AWS Solution Architect (AWS SAA-C03) Syllabus & Study Guide

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Certification is one of the most demanding and valuable exams if you plan to build a cloud technology career. It will determine that you have a fundamental knowledge of the AWS Cloud and have supreme experience in creating well and good infrastructure. 

AWS Certification test assists businesses in identifying and developing in-house talent for cloud activities. This certification focuses on creating cost and performance-optimal solutions while showing a thorough grasp of the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

Several firms across the globe use AWS to operate different instances and seek to employ specialists in the field. In this blog, we will analyze the AWS Solution Architect Syllabus in depth to get an overview of how you can prepare for it. 

AWS Solution Architect: An Overview

AWS Solutions Architect - Associate is a technical certification category from Amazon Web Services (AWS) for beginners and professionals overseeing corporate architecture initiatives and solutions architects.

The certification proves the bearer has the skills and knowledge to create, install, and manage applications on Amazon Web Services. It will allow you to create, develop, and scale AWS systems that use over 70 cloud computing services. This course is associated with the most recent AWS exam and includes Amazon-designated best practices. 

Benefits of AWS Solution Architect Certification

AWS Solution Architect certification is in demand due to its several benefits. They are as follows:

• Future Ready: We know that cloud technology is in growing popularity so the AWS certification facilitates you in preparing for the latest trends and may help you acquire a job globally.
• A Better Paycheck: This is the most prominent advantage of taking the AWS solution architect associate course. According to the Global Knowledge study, AWS certification increases a professional's compensation by 25.9%.
• Developing Professional Expertise: AWS certifications demand extensive study, practice, and dedication to understanding AWS technologies. So working on your talents improves your professional competence. Furthermore, the re-certification procedure guarantees the expert is current on the latest cloud technology developments.

AWS Solution Architect Associate Syllabus

Below is a detailed description of the major domains that make up the syllabus for AWS Solution Architect. Each has a different weightage in the exams, so you must prepare it accordingly.

Domain 1: Design Secure Architectures (30% of Exam)

The first domain of the AWS solution architect certification syllabus builds the fundamentals of your cloud knowledge. It focuses to develop safe AWS infrastructures by emphasizing access restrictions, secure application design, and robust data security mechanisms. 

Task 1: Create secure access to AWS resources: In this task, you must guarantee safe access to AWS resources across various AWS accounts by establishing suitable access controls and management approaches. Knowledge of AWS federated access and identity services such as AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) and AWS Single Sign-On (AWS SSO) is also required. 

Area of Focus: 

• Implementing AWS security best practices for users and root users, including multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Using IAM users, groups, roles, and rules to create a customizable authorization strategy.
• Using AWS Security Token Service (AWS STS), role switching, and cross-account access, develop a role-based access control approach.
• Creating a security plan to manage security across many AWS accounts, using technologies such as AWS Control Tower and service control policies (SCPs).
• Choosing when to apply resource policies to AWS services.
• Determining whether it is appropriate to federate a directory service with IAM roles.

Task 2: Create secure workloads and apps: The emphasis of this task is to create and configure secure workloads and applications. This covers application configuration, credentials, and access security. For you, it's essential to understand the AWS service endpoints, controlling ports, protocols, and network traffic, and securing application access are critical. 

Area of Focus:

• Designing Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) designs with safety features like security groups, route tables, network access control lists (ACLs), and NAT gates.
• Developing network segmentation solutions that make use of public and private subnets.
• Increasing application security by integrating AWS services such as AWS Shield, AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF), AWS Single Sign-On (SSO), and AWS Secrets Manager.
• Using Virtual Private Network (VPN) or AWS Direct Connect to secure external network connections.

Task 3: Determine adequate data security procedures: In this task, you have to focus on maintaining data security by applying appropriate measures. This includes data access and governance, data recovery, retention, categorization, encryption, and key management. It is also critical to align AWS technology with regulatory standards.

Area of Focus:

• Data encryption in transit using AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) and Transport Layer Security (TLS).
• Creating encryption key access regulations to retain control.
• Putting in place data backup and replication procedures.
• For increased security, rotate encryption keys and update certificates regularly.

Domain 2: Design Resilient Architecture (26% of Exam)

The second domain focuses on creating durable, scalable, and fault-tolerant systems. You can construct architectures that can tolerate failures while maintaining performance and availability by understanding topics like scaling techniques, loosely coupled designs, fault-tolerant methodologies, and employing relevant AWS services.

Task 1: Create scalable and loosely linked architectures: This task entails creating scalable and loosely connected designs for flexibility and dependability. 

Area of Focus

• Creating requirements-driven event-driven, microservice, and multi-tier architectures.
• Choosing acceptable scaling solutions for various architectural components.
• Choose the AWS services required to accomplish the loose coupling based on particular needs.
• Deciding when to use containers to deploy workloads.
• Recognizing instances that lend themselves to serverless technologies and behaviors.
• Recommend appropriate computing, storage, networking, and database technologies based on workload requirements.

Task 2: Create highly available and/or fault-tolerant architectures: In the second task, you are expected to build highly available and fault-tolerant systems that provide constant access to resources despite failures. 

Area of Focus:

• Developing automated solutions to ensure the integrity of the infrastructure.
• Choosing the best AWS services to build highly available and resilient systems across AWS Regions or Availability Zones.
• Identifying key indicators to guarantee a high level of availability.
• Ensuring data durability and availability via measures such as backups.
• Choosing appropriate DR strategies to match business needs.
• Using AWS services to improve the stability of legacy programs and apps that were not meant for the cloud in the first place.
• Using purpose-built AWS services to meet a variety of workload requirements.

Domain 3: Design High-Performance Architectures (24% of Exam)

The third domain of the AWS Solution Architect Syllabus aims to build architectures that can perform highly in various computing, storage, networking, and data processing areas. You need to understand the possibilities strongly and choose the appropriate technology. This domain contains four significant tasks as follows:

Task 1: Identify high-performance and/or scalable storage options: Task 1 comprises choosing storage systems capable of meeting high-performance and scalability demands. It discusses hybrid storage systems, storage services such as Amazon S3, Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS), and Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS), as well as the features of various storage types.

Area of Focus:

• Selecting storage services and configurations that satisfy specific performance requirements.
• Choosing storage options that can efficiently expand to suit future development.

Task 2: Create high-performance, elastic computing solutions: In the second task, you have to focus on creating computing solutions that are both high-performing and elastic, allowing them to adapt to changing workloads. 

Area of Focus:

• Workload decoupling to enable components to scale independently.
• Determining measurements and situations that will trigger scaling actions.
• Choosing appropriate compute alternatives, instance kinds, and resource sizes to fulfill business needs.

Task 3: Identify high-performance database solutions: The focus here is on choosing database systems that can provide high performance. It covers AWS' worldwide architecture, caching tactics, data access patterns, capacity planning, database connections, replication, and different database types and services.

Area of Focus:

• Setting up read replicas to meet business requirements.
• Creating database architectures that are optimized for performance.
• Choosing suitable database engines and types (Amazon Aurora and Amazon DynamoDB).
• Effectively integrating caching solutions.

Task 4: Develop high-performance and/or scalable network topologies: In the fourth task of domain 3, you’ll entail creating high-performance network topologies that can scale effortlessly. It includes Amazon CloudFront and AWS Global Accelerator edge networking services, network architecture design, load balancing, and network connection choices.

Area of Focus:

• Designing network topologies for various architectural types (for example, global, hybrid, and multi-tier).
• Choosing network configurations that will allow for future growth.
• Appropriate resource placement to fulfill business needs.
• Choosing appropriate load-balancing solutions.

Task 5: Identify high-performance data intake and transformation options: Here, the task aims to identify high-performance data input and transformation options. It includes services for data analytics and visualization, collecting data trends, data transfer services, data transformation solutions, secure access, and streaming data.

Area of Focus:

• Constructing and safeguarding data lakes.
• Creating structures for data streaming.
• Development of data transmission solutions.
• Putting successful visualization tactics into action.
• Selecting suitable computing alternatives for data processing.
• Setting up data intake and converting data across formats.

Domain 4: Design Cost-Effective Architectures (20% of Exam)

The last domain gives finishing to the AWS Solution Architect Syllabus and prepares you for the exam. The goal in this domain is to create designs that achieve a balance between performance and cost efficiency. It contains four tasks that are mentioned as follows:

Task 1: Create cost-effective storage options: In this task, the syllabus covers storage solutions that are both functional and cost-effective. It briefly explains access choices, AWS cost management service features, tools such as AWS Cost Explorer and AWS Budgets, etc. 

Area of Focus:

• Creating storage plans depending on upload methods and frequency.
• Choosing adequate storage sizes for various workloads.
• Selecting the most cost-effective way of data transport to AWS storage.
• Effectively managing S3 object lifecycles.
• Choosing appropriate backup and archive options.
• Choosing the best data migrating service for storage services.
• Choosing suitable storage tiers based on workload requirements.

Task Statement 2: Create cost-effective computing solutions: The aim here is to build computing solutions that deliver outstanding performance while being cost-effective. It delves into AWS cost management service features, AWS global infrastructure, purchase choices such as Spot Instances and Reserved Instances, etc.

Area of Focus:

• Choosing load-balancing solutions that are suited for various use scenarios.
• Identifying cost-effective scaling strategies for elastic workloads.
• Determining the best AWS computing services depending on workload requirements.
• Choosing appropriate instance families and sizes.
• Creating instances to fulfill availability needs.

Task 3: Create cost-effective database solutions: In this task, you’ll focus on developing database systems that provide excellent performance at a low cost. It discusses AWS cost management service features, caching techniques, data retention rules, database capacity scheduling, database engines, and replicating, database types and services, and database types and services.

Area of Focus:

• Creating appropriate database backup and retention procedures.
• Choosing the best database engine for a given set of needs.
• Choosing the most cost-effective AWS database services depending on workload requirements.
• Determining the most cost-effective database types.
• Efficiently migrating database structures and data.

Task 4: Create cost-effective network topologies: This task might be the same as task four for the previous domain, but the objective here is slightly different. You have to create network topologies that are both high-performing and cost-effective. It discusses AWS cost management service features, load balancing ideas, NAT gateways, network connection options, network routing and peering, network resources such as DNS, and other topics.

Area of Focus:

• Choosing suitable NAT gateway types to save expenses.
• Choosing appropriate network connections for various circumstances.
• Setting up network paths to save transfer costs.
• Identifying the requirements for content delivery networks (CDNs) and edge caching.
• Examining current workloads for network improvements.
• Choosing suitable network device throttling and bandwidth allocation algorithms.

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How to Prepare for AWS Solution Architect Exam?

Follow the below-mentioned tips to prepare for the AWS Solution Architect exam in the best way possible:

• Joining an online course: While there is no comparison to self-study, following a structured pattern helps to tackle doubts and facilitates retaining the concepts for a more extended period. Fortunately, several helpful contents are accessible, particularly the KnowledgeHut AWS Solution Architect Associate course.
• Create a Blueprint: Research AWS principles and test patterns using optics before beginning to prepare for the exam. Then, create a chart highlighting each subject's weakest and most vital areas.
• Practice Regularly: Daily practice will help you learn and grasp the topics more quickly. This will allow you to identify your weak points and devote effort to strengthening them.

Tips to Pass AWS Solution Architect Exam

We know that discipline is the only key to crack any exam. Still, when talking specifically about AWS solutions architect certification Exam, there are other things to consider. Make sure to practice all the questions and aim for a score of more than 85% on their practice exam. Also, after each exam, go through your answers and explanations. 

Another critical aspect is to take advantage of test preparation materials. Various online Cloud training courses are accessible to assist you in preparing for the test, such as practice examinations, study guides, and video lessons. Use these tools to learn about the exam structure and to test your knowledge.

You must also obtain practical experience. Why? Because real familiarity with AWS services and solutions is essential. To obtain hands-on experience with AWS, consider designing your projects or engaging in online training labs.

The Bottom Line

More professionals are delving into AWS Cloud as there is a constantly growing demand for cloud technologies. If you want to build a career in the cloud, understanding and getting the AWS Professional certification syllabus will help you stand apart and increase the chances of working with highly skilled professionals. 

As a result, you’ll always get a chance to show your skills by assessing the needs of the company or business and giving architectural suggestions for application setup and installation on AWS.