Cloud Engineer Roadmap - AdviceShare.in

If you want to become a Cloud Engineer, this roadmap will guide you from beginner to professional, covering everything from IT fundamentals to advanced cloud architecture and DevOps integration.

Phase 1: Foundation (Beginner Level)

Goal: Understand the basics of IT, networking, and cloud computing.

Before diving into AWS, Azure, or GCP, you need a strong foundation in networking, servers, and operating systems.

Learn IT & Computer Fundamentals

How computers, servers, and data centers work
Basics of operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS)
Learn to use Command Line (PowerShell, Bash)
Understanding virtualization & hypervisors

Networking Basics

IP addressing, DNS, DHCP, and Subnetting
Load balancers, Firewalls, VPNs
OSI & TCP/IP models
Public vs Private IPs

Cloud Fundamentals

What is Cloud Computing
Cloud Models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
Cloud Deployment Types: Public, Private, Hybrid
Benefits: Scalability, Elasticity, High Availability

Recommended Learning

CompTIA ITF+ or CompTIA A+
YouTube: AWS / Azure / Google Cloud Basics
Book: Cloud Computing for Beginners by Judith Hurwitz
Hands-on: Set up a Linux VM on your computer

Phase 2: Core Cloud Concepts

Goal: Learn how the cloud works and understand the key services offered by major providers.

Major Cloud Providers

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Each offers similar services, but names differ slightly. Focus on one first, then explore others.

Core Cloud Services

Service Type	AWS	Azure	GCP
Compute	EC2	Virtual Machines	Compute Engine
Storage	S3	Blob Storage	Cloud Storage
Networking	VPC	Virtual Network	VPC Network
Databases	RDS	Cosmos DB / SQL DB	Cloud SQL
Monitoring	CloudWatch	Azure Monitor	Stackdriver

Infrastructure Concepts

Virtualization & Containers (Docker Basics)
Identity & Access Management (IAM)
Load Balancing & Auto Scaling
Storage types: Block, Object, File

Recommended Certifications

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
Google Cloud Digital Leader
Free Training: AWS Skill Builder, Azure Learn, Qwiklabs

Phase 3: Hands-On Cloud Practice

Goal: Learn by doing — build, deploy, and manage real cloud infrastructure.

Practice Platforms

AWS Free Tier – host small projects for free
Azure Free Account – get 200$ credit for 30 days
Google Cloud Free Trial – 300$ free credit

Practice Projects

Launch your first Virtual Machine (VM)
Host a Static Website on S3 / Blob Storage
Create and connect Cloud Databases (RDS, Cloud SQL)
Set up Load Balancer + Auto Scaling
Configure IAM roles and permissions

Tools to Learn

CLI Tools: AWS CLI, Azure CLI, GCloud CLI
Infrastructure as Code (IaC):
- Terraform
- AWS CloudFormation
- Pulumi

Learning Platforms

Qwiklabs (Google Cloud)
AWS Skill Builder
Microsoft Learn Sandbox
Cloud Academy / A Cloud Guru

Phase 4: DevOps Integration

Goal: Understand automation, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure deployment.

Modern cloud engineers must understand DevOps workflows to automate cloud management.

Learn DevOps Tools

Version Control: Git, GitHub, GitLab
CI/CD: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI
Containers: Docker, Kubernetes (K8s)
Monitoring: Prometheus, Grafana, CloudWatch, Azure Monitor

Practice Projects

Deploy a web app automatically using GitHub Actions → AWS EC2
Containerize a Node.js or PHP app using Docker
Deploy microservices using Kubernetes

Recommended Learning

DevOps Fundamentals (KodeKloud / Udemy)
Kubernetes for Beginners (FreeCodeCamp / KodeKloud)
Docker Mastery (Bret Fisher on Udemy)

Phase 5: Advanced Cloud Engineering

Goal: Master cloud architecture, automation, and security.

Advanced Topics

Serverless Computing (AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run)
Event-Driven Architecture (SNS, SQS, Pub/Sub)
Microservices and API Gateway
Cloud Networking (Peering, NAT, Transit Gateway)
Cloud Security & Compliance (IAM, KMS, Encryption, WAF)
Cost Optimization (Billing, Budgets, Trusted Advisor)

Practice Projects

Build a Serverless To-Do App using AWS Lambda & DynamoDB
Create a 3-tier Web Architecture with VPC, EC2, and RDS
Implement a CI/CD Pipeline for automatic deployments

Recommended Certifications

AWS Solutions Architect – Associate
Azure Administrator (AZ-104)
Google Associate Cloud Engineer
Optional: HashiCorp Terraform Associate

Phase 6: Specialization Paths

Goal: Choose your area of expertise within the cloud ecosystem.

Specialization	Focus Area	Example Certifications
Cloud Architect	Designing scalable & secure cloud solutions	AWS Solutions Architect – Professional, Azure Architect Expert
DevOps Engineer	CI/CD, automation, infrastructure management	AWS DevOps Engineer, Kubernetes Admin (CKA)
Cloud Security Engineer	Cloud security, IAM, encryption, compliance	AWS Security Specialty, CompTIA Security+
Cloud Data Engineer	Big Data, ETL, analytics, AI pipelines	Google Professional Data Engineer
Cloud Developer	Cloud-native apps, APIs, microservices	AWS Developer Associate, Azure Developer Associate

Phase 7: Continuous Learning & Projects

Goal: Stay relevant and showcase your skills through real-world projects.

Build Real-World Projects

Static Website Hosting on S3 + CloudFront
CI/CD Pipeline for App Deployment
Serverless To-Do App using AWS Lambda
Scalable Blog using EC2 + Load Balancer + RDS
Deploy a Kubernetes cluster using Terraform

Stay Updated

Follow AWS / Azure / GCP blogs
Subscribe to YouTube channels: Tech With Nana, FreeCodeCamp, Cloud Advocate
Join communities (LinkedIn, Reddit r/cloud, Discord, Hashnode)
Attend Cloud Challenges & Hackathons (AWS Jam, GCP Arcade)

Bonus: Career Tips for Cloud Engineers

Build a GitHub Portfolio with cloud projects and IaC code
Document your journey on your AdviceShare Blog
Earn one certification every 3–6 months
Practice explaining cloud designs (great for interviews)
Learn multi-cloud concepts (AWS + Azure + GCP basics)
Join tech meetups or present your cloud projects

Final Note

Becoming a Cloud Engineer takes consistent practice, not just certifications.
Focus on hands-on projects, automation, and real-world deployments.