Cloud Infrastructure Architect
A Cloud Infrastructure Architect is an IT professional who supervises an organization’s cloud computing ecosystem. This includes cloud adoption, cloud application design, and cloud management and monitoring.
Cloud architects manage application architecture and its deployment in a cloud-based environment. This includes the public cloud, the private cloud, and the hybrid cloud. Furthermore, cloud architects provide a variety of consulting services to their organizations, and they must be up-to-date on the newest trends and issues.
Architects also negotiate technical support contracts with cloud providers, which include service level agreements. Architects can be involved in projects consisting of thousands of applications running on tens of thousands of servers.
Over the period, as IT has developed considerably more multifaceted, several types of IT infrastructure architect job roles have come to the marketplace. At present, you can see careers that comprise enterprise architect, application architect, cloud infrastructure architect and many more, with the cloud infrastructure architect as one of the primary key in that total category.
Job Description
Organizations hiring Cloud Infrastructure Architects use a variety of cloud services, such as AWS and Azure. The primary responsibility of architects is to plan, design and assist with the implementation of cloud services.
Architects should understand how to model cloud architectures, and they need to provide expertise on designing and developing its infrastructure. The following are the standard job responsibilities of Cloud Infrastructure Architects:
- To deliver proof-of-concept types of projects
- To lead the implementation of projects
- To define enterprise cloud strategies
- To analyze application portfolios
- To develop customer solutions, such as web applications and enterprise applications
- To identify dependencies and common infrastructure components, and to assess migration feasibility
- To build on-premise solutions for clusters and patterns
- To evaluate and monitor cloud migration roadmaps, and to drive acceptance across complex organization structures
Cloud Infrastructure Architects develop and implement cloud solutions across a diverse range of projects, which can include application development, identity/access management, network, and data management. They also often work in coordination with other departments to implement changes in architecture, and they need to communicate well with other organizational teams and must support them in their respective endeavors.
On the commercial side, cloud infrastructure architects try to find what kind of functionality is required, and what it's thought to do. From a technology point of view, cloud infrastructure architects select a different type of set-up which might be needed, to do business well.
Educational and Other Requirements
Cloud Infrastructure Architects must have a degree in Computer Science, IT, or related discipline, and they must know about cloud computing. Architects should also have in-depth skills relating to server hardware, OpenStack, cloud storage and the integration of tools.
Architects should further continuously learn new skills and gain new certifications. The following certifications can help Architects excel:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (Amazon Web Services)
- CCNA Cloud (Cisco)
- CCNP Cloud (Cisco)
- MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure (Microsoft)
- Microsoft MCSA: Linux on Azure
- Google Professional Cloud Architect
Critical Skills required for Cloud Infrastructure Architect
The cloud infrastructure architect must have the skills of most happening cloud technology. Remarkably, this is one role where soft skill is required alongside technical expertise.
To grow into a cloud infrastructure architect, one should have a mix or deep understanding and knowledge of cloud computing and its characters along with its application in the marketplace. It tells us more about mining into a host of essential technologies which contain virtualization, software-defined network, network organizations, physical and virtual storage, data center network, backup, and rescue software, disaster recovery, and commercial continuity software.
Future of Cloud infrastructure Architect
The acceptance of cloud computing is multidirectional and should be operated in a programmed way, where the duration of the project varies as per the business requirements. Hence, the complexity of cloud implementation needs at least one responsible infrastructure architect spearhead to lead the business through the makeover that cloud computing deserves.
According to Gartner, the future of cloud architect along with its architecture is now a mandatory and critical role within IT organizations
Salary
As per Payscale, the average salary of Cloud Infrastructure Architects is $113,801 per year. Professionals with proven cloud computing skills are currently in high demand, and 40% of businesses are right now struggling to find qualified employees.
How Field Engineer Can Help you
Those interested in freelancing positions as Cloud Infrastructure Architects in the global Freelance Marketplace should visit Fieldengineer.com. This site lets freelancers find employers seeking professionals with skills in cloud technology.
Over 40,000 engineers from over 180 countries from various technical fields have registered on this platform, which allows employers to hire them for a variety of specialized positions in the telecommunications field.
