What Your Cloud Architect Needs to Know, Part 2

Part 1 explored the basic elements of the cloud environment: cloud computer, cloud architecture and the cloud architects themselves. This post moves farther into the specific skills and knowledge required at each level of cloud architect expertise.

What specific skills and knowledge should a cloud architect have?

As the IT function becomes more integrated with other functions in most businesses, the cloud architect must be able to apply IT knowledge to various business demands and communicate those applications effectively. Bridging the gap between technological knowledge and interpersonal skills requires specific learning and experience. Depending upon the cloud architect’s degree of learning and experience, they may operate at any of three levels.

Cloud Associate

Qualified with the basic level of skills and knowledge, a cloud architect can comprehend and apply technologies, processes and systems required to build a complete cloud infrastructure.

Cloud Specialist

A more advance cloud architect has more extensive knowledge of cloud infrastructure and understands the importance of gathering requirements in the design process. At this level, the cloud architect is more prepared to work with open, robust, elastic cloud services architecture and more able to perceive the benefits, challenges and considerations of cloud services design choices.

Cloud Expert

At the most advanced level, a cloud architect understands and applies these areas of knowledge:

• Business resiliency: the assurance of resiliency from data protection, data security, disaster recovery, and AIOps

• Application development: the creation and implementation of customized cloud services
• Operating model: comprehension of an operating model that incorporates product development, policy and governance, and quality, all based upon a reliable cloud services platform
• Lifecycle and management: sequential steps from plan through feedback to develop and manage the cloud services lifecycle
• Workforce transformation: adaptation of workforce knowledge, skills and practices to the new roles cloud services require

Because the cloud architect is charged with understanding business issues and communicating technical processes and solutions to handle those issues, interpersonal skills are essential. A strong cloud architect will have:

• Business knowledge and communication skills
• Flexible learning skills
• Time and resource management skills
• Strong Decision-making skills
• Creative thinking skills

A quality cloud architect certification program includes activities that give participants the chance to practice these skills. Rather than providing only technical information, the preparation includes how-to awareness necessary to earn certification. Dell’s Proven Professional Cloud Architect Certification program is a powerful example, offering certification in Cloud, Cloud Infrastructure and Cloud Services.

Equipping for success with a skilled cloud architect

In their IT Industry Outlook 2023, CompTIA reports “Rather than making migration decisions for each IT system, companies will modify or choose systems to fit with a cloud strategy. Security assessments, integration requirements and provider comparisons will be par for the course rather than viewed as clunky overhead, and cloud will be the foundation for rebuilding efforts.”

To implement and manage the complexity of cloud strategy, a cloud architect must be equipped with the skills and experience for the job.

Explore the Dell Technologies Education Services programs that deliver cloud architect certifications and cloud courses including Cloud Infrastructure and Services, Cloud Infrastructure Planning and Design and Cloud Service Management.

¹ Analyzing the Role and Skills of the Cloud Architect, Kyle Hilgendorf, Gartner, 2016