C-CATODSW study plan

Map the AWS global infrastructure model by writing a one-page note that defines regions, availability zones, edge locations, and how they relate to fault tolerance and latency.

Classify at least 20 core AWS services into compute, storage, networking, database, and management categories in a personal reference table.

Explain the shared responsibility boundary for three different service models (IaaS, PaaS, and managed SaaS-like services) in your own words.

Set up a free-tier account and navigate the management console to locate billing, IAM, and the service search bar without guidance.

Compare the compute options (virtual servers, containers, serverless functions, and managed platform runtimes) and write selection criteria for each.

Describe how object storage, block storage, and file storage differ and give a realistic use case for each.

Trace a request path from a user through DNS, a content delivery network, and a load balancer to an application tier.

Sketch a three-tier architecture on paper that separates public, application, and data subnets.

Distinguish relational, key-value, document, and in-memory data stores and match each to a workload pattern.

Summarize the trade-offs among availability, durability, and cost for managed database replication and backup options.

Explain how elasticity and auto-scaling policies respond to demand changes, including scale-out versus scale-up.

Identify which services support decoupled, event-driven designs and describe one queue-based workflow end to end.

Define the identity and access management building blocks (users, groups, roles, policies) and write a policy that grants least-privilege read access to one storage bucket.

Explain the difference between identity-based and resource-based policies and when each applies.

List the mechanisms for protecting data at rest and in transit and state which are enabled by default versus opt-in.

Describe how logging, auditing, and monitoring services work together to detect unauthorized activity.

Break down the shared responsibility model for a managed database, a serverless function, and a virtual machine, listing who owns what in each case.

Summarize the categories of compliance programs and how to determine which apply to a given workload.

Explain how network isolation constructs (virtual networks, security groups, and network access control lists) differ in scope and statefulness.

Describe encryption key management concepts including key rotation and separation of duties for key administration.

Identify common threat vectors against cloud workloads and map each to at least one mitigating control.

Explain the principle of least privilege as applied to both human and machine identities, with an example of each.

Define the core cloud economics concepts: capital versus operational expenditure, economies of scale, and total cost of ownership.

Describe the pillars of a well-architected framework and give one design question per pillar.

Distinguish the major pricing models (on-demand, reserved capacity, spot, and savings plans) and state when each is appropriate.

Explain how data transfer, storage tiers, and request counts each contribute to a monthly bill.

Calculate an estimated monthly cost for a small two-tier application using published pricing inputs and show your arithmetic.

Describe cost governance practices such as budgets, tagging, and rightsizing, and explain how each reduces spend.

Review every domain's weak spots by re-reading your own notes and flagging the five concepts you still cannot explain aloud.

Explain each flagged concept out loud in under two minutes without notes, then rewrite any that falter.

Complete a timed 60-question mixed practice set and categorize every miss by domain.

Build a one-page final review sheet of formulas, comparisons, and responsibility boundaries to consult in the last 24 hours.