Pass the AWS SysOps Administrator Associate Exam With This Free 14-Hour Course

The AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate certification is one of the most valuable and in-demand credentials in the booming cloud computing industry. According to the 2021 Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary Survey, AWS certifications are associated with the highest average salaries in North America, and the SysOps Administrator Associate is the second highest paying AWS certification after the Professional level certs.

Earning this certification proves that you have the skills to deploy, manage, and operate production-grade systems on the AWS platform. It validates your expertise in provisioning infrastructure, managing storage and networking, implementing security and compliance, automating deployments, monitoring performance, and troubleshooting issues. These are essential capabilities for any IT professional working with AWS, whether you‘re a system administrator, operations engineer, DevOps practitioner, site reliability engineer, or solutions architect.

But passing the SysOps Administrator Associate exam is no cakewalk. It‘s a challenging test that requires deep knowledge of a wide range of AWS services and best practices. You need to understand not just what the services do, but how to use them effectively in real-world scenarios. That‘s where this free 14-hour video course by Andrew Brown comes in. With comprehensive coverage of all exam topics, detailed explanations, and hands-on labs, this course gives you the knowledge and confidence you need to pass the exam and earn this valuable certification.

What‘s Covered in the Course

The course is structured into 14 sections that map to the domains and objectives of the AWS SysOps Administrator Associate exam. Here‘s an overview of what you‘ll learn:

1. Introduction and Exam Overview

• Course outline and learning objectives
• Exam format, question types, and scoring
• Recommended prerequisites and study strategies

2. Monitoring, Metrics and Analysis

• Amazon CloudWatch for metrics, alarms, logs, and dashboards
• AWS CloudTrail for recording API activity
• AWS Config for resource inventory and change tracking
• Best practices for monitoring and observability

3. High Availability

• Regions, Availability Zones, and Edge Locations
• Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling for automatic resource provisioning
• Elastic Load Balancing for traffic distribution
• Amazon Route 53 for DNS management and routing
• Best practices for architecting for high availability

4. Deployment and Provisioning

• AWS CloudFormation for infrastructure as code
• Amazon EC2 launch templates and custom AMIs
• AWS Elastic Beanstalk for web app deployment
• AWS OpsWorks for configuration management
• AWS Systems Manager for automation and patching
• Best practices for deployment and provisioning

5. Storage and Data Management

• Amazon EBS volumes for block storage
• Amazon S3 buckets for object storage
• Amazon EFS for shared file storage
• Amazon RDS, Aurora, and DynamoDB for databases
• Data transfer services like Snowball and DataSync
• Best practices for storage performance and cost optimization

6. Security and Compliance

• AWS IAM for identity and access management
• Amazon VPC for network isolation and security groups
• AWS KMS for encryption key management
• AWS WAF for application-layer protection
• AWS Artifact for compliance reports
• Best practices for security monitoring and incident response

7. Networking and Connectivity

• Amazon VPC components like subnets, gateways, and endpoints
• AWS Direct Connect for dedicated private connectivity
• AWS VPN for secure remote access
• Amazon Route 53 routing policies
• AWS Transit Gateway for connecting VPCs and on-premises networks
• Best practices for networking performance and security

8. Automation and Optimization

• AWS-native services vs. third-party tools
• Infrastructure as code vs. configuration management
• Serverless vs. container vs. VM deployment models
• Spot Instances and Reserved Instances for cost optimization
• Auto Scaling policies and scheduled scaling
• Best practices for automation and developer productivity

9. Troubleshooting and Support

• Troubleshooting methodology and data collection
• Working with AWS documentation, forums, and support
• Service limits and constraints
• Common issues and error messages
• Best practices for minimizing downtime and impact

10. Exam Preparation

• Tips and techniques for studying and time management
• Practice exams and question types
• Resources for filling knowledge gaps
• Final review and exam day advice

Throughout the course, you‘ll find a healthy mix of theoretical lectures, architectural diagrams, live demonstrations, and hands-on labs using an AWS Free Tier account. Andrew explains each concept clearly and concisely, with relatable analogies and real-world examples drawn from his experience as a seasoned AWS solutions architect and trainer.

The Demand for AWS SysOps Skills

So why should you invest your time and energy into earning the AWS SysOps Administrator Associate certification? In short, because it can supercharge your career opportunities and earning potential in the fast-growing field of cloud computing.

Consider these eye-opening statistics:

• AWS owns 33% of the global cloud infrastructure services market, more than its next two largest competitors (Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud) combined. (Source)

• 85% of organizations are already using AWS for some portion of their application portfolio, and another 10% plan to start using it in the next 12 months. (Source)

• There are over 100,000 open job listings worldwide that mention AWS as a required skill, and the demand is projected to grow by 26% annually. (Source)

• The average base salary for an AWS SysOps Administrator Associate in the U.S. is $130,610, with some roles paying up to $180,000 or more depending on experience and location. (Source)

In other words, AWS skills are in high demand across all industries, company sizes, and geographic regions. Employers are willing to pay top dollar for professionals who can help them migrate, modernize, and optimize their workloads on the AWS platform. Earning an AWS certification like the SysOps Administrator Associate is a great way to validate your skills, differentiate yourself from other candidates, and command higher salaries throughout your career.

Tips for Mastering the Material

As someone who has passed multiple AWS certification exams and used the platform extensively as a full-stack developer, here are my tips for getting the most out of this course and preparing effectively:

1. Follow along with the labs and exercises using your own AWS Free Tier account. There‘s no substitute for hands-on practice when it comes to learning complex technical concepts. Don‘t just watch Andrew deploy resources; try it yourself and experiment with different configurations.

2. Take good notes during the lectures, especially on key terminology, service features, and best practices. Create your own study guide or flashcards to reinforce your understanding and retention.

3. Explore the AWS documentation, whitepapers, and re:Invent videos for more in-depth explanations and implementation details. Andrew provides a great foundation, but there‘s always more to learn from the official sources.

4. Practice the concepts you learn in the course by building your own projects and deployments. For example, try deploying a highly available web application across multiple regions using EC2, ELB, Auto Scaling, and Route 53. Or automate the provisioning of a multi-tier application using CloudFormation or Terraform.

5. Join AWS user groups, forums, or communities like the AWS subreddit to ask questions, learn from others‘ experiences, and stay up to date on new services and best practices. You might even find a study buddy or mentor to help you along your journey.

6. Take practice exams to gauge your readiness and identify areas for improvement. Andrew provides a practice exam at the end of the course, but I also recommend purchasing additional practice tests from reputable providers like Tutorialsdojo or Whizlabs.

7. Don‘t get discouraged if you struggle with certain topics or services. AWS is a vast and complex platform, and it‘s normal to feel overwhelmed at times. Take breaks when needed, but stay committed to your goal and trust the process. With enough time and practice, you will develop the knowledge and confidence to pass the exam.

Beyond the SysOps Certification

Earning the AWS SysOps Administrator Associate certification is a significant accomplishment that can open up many doors in your career. But it‘s important to remember that certifications are not an end in themselves, but rather a means to an end. Your ultimate goal should be to continually grow your skills, deliver value to your organization, and progress in your chosen career path.

With the SysOps certification under your belt, you‘ll be well-positioned for a variety of roles like cloud systems administrator, infrastructure engineer, DevOps engineer, site reliability engineer, or solutions architect. You can further specialize your skills by pursuing additional certifications like the AWS Developer Associate, DevOps Professional, or specialty certs in security, machine learning, databases, or networking.

Over time, as you gain more experience and expertise with AWS, you may even aspire to become an AWS Partner Network (APN) ambassador or consultant, helping other organizations adopt and optimize their AWS workloads. Or you could join AWS itself as a solutions architect, product manager, or developer advocate, shaping the future of the platform and its ecosystem.

Regardless of your career path, one thing is clear: cloud computing is here to stay, and AWS will continue to play a dominant role in the industry for years to come. By investing in your AWS skills and earning valuable certifications like the SysOps Administrator Associate, you‘ll be well-equipped to ride the wave of digital transformation and build a successful, fulfilling career in the cloud.

So what are you waiting for? Enroll in Andrew‘s free AWS SysOps Administrator Associate course today and start your journey to certification and cloud mastery!