However, I've made a 2024 resolution: to document my journey more diligently. Not just for sharing insights but for personal reflection too. The past two years in the tech sphere have been nothing short of remarkable. My journey began as an IT Business Analyst, led me to relocate to Seattle, and allowed me to deepen my cloud expertise.

Focusing my career trajectory has become my priority. In the past, I dabbled in various areas - Data Analytics, Databases, Machine Learning, to name a few. But as I shift from a functional to a more technical role, honing skills specific to my niche is crucial. I've transitioned from a Cloud Billing Analyst to a Reserved Instance Operations Analyst, which has sparked a deeper interest in cloud technologies. Cloud management, along with identity and access management (IAM), and security, are fundamental aspects of this field. In my current role, I'm gaining hands-on experience with IAM policies and permissions, and I'm eager to delve further into cloud security.

While AI and Machine Learning will always be passions of mine, I recognize the importance of bolstering my cloud knowledge, especially since I'm already immersed in this realm and genuinely enjoy it.

I've completed the AWS Educate 'Getting Started with Security' program, gaining insights into various security products through hands-on labs, focusing on setting up users and roles with IAM. Additionally, I've enrolled in the Junior Cybersecurity Analyst course with Cisco, to lay a solid foundation in cybersecurity and aim for the CCST certification.

My goal is to obtain the Solutions Architect certification by the second quarter of this year. My approach this year is intentional learning: building projects, expanding my network, and sharing experiences - the triumphs, the challenges, and the strategies that keep me moving forward.

"The Marathon Continues." Stay tuned to witness my growth in 2024 and keep an eye out for something special I'll be unveiling soon!

The path of a Solutions Architect is laden with continuous learning and achievements. As I journey through AWS, I’m excited to share that I’ve been awarded the AWS Educate Badge for ‘Getting Started with Databases’. A recognition that both humbles and motivates me!

This week, my focus was sharpened on the dynamic world of databases.

Unlocking Database Essentials

Databases are structured repositories, ensuring data consistency, integrity, and often, redundancy. But, as with every topic, there are depths to plumb.

Relational vs. Non-relational Databases: A Duel of Dynamics

Relational Databases (RDBMS):
•    Tables with predefined schema.
•    ACID properties (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) at  its core.
• Example: MySQL, PostgreSQL.

Non-relational Databases (NoSQL):
•    Schema-less data models offering flexibility.
•    Built for scalability and distributed systems.
•    Example: MongoDB, Cassandra.

AWS: The Database Beacon

With AWS’s broad database services portfolio:

• Amazon RDS: For relational databases.

• Amazon DynamoDB: The NoSQL giant.

• Amazon Redshift: Your data warehousing partner.

A Closer Look at Amazon RDS

From features like automatic backups and snapshots to benefits like offloading routine tasks to AWS, RDS stands out.

Web apps, e-commerce, gaming, and analytics? RDS has you covered!

Setting up RDS: Demystified

1.    Dive into the RDS Console on AWS.
2.    Create Database beckons you.
3.    Choose your database engine.
4.    Set up, configure, and get your endpoint to connect.

Engaging with SQL: The Command Conquest

Connect to your RDS using tools tailored for your database, like MySQL Workbench for MySQL. With SQL, from SELECT to INSERT, data manipulation becomes a breeze.

In wrapping up, the AWS Educate Badge is not just an achievement, but a milestone in my journey. As the cloud stretches infinitely above, I’m here, eager to explore its vastness with all of you.

For deeper engagements or insights, feel free to connect. Until our next cloud rendezvous, keep soaring!

To equip myself for the CSA certification, I found immense value in resources like:

1. Cloud Guru

2. AWS Skill Builder

3. AWS Educate

4. Coursera

5. Adrian Cantrill’s CSA Course

6. Cloud Up for Solutions Architect

I’d love to hear about your experiences with Databases or AWS in general. Please leave a comment below or connect with me on Twitter @NicoleTalksTech. Stay tuned for more tech discussions!

Diving Deep into AWS: Elastic Block Storage & Elastic File System

If you’ve been keeping up with my recent posts, you’re aware that I’m navigating through the AWS Cloud Solutions Associate (CSA) certification. This week, let’s delve into the very heart of Amazon Web Services (AWS): Elastic Block Storage (EBS) and Elastic File System (EFS).

EBS: An Insider’s Review

Amazon Elastic Block Storage (EBS) provides storage volumes that can be attached to EC2 instances. You can employ them just like you’d use a standard system disk to:

• Create a file system

• Run a database

• Run an operating System

• Store data

• Install applications

The Advantages of EBS

EBS is crafted for mission-critical tasks. It boasts automatic replication within a single availability zone for protection against hardware hiccups. Plus, scaling is seamless, ensuring no disruption or lag to active systems..

EBS Varieties:

1. General Purpose SSD(gp2)-Best for boot volumes or for testing and development applications that aren’t latency-sensitive.

2. General Purpose SSD(gp2):Tailored for high-performance needs at an economical price. Examples: MySQL, Cassandra, virtual desktops, and Hadoop analytics. They’re 4x speedier than the top speed of regular gp2 volumes.

3. Provisioned IOPS SSD(io1): Meant for I/O-focused apps, large databases, and tasks that can’t tolerate latency

4. Provisioned IOPS SSD(io2): Created for I/O-heavy apps, substantial databases, latency-sensitive tasks, and apps requiring utmost durability

5. Througput HDD: A budget-friendly HDD option, ideal for storing vast amounts of data. Note: It’s not suitable as a boot volume

6. Cold HDD (SC1): Optimal for infrequently accessed data when you’re prioritizing cost over performance. It can’t be used as a boot volume.

EFS Uncovered: What’s the Amazon Elastic File System?

• It’s a managed NFS mountable on various EC2 instances across multiple availability zones.

• Operates on a pay-per-use model.

• Although highly scalable and available, it leans toward the pricier end.

• Perfect for content management systems and web servers.

• Utilizes the NFSv4 protocol.

• Compatible with Linux-based AMI( Windows not supported at this time)

• Encryption at rest using KMS

• Pairs well with Linux-based AMIs. (Sorry, Windows isn’t compatible at the moment).

• Features encryption at rest using KMS.

• The file system auto-scales, so there’s zero need for capacity planning

The Takeaway

Elastic Block Storage and Elastic File System offer users storage solutions similar to saving on a traditional hard drive.

To equip myself for the CSA certification, I found immense value in resources like:

1. Cloud Guru

2. AWS Skill Builder

3. AWS Educate

4. Coursera

5. Adrian Cantrill’s CSA Course

6. Cloud Up for Solutions Architect

I’d love to hear about your experiences with EC2 or AWS in general. Please leave a comment below or connect with me on Twitter @NicoleTalksTech. Stay tuned for more tech discussions!

If you’ve been following my recent posts, you’ll know I’ve been deeply entrenched in my AWS Cloud Solutions Associate (CSA) certification journey. And this week, we’re diving into the cornerstone of Amazon Web Services (AWS): the Elastic Compute Cloud, or as we know it, EC2.

An Insider’s Review of Amazon EC2

Being recently appointed as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for EC2 billing in my current role has put me right at the heart of AWS’s premier service. This opportunity provided an invaluable hands-on understanding, which I am eager to share with you today.

EC2 in a Nutshell

EC2 stands for Elastic Compute Cloud. Essentially, it is a virtual machine, only hosted in the AWS cloud environment instead of your local data center. This dynamic service forms the bedrock of AWS, providing secure and resizable compute capacity at the tips of your fingers.

The Strengths of EC2:

The beauty of EC2 lies in its cost-effectiveness, scalability, and reliability.

1. Cost-Effective: EC2 adopts a pay-as-you-go model, which means you pay only for the resources you use. No more expensive hardware investments or paying for unused resources. It’s a game-changer for startups and established businesses alike.

2. Scalable: Whether it’s accommodating an influx of users during peak hours or powering a data-intensive application, EC2’s ability to scale up or down on demand is a boon for businesses.

3. Reliable: EC2 is built for fault tolerance. If an instance fails, AWS automatically redirects the traffic to another instance, ensuring your business remains unaffected.

A Pricing Model for Every Use Case

EC2’s pricing model is a one-size-fits-all solution. It provides different options catering to varied business needs:

• On -Demand

  • Ideal for short-term, irregular workloads that cannot be interrupted..

• Reserved

  • Reserve capacity up to 1 to 3 years. Receive up to 72% discount on the hourly charge.

• Spot

  • Great for flexible start and end times, or for workloads that are feasible at very low compute prices.

• Dedicated

  • : Best for regulatory requirements that may not support multi-tenant virtualization.

Scaling: EC2’s Crowning Glory

EC2’s ability to scale seamlessly is undoubtedly its most powerful feature. The vertical scaling option lets you adjust the computational power, memory, and disk space of your instances. On the other hand, horizontal scaling allows adding or removing instances based on traffic demands. This flexibility ensures your application always has just the right amount of resources at its disposal..

Vertical Scaling -Option to change your instance type . You can scale up or down, as needed for computing power, memory , disk space, and more.

Horizontal Scaling -The process of adding or removing Amazon EC2 instance depending on the traffic demands. This process can be automated with Amazon EC2 scaling service. With horizontal scaling, you can add as many instances needed for the computing job and terminate them when they are no longer needed.

Amazon EC2 Instance Lifecycle

AWS Computing Services included :

• Amazon EC2

• AWS Lamda

• Amazon ECS

• Amazon KBS

• AWS Fargat

• AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Options for launching EC2 instances

• AWS Management Console

• AWS CLI

• AWS SDK

• Through other services

The Bottom Line

Amazon EC2 is a testament to the future of cloud computing. Its robust capabilities, combined with its scalable architecture, make it a must-have in every IT toolkit. If you’re new to AWS or looking to optimize your cloud infrastructure, I recommend starting your journey with EC2.

I Earned a AWS Badge !!!

Check out my AWS Educate Badge Getting started with compute badge from credly. There is a Badge to be obtain for each service.

Available on https://www.awseducate.com

Resources

To equip myself for the CSA certification, I found immense value in resources like:

1.    Cloud Guru
2.    AWS Skill Builder
3.    AWS Educate
4.    Coursera
5.    Adrian Cantrill’s CSA Course

WEEK 2: An Insightful Review of Simple Storage

I’m thrilled to share my adventurous journey toward becoming a dedicated FinOps engineer. Finally, I’ve made my decision! As an avid learner, I’m filled with immense joy as I delve deeper into the intriguing world of cloud computing. Today, I’m eager to share a slice of my journey with all of you.

Diving into S3

My week began with studying AWS S3, an incredibly simple yet impressively scalable object storage system. Whether it’s photos, videos, text files, and more, S3 can accommodate a variety of data types. However, it’s not designed for running operating systems or databases. One fascinating feature of S3 is its capability to provide unlimited storage for objects, each up to 5 TB in size!

The way S3 operates is somewhat similar to folders, maintaining a globally unique namespace. This uniqueness is strictly enforced that it can’t be duplicated. The concept of version IDs and metadata also formed a crucial part of my learning, playing vital roles in data management and understanding AWS S3’s functionalities.

The Technical Aspects of S3

Interestingly, I had the opportunity to upload a static website to an S3 bucket, which allowed me a first-hand understanding of versioning, offering an added layer of data protection to our files. I explored the various storage classes and understood the significance of options like frequent and infrequent access, along with Glacier options for long-term storage.

Understanding the difference between governance mode and compliance mode, the concept of a retention period, and legal holds in Glacier Vault were also part of my learning curve this week. This in-depth understanding of AWS services equips me to drive financial efficiency in cloud environments.

Finally, I studied various encryption types like encryption in transit, encryption at rest, server-side encryption, and client-side encryption. The enforcement of these policies for enhanced security formed an important part of my learning journey.

Conclusion

All these experiences have been instrumental in my development as I strive to become a FinOps engineer. Cloud computing, with its numerous solutions, provides myriad opportunities to explore and learn, and I’m truly relishing every moment of this journey. My aim is to apply these learnings to enhance financial efficiency and operational excellence in the cloud computing realm.

Stay tuned for week 3—I’ll be taking on EC2! As I progress on this enriching path, I promise to share more of my explorations and learnings in future posts. Until then, keep learning and keep innovating!

Resources

To prepare for the AWS CSA certification, I am leveraging the following resources:

1.    Cloud Guru
2.    AWS Skill Builder
3.    AWS Educate
4.    Coursera
5.    Adrian Cantrill’s CSA Course

Please feel free to comment, share, like, retweet, and follow me on Twitter at @NicoleTalksTech.

About Me:

My name is Nicole Denise, and I currently work as an Cloud Analyst. While contemplating my next role in the technical field, I am considering positions such as Cloud Finops Engineer or Cloud Security Engineer. Given my daily utilization of the AWS platform, it only makes sense for me to deepen my understanding of AWS services and infrastructure by studying for the AWS CSA certification. This knowledge is crucial for accurate customer billing and comprehension of their service’s billing model.

Week 1 : Identity and Access Management IAM- Review

Let’s begin with an overview of IAM, which stands for Identity and Access Management. IAM allows you to manage user accounts and control their level of access to the AWS billing console. With IAM, you can:

• Create users and assign permissions to them.

• Establish groups and roles.

• Regulate access to AWS resources..

When you initially set up your AWS account, it is considered your “root account.” This account is associated with the email address used for AWS registration, granting it full administrative access. Consequently, securing this account becomes paramount.

Here are the steps to secure your AWS root account:

1. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for root access.

2. Establish an admin group for your administrators and assign appropriate permissions.

3. Create user accounts for your administrators.

4. Add these users to the admin group.

To control user actions and access, you need to assign permissions using IAM policy documents. IAM policies are JSON documents that describe permissions within AWS.

These policies can be assigned to groups, users, and roles. Keep in mind that when creating a user, it will be on a global level, and region selection is not required.

By default, users will not have permission to access anything on the AWS platform until an IAM policy is assigned to them.

Iam policies are JSON documents used to describe permissions within AWS

Reminder: When creating users remember by default users will not have permission to anything on the AWS platform until an IAM Policy is assigned

IAM can be accessed through various means, including:

• AWS CLI

• AWS SDKs

• AWS Management Console

Additionally, AWS provides several services for identity and access management:

• Amazon Cognito is a service for simple and secure user sign-up, sign-in, and access control to your web and mobile apps.

• AWS Directory Services A managed service that provides directories containing organizational information, including users, groups, computers, and resources, reducing management tasks.

• IAM is a service that enables you to securely manage access to AWS services and resources in your account. You can create users and groups and apply permissions to allow or deny access to AWS resources.

• AWS IAM Identity Center : A cloud single sign-on (SSO) service facilitating central management of SSO access to multiple AWS accounts and business applications. It allows users to sign in to a user portal with their existing corporate credentials, with integrations to many business applications, including Microsoft Active Directory

Resources

To aid my preparation for the AWS CSA certification, I am utilizing the following resources

1. Cloud Guru

2. AWS Skill Builder

3. Coursera

I invite you to comment, share, like, retweet, and follow me on Twitter @NicoleTalksTech

Conclusion:

In this first week of studying for the AWS Cloud Solutions Associate (CSA) certification, I dived into the fundamental concepts of Identity and Access Management (IAM). By understanding IAM, I can effectively manage user access to the AWS platform, ensuring security and compliance. Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I will explore another essential topic in my certification journey. Together, let’s unlock the vast potential of AWS!

After admiring from afar. I finally decided to start my journey into the Web3/Blockchain space. It has been super exciting, to say the least. I am currently enrolled in a 6-week foundational blockchain course created by Unit Masters. I was able to gain access to this cool course via the Twitter DisruptorsDAO community.

At present, I'm currently in week 3 reviewing Blockchain and Incentive Alignment. So I decided to start documenting my learnings to share with others. I believe it is important to share your learning journey and document your experience. It also allows you to communicate what you learned in your voice. Which develops confidence in discussing the topic at hand.

This week we discussed several topics:

• DAOs

• Immutability

• Public blockchains

• Private blockchains

DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations)

Are the heart of the community and are for the people (users). Daos provides a voice for users to create an online community with as little difficulty as possible.

They are a programmable organization that is built on a shared mission and fosters a budding online community. Members jointly control a crypto multi-signature wallet, establishing its objectives and mission is met.

The governance of DAOs and their operations are generated in a smart contract, consisting of automated if-then statements, making them transparent, auditable, and immutability.

What is Immutability?

Something that can't be changed or modified. The great thing about blockchain technology is that it is very different from our traditional banking system. Instead of depending on centralized authorities. Blockchain is supported by the collective known as nodes aka validators.

Every node has access to the digital ledger. To add transactions to the blockchain every node needs to check its validity. This promotes transparency and makes it corruption-proof.

Public blockchains

Anyone can join and participate in core activities of the blockchain network. Also, the ability to read, write, and audit ongoing activities on the public blockchain network helps develop self-governance. The primary disadvantage to secured public blockchains is the heavy energy consumption required to maintain them.

Private blockchains

Participants are only allowed to join by invitation only. Where identity or other authentication is required. The validation is done by the network operators or by a defined set of protocols that are implemented through a smart contract or other approved methods. Disadvantages - Private blockchains are susceptible to data breaches and security threats. This is because there is generally a limited number of validators used to reach a consensus about transactions and data if there is a consensus mechanism.

In this project, I utilized descriptive and inferential statistical methodologies to develop a proactive alarm system designed to accurately identify pump failures. The analysis focused on Horse Power (HP) and Pump Efficiency (PE) as key variables, with deviations of 15 HP and >3% PE serving as the core signal thresholds.

The Problem:

Pump failures can lead to significant downtime and maintenance costs. Early detection of potential failures is crucial to minimize operational disruptions and expenses.

Objectives:

• Develop a statistical model to predict pump failures.

• Identify key variables and thresholds that signal potential pump issues.

• Implement an alarm system based on these thresholds to alert maintenance teams proactively.

Technologies Used:

• Statistical Analysis: Employed both descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze pump performance data and identify critical variables.

• Data Visualization: Created visual representations of the data to illustrate patterns and deviations clearly.

• Database Integration: Integrated the model with the company's database to monitor pump performance in real-time and trigger alerts when thresholds are exceeded.

Key Variables:

• Horse Power (HP): Monitored deviations of 15 HP as a significant indicator of potential pump failure.

• Pump Efficiency (PE): Identified deviations greater than 3% as a critical threshold for efficiency-related issues.

Outcomes:

The proactive alarm system significantly improved the early detection of pump failures, allowing maintenance teams to address issues before they led to operational downtime. This resulted in reduced maintenance costs and increased operational efficiency.

Reflection:

This project showcases the effective use of statistical analysis in operational maintenance. By identifying key variables and setting precise thresholds, I developed a reliable system that enhances the predictive maintenance capabilities of the company. This experience highlights my ability to apply statistical methodologies to real-world problems, driving both technical and operational improvements.

Project Overview:

The bar chart presented here categorizes technology usage by industry, showcasing the sum of amounts for each product family. This comprehensive view allows stakeholders to understand the prevalence and impact of various technology types within their respective industries.

Key Insights:

• The Banking sector shows a significant investment in Tablets and Accessories, highlighting the industry's reliance on mobile and supplementary devices.

• Energy and Biotechnology sectors have notable expenditures on Laptops, indicating a high demand for portable computing solutions.

• Technology and Consulting industries display a balanced distribution across all technology types, reflecting their diverse tech needs.

• Retail and Healthcare industries also show a strong presence in multiple product families, particularly in Tablets and Accessories.

Technologies Used:

• Salesforce Tableau CRM: Leveraged to design and implement the interactive bar chart.

• Data Visualization Techniques: Applied to provide clear and actionable insights into technology usage across various industries.

• Trailhead Learning Platform: Utilized for hands-on experience with Salesforce Tableau CRM, enhancing my skills in data visualization and analysis.

Reflection:

This project was a fantastic introduction to Salesforce Tableau CRM, and it sparked my interest in diving deeper into this powerful tool. It exemplified the importance of data visualization in uncovering industry trends and making data-driven decisions. Future me will definitely be exploring more advanced features and capabilities of Tableau CRM to further enhance my data storytelling skills.

Please reach out if you are interested in discussing this project or exploring collaboration opportunities.

This project represents my very first Tableau creation, where I designed an interactive resume. Despite having never used Tableau before, I set my intentions to do my very best and pushed through, creating a visually engaging and informative dashboard to showcase my skills and experience.

The Challenge:

I aimed to create a comprehensive and interactive resume using Tableau, a tool I had no prior experience with. The objective was to present my skills and experience in a unique and visually appealing way.

Objectives:

• Create an interactive Tableau dashboard to serve as a digital resume.

• Utilize various chart types to effectively showcase different aspects of my skills and experience.

• Ensure the resume is both informative and engaging, making it easy for viewers to understand my professional background.

Technologies Used:

• Tableau: Designed and implemented the interactive resume dashboard.

• Data Visualization Techniques: Used Gantt charts, treemaps, and donut charts to measure and display my skills and experience.

Key Features:

• Gantt Chart: Displayed a timeline of my professional experience, highlighting key roles and projects.

• Treemap: Visualized the distribution of my skills, allowing viewers to see areas of expertise at a glance.

• Donut Chart: Represented the proportions of various competencies and achievements.

Outcomes:

The interactive resume effectively showcased my professional background in a visually engaging manner. It demonstrated my ability to quickly learn and apply new tools, as well as my commitment to presenting information creatively and accurately.

Reflection:

Creating this interactive resume with Tableau was a rewarding experience. It not only allowed me to learn a new tool but also enabled me to present my skills and experience in a unique way. This project exemplifies my dedication to continuous learning and my passion for data visualization.

I am currently a Reserved Instance Analyst at AWS, managing RI utilization to ensure accurate and cost-effective usage and invoicing for cloud services. In addition to this role, I am actively preparing for my AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification. I have over three years of experience in data analysis, reporting, and automation, and I am certified as an AWS Cloud Practitioner.

My expertise lies in analyzing and interpreting instance data, identifying cost optimization opportunities and trends, and developing and implementing strategies to reduce costs, optimize resource allocation, and improve cost efficiency. I generate detailed billing reports and provide insights to stakeholders, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding cloud service costs. I collaborate with cross-functional teams, including finance, operations, and IT, to ensure alignment and adherence to policies and best practices.

As a cloud consultant, I am passionate about leveraging data-driven insights, business analysis, and automation to streamline operations and drive financial efficiency in the cloud environment. I am also deeply involved in studying AI and data science, currently progressing through DataCamp’s Certified Data Scientist Associate track. My vision is to transition into a role where I can apply my cloud expertise, data storytelling skills, and cost optimization enthusiasm to deliver value and innovation in the cloud.

One of my recent projects includes the creation of the "Career Growth Advisor," a GPT-powered application designed to provide personalized career guidance and resources. This tool leverages AI to offer tailored advice based on individual career goals and professional experiences, helping users navigate their career paths more effectively. You can check out the application here.

In my spare time, I maintain this blog and actively contribute to the data science and AI community through various platforms. I am also a member of the Women in Data & Women in Analytics organization, where I connect with other professionals and share insights on data-driven strategies.

Please reach out if you are looking to connect on a project or job opportunity.