Designing, deploying, and operating services on cloud infrastructure while optimizing cost and security.
Cloud computing is the ability to understand and use computing resources delivered over a network (servers, storage, networking, databases) to build scalable, resilient systems. It starts with understanding the differences between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS service models and extends through virtualization, networking, security, cost management, architecture design, multi-cloud strategy, and large-scale migration, covering the full spectrum of cloud engineering.
You understand the 5 essential characteristics of cloud computing as defined by NIST SP 800-145, along with the IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS service models and 4 deployment models. You recognize how cloud differs from on-premises environments and can navigate a cloud platform's management console (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) to explore basic resources. You understand how pay-as-you-go pricing works. Corresponds to SFIA Level 1 (Follow).
What Comes Next
If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready to enter the Service Operator stage of the proficiency model, where you'll provision compute instances, configure storage and networking, and apply basic access controls. Ericsson(2006)'s deliberate practice theory suggests that repeating a cycle of hands-on provisioning and observing results right after learning concepts accelerates the transition to the next stage.
SFIA's 7-level responsibility framework (Autonomy, Influence, Complexity, Knowledge, Business Skills) maps directly to Levelica's 7-level structure, providing the primary basis for level boundary definitions.
The Foundational-Associate-Professional-Specialty 4-tier certification path defines industry-standard cloud proficiency stages, directly applicable to L2-L6 boundary definitions.
Exam objectives spanning Cloud Essentials+ (entry) through Cloud+ (practitioner) and CloudNetX (advanced) provide specific behavioral evidence for level-by-level checklist items.
An industry-consensus list of 25 core cloud engineering skills (virtualization, networking, containers, IaC, security) provides practitioner-grounded evidence for level-by-level checklist design.
Provides the international standard definition of cloud computing (5 essential characteristics, 3 service models, 4 deployment models), grounding L1-L2 foundational checklists and the guide's overall terminology in authoritative reference.
