Week 1: Foundation & Core Services (Days 1-7)
Day |
Topic |
Maarek Course Section |
Hands-on Lab |
Project Component |
Practice Resources |
1 |
AWS Fundamentals & IAM |
IAM & AWS CLI |
Create root account, IAM users, groups, policies |
Project 1 Start: Multi-tier Web App Setup |
AWS Free Tier setup, IAM Policy Simulator |
2 |
EC2 Basics & Instance Types |
EC2 Fundamentals |
Launch t2.micro, connect via SSH, install web server |
Deploy web server on EC2 |
EC2 Instance Connect, AWS CLI practice |
3 |
EC2 Storage (EBS, Instance Store) |
EC2 Storage |
Create EBS volumes, snapshots, attach/detach |
Configure persistent storage for web app |
EBS Volume monitoring, snapshot automation |
4 |
ELB & Auto Scaling Groups |
High Availability & Scalability |
Create ALB, target groups, launch template |
Add load balancer to web app |
Load testing with Apache Bench |
5 |
EBS & EFS Deep Dive |
EC2 Storage Advanced |
Mount EFS, compare EBS vs EFS performance |
Implement shared storage solution |
AWS Storage Gateway simulator |
6 |
S3 Fundamentals |
S3 |
Create buckets, upload files, configure static hosting |
Host static frontend on S3 |
S3 Transfer Acceleration testing |
7 |
S3 Advanced Features |
S3 Advanced |
Configure versioning, lifecycle, cross-region replication |
Implement backup strategy |
S3 Intelligent Tiering setup |
Week 2: Networking & Databases (Days 8-14)
Day |
Topic |
Maarek Course Section |
Hands-on Lab |
Project Component |
Practice Resources |
8 |
VPC Fundamentals |
VPC |
Create custom VPC, subnets, route tables |
Project 2 Start: Secure Multi-AZ Architecture |
VPC Flow Logs analysis |
9 |
VPC Advanced (NAT, VPN, Direct Connect) |
VPC Advanced |
Configure NAT Gateway, VPC Peering |
Connect private/public subnets |
VPC Reachability Analyzer |
10 |
RDS & Aurora |
RDS |
Create RDS MySQL, read replica, Aurora cluster |
Add database layer to web app |
RDS Performance Insights |
11 |
ElastiCache |
ElastiCache |
Deploy Redis cluster, test caching |
Implement caching layer |
Redis CLI practice, cache hit ratio monitoring |
12 |
Route 53 |
Route 53 |
Register domain, create hosted zones, routing policies |
Configure DNS for web app |
Route 53 health checks |
13 |
CloudFront & Global Accelerator |
CloudFront |
Create distribution, configure origins, caching |
Add CDN to web app |
CloudFront real-time logs |
14 |
Review & Mini Project |
Week 1-2 Review |
Deploy complete 3-tier application |
Complete Projects 1 & 2 |
Practice exams (Jon Bonso) |
Week 3: Security & Monitoring (Days 15-21)
Day |
Topic |
Maarek Course Section |
Hands-on Lab |
Project Component |
Practice Resources |
15 |
Advanced Security (KMS, SSM, Secrets Manager) |
Security |
Create KMS keys, encrypt EBS volumes, store secrets |
Project 3 Start: Secure DevOps Pipeline |
AWS Security Hub |
16 |
CloudWatch & CloudTrail |
Monitoring |
Create custom metrics, alarms, log groups |
Implement comprehensive monitoring |
CloudWatch Synthetics |
17 |
AWS Config & Trusted Advisor |
Compliance |
Configure Config rules, compliance dashboard |
Set up governance framework |
AWS Well-Architected Tool |
18 |
SQS, SNS, Kinesis |
Integration |
Create queues, topics, data streams |
Add messaging to applications |
SQS dead letter queues |
19 |
Lambda & Serverless |
Lambda |
Create functions, API Gateway integration |
Build serverless API |
Lambda Powertools |
20 |
ECS & Fargate |
Containers |
Deploy containers, service discovery |
Containerize web application |
ECS Exec for debugging |
21 |
CloudFormation & CDK |
Infrastructure as Code |
Create stacks, nested stacks, CDK app |
Automate infrastructure deployment |
CloudFormation drift detection |
Week 4: Advanced Services & Certification Prep (Days 22-28)
Day |
Topic |
Maarek Course Section |
Hands-on Lab |
Project Component |
Practice Resources |
22 |
API Gateway & Advanced Integration |
API Gateway |
Create REST/HTTP APIs, authorizers |
Build production-ready API |
API Gateway caching strategies |
23 |
Step Functions & Advanced Serverless |
Step Functions |
Create state machines, error handling |
Orchestrate serverless workflows |
Step Functions local testing |
24 |
Data Analytics (Athena, Glue, EMR) |
Big Data |
Query S3 data with Athena, create Glue jobs |
Project 4: Data Lake Architecture |
AWS Glue DataBrew |
25 |
Machine Learning Services |
AI/ML |
Use SageMaker, Rekognition, Comprehend |
Add ML capabilities to projects |
SageMaker Studio |
26 |
Disaster Recovery & Migration |
DR & Migration |
Configure cross-region backup, AWS DMS |
Implement DR strategy |
AWS Application Discovery Service |
27 |
Cost Optimization |
Cost Optimization |
Use Cost Explorer, create budgets, Reserved Instances |
Optimize all project costs |
AWS Compute Optimizer |
28 |
Security Best Practices Review |
Security Deep Dive |
Implement security best practices across all projects |
Security audit of all projects |
AWS Security Checklist |
Days 29-30: Final Review & Certification
Day |
Focus |
Activities |
Resources |
29 |
Practice Exams |
Take 3 full practice exams, review incorrect answers |
Stephane Maarek Practice Exams, Jon Bonso Practice Tests |
30 |
Final Review |
Review weak areas, quick labs, rest before exam |
AWS Cheat Sheets, last-minute review videos |
๐๏ธ Core Projects Throughout the Month
-
Frontend: Static website on S3 + CloudFront
-
Backend: EC2 instances with Auto Scaling + ALB
-
Database: RDS with read replicas
-
Skills: EC2, S3, RDS, ELB, Auto Scaling
-
Network: Custom VPC with public/private subnets
-
Security: Security groups, NACLs, KMS encryption
-
High Availability: Multi-AZ deployment with failover
-
Skills: VPC, Security, High Availability
-
CI/CD: CodeCommit + CodeBuild + CodeDeploy
-
Security: Secrets Manager, Parameter Store, IAM roles
-
Monitoring: CloudWatch, CloudTrail, Config
-
Skills: DevOps, Security, Monitoring
-
Storage: S3 data lake with partitioning
-
Processing: Glue ETL jobs, Athena queries
-
Visualization: QuickSight dashboards
-
Skills: Big Data, Analytics, Visualization
๐ Daily Study Structure (2-3 hours/day)
Morning (45 minutes)
- Watch Stephane Maarek course videos
- Take notes on key concepts
- Review AWS documentation
Afternoon (60-90 minutes)
- Complete hands-on labs
- Work on daily project component
- Practice AWS CLI commands
Evening (30 minutes)
- Review flashcards (Anki recommended)
- Take practice quiz questions
- Plan next day's activities
๐ ๏ธ Essential Tools & Resources
Free Resources
Paid Resources (Worth the Investment)
Practice Tools
-
AWS CLI: Command-line interface practice
-
AWS CloudShell: Browser-based CLI
-
LocalStack: Local AWS simulation
-
AWS CDK: Infrastructure as Code practice
๐ฏ Weekly Milestones
Week 1 Success Criteria
- [ ] Can launch and configure EC2 instances
- [ ] Understand IAM roles and policies
- [ ] Deploy basic web application with load balancer
- [ ] Create and manage S3 buckets
Week 2 Success Criteria
- [ ] Build custom VPC with proper subnets
- [ ] Deploy RDS database with backups
- [ ] Configure CloudFront distribution
- [ ] Set up Route 53 DNS
Week 3 Success Criteria
- [ ] Implement comprehensive monitoring
- [ ] Deploy serverless applications
- [ ] Use Infrastructure as Code (CloudFormation)
- [ ] Configure security best practices
Week 4 Success Criteria
- [ ] Build complete serverless architecture
- [ ] Implement data analytics pipeline
- [ ] Score 80%+ on practice exams
- [ ] Complete all four projects
๐จ Important Notes
Before You Start
-
Create AWS Account: Use the free tier wisely
-
Set Billing Alerts: Avoid unexpected charges
-
Install AWS CLI: Essential for hands-on practice
-
Create Study Schedule: Consistency is key
During the Month
-
Track your progress daily
-
Join AWS communities (Reddit, Discord, LinkedIn)
-
Don't skip hands-on labs - they're crucial
-
Review mistakes from practice exams thoroughly
Certification Tips
-
Book exam for day 31 to maintain momentum
-
Focus on scenarios rather than memorizing facts
-
Practice time management during exams
-
Review AWS whitepapers for deeper understanding
๐ก Pro Tips from Your Mentor
-
Start with Free Tier: Don't be afraid to experiment
-
Use Multiple AZ: Always think about high availability
-
Security First: Apply least privilege principle
-
Monitor Everything: Use CloudWatch extensively
-
Automate: Use CloudFormation/CDK for repeatability
-
Think Cost: Always consider cost optimization
-
Real-world Scenarios: Focus on practical applications
Remember: The SAA-C03 exam tests your ability to design resilient, secure, and cost-effective solutions. Focus on understanding the "why" behind each service, not just the "how."
Good luck on your AWS journey! ๐
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