How to Become a Cloud Architect: The Blueprints of the Job

Cloud computing is on the rise as it enables companies to pool talent from across the globe. However, there is a common struggle among businesses—how do you get access to that talent?

Choosing the right cloud infrastructure is crucial to harness the advantages of the cloud. This includes talent acquisition.

Independent workers make up 20 to 30% of the labor force in the United States and Europe. As cloud computing capabilities grow, the need for skilled cloud architects is paramount.

The role of the cloud architect is complex. Companies hire them when they use cloud services and when they plan to move to the applications to the cloud.

Why the Demand for the Cloud Solution Architects?

What is a Cloud Architect?

Cloud architecture is a new discipline that originates in software development which incluces the planning and designing of cloud systems. Cloud architects provide ongoing guidance throughout the project’s lifecycle.

A cloud architect oversees the cloud computing strategy for their organisation. They develop cloud-adopting plans, track cloud management, and design cloud applications.

The cloud architect job description varies per organisation, but basically, they must have a solid understanding of cloud computing infrastructure and technology. They should also be able to design and migrate applications to the cloud.

Application Architecture and Deployment

Cloud architects oversee application architecture and later deployment to cloud environments. This encompasses the private, public, and hybrid cloud platforms.

They also integrate tools for all areas of cloud computing. Two of these areas include networks and big data.

Another must-have is knowledge on several programming languages such as Node.js, Java, PHP, Ruby on Rails, Python, and so on.

Consulting Duties

Cloud infrastructure architects are internal consultants for their organisations. Thus, they need to stay up-to-date on the most current issues and trends. They build relationships with team members as well as external customers.

They are often involved in the legal areas surrounding cloud computing, like contract negotiation and partnering with procurement and legal departments.

Cloud architects make sure the organisation meets service-level agreement requirements.

Education and Certifications

Most cloud architect positions call for a technical Bachelor of Science degree. The degrees range from computer science, mathematics, or engineering. Some organisations ask for a Master of Science.

The job may call for other certifications as well. Some of those may be vendor-specific.

What Does a Cloud Architect Do?

As stated above, a cloud infrastructure architect oversees cloud applications. Here are some examples of what that broad description includes.

Strategy Development

Successful cloud hosting is contingent upon strategic development. A cloud architect must lead the development of a well-calculated strategy for implementation. Meaning, the right parts must fit in the right places.

This ensures smooth operation as well as cloud-based security. The concepts behind cloud-based data storage are simple, however, accounting for all the possible design variables requires a skilled architect.

Design and Implementation

Cloud architecture includes layers of complexity within its design and adoption plans. Thus, a surface-level understanding falls short—a cloud infrastructure architect must be able to analyse all this.

Then, they must be able to communicate it to the IT team as well as stakeholders.

In this sense, a cloud architect is both a designer and an implementer of the cloud hosting system. The role ensures that the system is best optimised, secure, and able to accommodate the needs of the organisation.

Mitigating the Effects of Misconfiguration

There is an almost infinite number of potential cloud storage configurations and systems. An adept cloud architect is thus needed to secure the right ones for the company.

Misconfiguration Errors

Even the slightest alteration in a cloud system may result in an undesirable outcome. An IT professional not specialising in cloud technology may overlook such a modification, thus the need for a cloud architect.

Cybersecurity

Without a well-informed cloud architect, a company risks breaching confidential information. Due to misconfiguration, that information can end up accessible from the public cloud.

Cloud architects must reduce the chance for oversights in cloud-hosting program systems.

They do this by developing a comprehensive blueprint of the ideal cloud-hosting system. Then, the architect ensures that the IT team develops the cloud model to become resistant to cybersecurity threats. 

Cloud Management and Error Reporting

A cloud architect’s duties go beyond establishing a cloud storage system. Once the cloud storage system is active, the IT staff must track and manage it on an ongoing basis to make sure it doesn’t falter.

And it does so if there are any previously unaddressed irregularities or new anomalies. Cloud architects oversee this monitoring. They keep a watchful eye on the cloud storage system, before they report and investigate anything that seems out of the ordinary.

System Integration Skills

A cloud architect must have a working understanding of IT operations management, ITIL practices, and configuration management.

Change management and asset deployment are also some practical skills needed for the job. Finally, the cloud architect should be familiar with incident management and problem resolution along with strong enterprise architecture skills.

A working knowledge of application and integration architectures is a big plus. These skills all apply to the integration of data, network, and services, for example.

Internal clients are all concerned with how their systems integrate with the cloud., and this is where a reliable cloud architect who can communicate these principles to stakeholders becomes even more important.

Researching Industry Trends

Cloud storage technology evolves at a fast pace. There are constant developments in the field, and cloud architects should be the first to know these rolling developments.

Through research, cloud architects gather and apply their knowledge about current trends and new industry standards.

A knowledgeable architect in this aspect is one of the company’s strongest assets when it comes to cloud security.

Vendor Management Skills

Vendor management is a desirable skill for a cloud architect. It may not be a part of a previous experience, but it is a skill that a cloud architect can gain on the job.

This skill lends itself to handling procurement and integration, which primarily involves finance.

Who Can Become a Cloud Architect?

As you can see, a cloud architect must have an arsenal of cross-skills and knowledge to do the job. An individual must blend these skills with a deep understanding of cloud computing.

On top of these, cloud architects must have a working knowledge on the following:

Cloud architects are generally individuals in the middle stages of their careers. They usually have 8-10 years of prior experience.

That experience comes from a variety of previous positions as a technical expert. They have often been team leads or managers, as the job requires a unique combination of sharp technical, leadership, and people skills.

Cloud Architecture is Both Art and Science

Cloud architecture is multifaceted—a combination of art and science.

And a cloud architect is expected to be the go-to expert when it comes to anything and everything about the cloud. The key is to always be vigilant on industry best practices and security.

If your organisation is looking for an experienced cloud architect, get in touch with us today and let’s talk about your requirements!