Foundations of Cloud Infrastructure and Compute Engine

Building a solid foundation in cloud infrastructure is the first step toward launching modern applications. This text-based course introduces you to the core components of cloud computing, focusing on virtual networks, virtual machines, and essential administration tools. You will transition from understanding basic cloud concepts to confidently configuring and managing virtualized environments. By reading through clear explanations and following guided configuration scenarios, you will learn how to structure secure, scalable, and efficient cloud setups. What you'll learn: - Understand fundamental cloud concepts, including regions, zones, and resource hierarchies - Configure virtual private networks, subnets, and firewall rules for secure communication - Deploy and manage virtual machine instances using Compute Engine - Navigate the administration console and run command-line operations in Cloud Shell - Apply modern infrastructure-as-code concepts to automate resource provisioning - Implement basic load balancing and auto-scaling to keep applications highly available The course starts with key terminology and foundational definitions of cloud architecture before moving into practical networking and compute administration. You will progress through written scenarios that explain how to connect, secure, and scale your cloud resources. This course is designed for beginners who are new to cloud infrastructure, with no prior cloud experience or prerequisites required. Start building your cloud skills today and learn how to manage modern virtual infrastructure.