Reply to: Cloud AZURE and AWS contract roles

[RasputinDude]

So you have actively worked as a AWS solutions architect for 3 years? Do you highly require these coding stuff during your day to day work? lke them json puppet, chef etc . (Are they killer to learn? - as i am coming from Vmwware enviroment .. what do you think?)

You misunderstand - I have been certified for three years. Coding - I don't do much of that any more, I'm actually a permie pointy haired boss right now - although I still maintain one commercial system. I can't say that I have ever heard json being described as "coding" but chef yes I use a lot along with ansible.

[rurffy]

I'm a certified AWS Solutions Architect and I speak a lot at AWS meetups and conferences. Daily rate offers are pretty good. It's a good investment - not cheap but worthwhile.

So you have actively worked as a AWS solutions architect for 3 years? Do you highly require these coding stuff during your day to day work? lke them json puppet, chef etc . (Are they killer to learn? - as i am coming from Vmwware enviroment .. what do you think?)

[RasputinDude]

or, use an orchestrator on top of boggo EC2 instances to maximise value and avoid being completely locked in to the AWS platform and pricing

Well, there are very different use cases and it is most certainly a case of "one size fits none". I've heard the lock-in argument so many times but I don't have much time for it really. If you have made a business decision to adopt a technology then make the best use of it. If you do a half-arsed solution then it's going to suck. You don't architect around not having vendor lock-in for Oracle for example; you make a decision to use Oracle and then have to optimise around i.

[BrilloPad]

At my gig we use azure and blob alot. Linking them all was a a disaster until SSIS for azure/blob came along.

[SeanT]

The big thing about AWS is that if you are going to use it, then USE it. All of it. If you stick to EC2 VMs running everything then it's going to be super expensive. Use the services - for example, SQS instead of running RabbitMQ on EC2 instances, RDS instead of MySql on EC2 etc).

or, use an orchestrator on top of boggo EC2 instances to maximise value and avoid being completely locked in to the AWS platform and pricing

[RasputinDude]

Just out of interest, how long have you been a SA and what's your background? Is the SA the only AWS qualification that you hold?

Originally, I'm from machine control software engineering but got bored of that a few years ago and took an opportunity as a perm to re-skill on a decent salary. I didn't just go straight for the SA qualification but built up to it over time. The course material is here (https://aws.amazon.com/certification...-professional/). Meetup groups are also a good way to meet others and learn.

The big thing about AWS is that if you are going to use it, then USE it. All of it. If you stick to EC2 VMs running everything then it's going to be super expensive. Use the services - for example, SQS instead of running RabbitMQ on EC2 instances, RDS instead of MySql on EC2 etc).

If you want more information, PM me.

(Edit) didn't answer the "how long" question: About three years or so

[spongeym]

I'm a certified AWS Solutions Architect and I speak a lot at AWS meetups and conferences. Daily rate offers are pretty good. It's a good investment - not cheap but worthwhile.

Just out of interest, how long have you been a SA and what's your background? Is the SA the only AWS qualification that you hold?

[RasputinDude]

I'm a certified AWS Solutions Architect and I speak a lot at AWS meetups and conferences. Daily rate offers are pretty good. It's a good investment - not cheap but worthwhile.

[yasockie]

The good news is people will be jumping off the cloud one they see the bill, so it's not just one off to the cloud migration.
Tt's both directions and hybrid - for scaling up occasionally.
There's quite a lot of moving parts, AWS alone has 100+ services for DNS, logging, routing, storage etc etc, so it's hard to be an expert in all of those.
I'd probably say you should specialize with one cloud vendor and just learn different names of the equivalent products.
If you're any good with shell, you'll be fine.

[SeanT]

And Ruby if Puppet is involved. Basically, anyone with any Unix scripting can do the same but that's just IMHO.....

Puppet has its own DSL. You can build an entire enterprise in the cloud or on-premise using puppet without doing anything that would pass as Ruby development.

[SueEllen]

And Ruby if Puppet is involved. Basically, anyone with any Unix scripting can do the same but that's just IMHO.....

When I was at one major bank yonks ago scripted a total partition of an IBM frame, VIO, OS installs and applications via NIM and xCAT. No reason it couldn't be extended to do CI/CD...

Maybe!

People already do script for CI/CD. Hence some devops ads mention ruby, python etc

[stek]

No really, you need to learn how to code.

json at least.

And Ruby if Puppet is involved. Basically, anyone with any Unix scripting can do the same but that's just IMHO.....

When I was at one major bank yonks ago scripted a total partition of an IBM frame, VIO, OS installs and applications via NIM and xCAT. No reason it couldn't be extended to do CI/CD...

Maybe!

[cojak]

You are correct on this one!. You need to know code to a little extend, obviously you dont want to jump deep down into Cloud developer and stuff. Starting up from the basic AWS support and you work your way up to the devOPS. thats my plan.

No really, you need to learn how to code.

json at least.

[MrMarkyMark]

HA! i should ask you that!

if you have actually contracted! Have you ever had a dead contract? where they pay you to sit on the desk and mope around? ha!

i have been on a contract role for 3 months doing jack tulip! got in for an Active directory migration role, but it wont start cos the company they bought off haven't finalised stuff with management. so instead of losing me, they decided to keep me there mopping !

Ignore the haters, money is money in this day and age

[rurffy]

Clients do not pay you to learn on the job, are you cut out to be a contractor?

HA! i should ask you that!

if you have actually contracted! Have you ever had a dead contract? where they pay you to sit on the desk and mope around? ha!

i have been on a contract role for 3 months doing jack tulip! got in for an Active directory migration role, but it wont start cos the company they bought off haven't finalised stuff with management. so instead of losing me, they decided to keep me there mopping !