--- title: "Cloud Computing Fundamentals" description: "Build a solid foundation in cloud computing: service and deployment models, core architecture patterns, and security principles for sovereign environments." scfAsset: managed: false category: "guide" maintainers: - user: "can.celik1" external: true tags: ["STACKIT University", "Learning", "Cloud Basics", "IaaS", "PaaS", "Security"] source_url: "https://framework.stackit.cloud/data-and-ai/assetcontainer/stackit/cloud-computing-fundamentals/" source_file: "docs/data-and-ai/assetcontainer/stackit/cloud-computing-fundamentals.mdx" --- ## Course Overview A comprehensive introduction to cloud computing for anyone new to the field, structured around three building blocks: what "the cloud" actually is and how it differs from traditional IT, the service and deployment models providers offer (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS; public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud), and the architectural and security principles that hold a cloud environment together. Each module is a self-contained, beginner-friendly introduction — no prior cloud experience assumed. This is the entry point for the Data Engineer path: before working with STACKIT's data and lakehouse services, it's worth having a precise, shared vocabulary and mental model for what cloud computing is and isn't. ### What You'll Learn - Distinguish IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, and reason about which model fits a given workload - Compare public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud deployment strategies and their trade-offs - Describe core cloud architecture patterns: elasticity, resilience, and the shared responsibility model - Explain the baseline security principles behind sovereign, compliant cloud environments ### Modules - Introduction to Cloud Computing - Cloud Service and Deployment Models - Cloud Architecture and Security