.
- Students or fresh graduates with basic IT knowledge aiming to break into cloud computing.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand and explain core AWS services and their use cases.
- Design high-availability and fault-tolerant architectures using AWS building blocks.
- Implement secure access control, encryption, and network design within AWS.
- Choose appropriate compute, storage, and database services for various workloads.
- Build architectures that are cost-optimized, scalable, and performance-efficient.
- Apply real-world architectural best practices for deploying workloads on AWS.
- Implement identity and access management with AWS IAM
- Develop fault-tolerant systems with Auto Scaling, ELB, and Route 53
- Configure monitoring, logging, and alerting solutions using CloudWatch and CloudTrail
- Use tools like AWS CLI and SDK for automation and deployment
This is an associate-level certification. No Pre-requisites. However, a basic understanding of cloud computing and AWS services is recommended to get the most out of the training.
We’ll start with foundational concepts and progressively move to more advanced topics with real-world scenarios and hands-on practice
Module 1: Introduction
Module 2: Networking Fundamentals
- Introduction to Networking and IP Addressing
- Subnetting and Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR)
- OSI Layers
- TCP / IP Protocols
- Network Security
- Concept of NAT (Network Address Translation)
- Public and Private IP Addresses
- Network Utilities: Ping, TraceRoute
Module 3: Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)
- EC2 Architecture
- EC2 Storage
- Security Groups
- Bootstrap
- AMI
- Vertical Scaling
- EBS Volume
- EBS Snapshot
- Placement Groups
Module 4: Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
- Route Tables
- Internet Gateways
- Elastic IP Addresses
- Elastic Network Interfaces
- Firewalls – Security Groups and Network Access Control Lists (ACLs)
- NAT Instances
- VPC Peering
Module 5: Elastic Load Balancing and Auto Scaling
- Load Balancing Fundamentals
- Classic Load Balancers
- Network Load Balancers
- Application Load Balancers
- Launch Templates and Configurations
- Auto Scaling Groups
Module 6: Simple Storage Service (S3) - Architecture and Features
- Features of S3
- Transferring Data to S3
- Permissions – Bucket Policies and ACLs
- Data Encryption
- Hosting Static Website
- Object Versioning
Module 7: Simple Storage Service (S3) - Performance and Resilience
- S3 Storage Tiers/Classes
- Lifecycle Management Policies
- Cross-Region Replication (CRR)
Module 8: Domain Name System (DNS) and Route 53
- DNS Fundamentals
- Domain Registration
- Private vs Public Hosted Zones
- DNS Record Types
- Health Checks
- Route 53 Fundamentals
Module 9: Amazon Database Services
- Database overview
- Relational Database Service (RDS – SQL Databases)
- Amazon Redshift (Data Warehousing)
- Amazon DynamoDB (NoSQL Databases)
Module 10: IAM (Identity and Access Management)
- IAM Overview
- IAM Users and Groups
- IAM Roles
- IAM Policies
Module 11: Containers and Kubernetes
- Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS)
- Create ECS Cluster and Task
- Create service for cluster to run task
- Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR)
- Deploy image in container from ECR Repository using ECS
- What is Kubernetes and why we need it – Overview
- Kubernetes Cluster Architecture
- Provision an EKS Cluster
- Deploy compute for EKS Cluster
- Connect to EKS Cluster using Kubectl tool
- AWS App Runner
- AWS App Runner Deployment
Module 12: Application Integration
Module 13: Logging and Monitoring
- CloudWatch
- CloudWatch Logs
Module 14: CloudFront (CDN - Content Deliver Network)
- CloudFront Architecture
Module 15: Elasticache
- In-Memory Caching
Module 16: Serverless Compute - Lambda
- Lambda Essentials
Lab 1: Launch and Configure an EC2 Instance
Goal: Deploy a virtual machine (Linux EC2) with secure SSH access.
Skills Covered:
- Launching EC2 instance
- Creating key pairs
- Configuring security groups
Steps:
1. Launch EC2 instance (Amazon Linux 2, t2.micro).
2. Set up key pair for SSH login.
3. Configure security group to allow port 22.
4. Connect via SSH from terminal.
Outcome: Instance running and accessible via SSH.
Real-World Use: Hosting lightweight applications or backend servers.
Lab 2: Build a Load-Balanced Auto Scaling Web Application
Goal: Create a scalable, fault-tolerant web application.
Skills Covered:
- Launch Templates
- Auto Scaling Groups (ASG)
- Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Steps:
1. Install Apache/Nginx on two EC2s.
2. Create Launch Template with user data script.
3. Create ASG with min=2, max=4.
4. Attach ALB and test load balancing.
Outcome: Web app that auto-scales and balances traffic.
Real-World Use: Hosting production web applications.
Lab 3: Host a Static Website on Amazon S3
Goal: Serve static content from S3 with public access.
Skills Covered:
- S3 static website hosting
- Bucket policies
Steps:
1. Create unique S3 bucket.
2. Upload index.html and error.html.
3. Enable static website hosting.
4. Apply public read policy.
Outcome: Publicly accessible static site.
Real-World Use: Hosting landing pages, resumes, or portfolios.
Lab 4: Design a VPC with Public & Private Subnets
Goal: Build a secure VPC network structure.
Skills Covered:
- Custom VPC creation
- Subnetting
- NAT Gateway and Route Tables
Steps:
1. Create VPC with CIDR 10.0.0.0/16.
2. Add one public and one private subnet.
3. Attach IGW and create route table for public subnet.
4. Launch EC2 in both subnets.
5. Add NAT Gateway for private subnet internet access.
Outcome: Public instance is internet-accessible; private is not directly.
Real-World Use: Enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure.
Lab 5: Deploy a Multi-AZ RDS Instance
Goal: Create a fault-tolerant database.
Skills Covered:
- Amazon RDS setup
- Multi-AZ failover
- Secure database connections
Steps:
1. Create MySQL RDS with Multi-AZ enabled.
2. Set up credentials, subnet group, security group.
3. Connect from EC2 instance using MySQL CLI.
Outcome: Highly available RDS instance.
Real-World Use: Production-grade applications needing resilient databases.
Lab 6: Create IAM Policies and Roles
Goal: Enforce least-privilege access in AWS.
Skills Covered:
- IAM policies
- IAM roles
- EC2 role-based access
Steps:
1. Create IAM user with custom policy for S3 access.
2. Create IAM role for EC2 with S3 access.
3. Attach role to EC2 and verify via CLI.
Outcome: Secure, role-based access without hardcoded credentials.
Real-World Use: Controlled access in DevOps and automation.
Lab 7: Distribute Content with CloudFront CDN
Goal: Improve global delivery speed for static content.
Skills Covered:
- Amazon CloudFront
- Origin Access Identity (OAI)
- Caching and TTL configuration
Steps:
1. Create CloudFront distribution for S3 bucket.
2. Configure caching behavior and OAI.
3. Access content via CloudFront URL.
Outcome: Faster content delivery with access control.
Real-World Use: Global performance boost for media-heavy sites.
Lab 8: Monitor and Alert with CloudWatch
Goal: Track EC2 performance and receive alerts.
Skills Covered:
- CloudWatch metrics
- CloudWatch alarms
- SNS notifications
Steps:
1. Monitor EC2 CPUUtilization in CloudWatch.
2. Create alarm for CPU > 70%.
3. Subscribe to SNS topic for alerts.
4. Simulate load and trigger alert.
Outcome: Email/SMS alert when metrics cross threshold.
Real-World Use: Proactive system monitoring and alerting.
Lab 9: Set Lifecycle Rules in S3
Goal: Automate archival and deletion of data.
Skills Covered:
- S3 lifecycle configuration
- Data archival to Glacier
- Cost optimization
Steps:
1. Upload test files to S3.
2. Create lifecycle rule to move to Glacier after X days.
3. Optionally set deletion after Y days.
Outcome: Automated transition and cost savings.
Real-World Use: Backup management and compliance data handling.
Lab 10: Automate Infrastructure with CloudFormation
Goal: Define and launch cloud resources as code.
Skills Covered:
- Writing CloudFormation templates (YAML)
- Stack deployment
- Template updates and deletions
Steps:
1. Write YAML for EC2, S3, and Security Group.
2. Deploy via CloudFormation Console.
3. Modify stack and redeploy changes.
Outcome: Reusable, version-controlled infrastructure.
Real-World Use: IaC in DevOps pipelines for consistency and automation.
Project 1: Scalable Web Application Architecture with Auto Scaling and Load Balancer
Objective: Build a resilient, scalable 3-tier architecture for a web app
Services Used:
- EC2
- Application Load Balancer (ALB)
- Auto Scaling Group
- RDS (MySQL/PostgreSQL)
- Route 53
- IAM
- CloudWatch
Use Case: E-commerce or news portal with unpredictable traffic
Outcome: Participants will learn how to scale compute instances automatically based on load, manage availability zones, and separate tiers using security groups
Project 2. Serverless Event-Driven Architecture using Lambda, S3, and SNS
Objective: Build a serverless image processing system triggered by file uploads.
Services Used:
- S3
- Lambda
- SNS
- CloudWatch Logs
- IAM
Use Case: Image upload site that sends processing alerts.
Outcome: Students understand how to create event-driven pipelines using S3 triggers, process data with Lambda, and notify stakeholders via SNS.
Project 3. CloudFormation-Based Automated Infrastructure Deployment
Objective: Automate VPC and multi-tier app deployment using Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
Services Used:
- AWS CloudFormation
- VPC
- EC2
- NAT Gateway
- RDS
- S3
Use Case: Reusable infrastructure for development, staging, and production.
Outcome: Trainees gain experience with JSON/YAML templates, parameterization, and modular stack design — essential for DevOps roles.
Project 4. Secure Multi-Tier Application Architecture with VPC Peering
Objective: Separate workloads between front-end and backend using network segmentation.
Services Used:
- VPC
- Subnets
- Route Tables
- VPC Peering
- Security Groups
- RDS
- EC2
Use Case: Financial services platform requiring data isolation.
Outcome: Participants will learn how to manage multiple VPCs, apply least-privilege network access, and connect services securely across VPCs.
Project 5. High Availability WordPress Deployment with Aurora and S3 Static Assets
Objective: Deploy WordPress in an HA architecture with offloaded media storage.
Services Used:
- EC2
- ALB
- Aurora MySQL
- S3
- CloudFront
- Route 53
- Auto Scaling
Use Case: Content-driven platforms like blogs or news sites.
Outcome: Learn real-world deployment patterns with backup & restore, shared storage config, and SSL for production-ready apps.
Project 6. Hybrid Cloud Architecture with Site-to-Site VPN
Objective: Connect simulated on-prem environment to AWS via VPN.
Services Used:
- Virtual Private Gateway
- Customer Gateway
- VPN Connection
- EC2
- Route Tables
Use Case: Enterprises migrating legacy systems to cloud.
Outcome: Candidates will configure VPN tunnels, test connectivity, and understand real hybrid workloads — a common enterprise need.
1. Who should take the AWS SAA-C03 course?
Anyone with hands-on experience in AWS and foundational cloud knowledge, such as System Admins, Developers, DevOps Engineers, and IT Professionals aiming to become cloud architects.
2. What career opportunities are available after AWS SAA-C03 certification?
This certification opens doors to roles like:
- Cloud Solutions Architect
- AWS Cloud Engineer
- DevOps Engineer
- Cloud Consultant
- Systems Administrator (with AWS focus)
These roles are in high demand across startups, MNCs, and government organizations adopting cloud technologies.
3. Is AWS SAA-C03 suitable for beginners in cloud computing?
4. Is programming knowledge mandatory?
Not mandatory, Basic understanding of scripting (like JSON or YAML for templates) or the AWS CLI is beneficial for automation tasks.
Deep coding knowledge is not required. The focus is more on architectural design and decision-making.
5. How can I gain hands-on experience for the AWS exam?
Enroll in training program. It includes:
- Real AWS labs
- Projects like website hosting, VPC setup, and failover scenarios
- Practice with the AWS Free Tier account
6. What’s the exam format, duration, and cost?
7. How long is the certification valid, and how do I recertify?
The certification is valid for 3 years.
To recertify, either pass the latest version of the Associate exam or earn the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (which automatically recertifies the Associate level
8. Can AWS SAA-C03 help freelancers or entrepreneurs?
Absolutely! It helps:
- Freelancers to pitch AWS-based solutions
- Entrepreneurs to architect cost-effective, scalable infrastructure for their startups
9. What’s the average salary after AWS SAA-C03?
While it depends on location and experience, AWS Certified Solutions Architects earn:
- India: ₹8 – ₹20 LPA
- US: $100K – $135K
Certification boosts your credibility significantly in job negotiations.
10. Is this training sufficient to pass the exam?
Join our live, instructor-led sessions
Technical Requirements:
Stable internet connection.
Laptop/desktop with Windows/Linux/macOS.
Microphone (for interactive sessions)
All training materials are proprietary. Sharing or distributing course content is strictly prohibited
Live sessions will be held at fixed timings. Sessions will be interactive with Q&A, lab walkthroughs, and real-time demos
Practical labs will be through a browser-based environment — no local setup required
Participants are expected to maintain professional behavior in live sessions and forums
The instructor reserves the right to reschedule sessions in case of unforeseen circumstances, with prior notice
Doubt clearing and mentoring support available via WhatsApp/email/Phone for course-related queries
Training is offered in small groups or on a one-on-one basis. Contact us to learn more