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Rakia Ben Sassi

In this course, you’ll gain hands-on experience in building software systems that are scalable, secure, and resilient—using the latest industry techniques and patterns. This course is perfect for developers, engineers, and tech enthusiasts ready to advance their skills in software architecture, cloud computing, and DevOps.

Together, we’ll dive deep into architectural patterns, from monolithic systems to microservices and serverless architectures:

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In this course, you’ll gain hands-on experience in building software systems that are scalable, secure, and resilient—using the latest industry techniques and patterns. This course is perfect for developers, engineers, and tech enthusiasts ready to advance their skills in software architecture, cloud computing, and DevOps.

Together, we’ll dive deep into architectural patterns, from monolithic systems to microservices and serverless architectures:

  • We'll examine how to design robust systems that handle complex demands.

  • Explore critical concepts such as CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation),

  • and delve into Kubernetes, learning how to deploy, scale, and troubleshoot applications in cloud environments.

  • We’ll also tackle API design, covering key areas like versioning, error handling, and best practices, all essential for building high-performance applications.

  • We’ll also address security challenges, exploring memory-safe programming and security-by-design principles to safeguard your applications.

Real-world case studies—including in-depth looks at AWS and Linux kernel architecture—illustrate how these practices are applied at leading tech companies, giving you valuable insights to apply directly in your work. You'll leave this course equipped to design, deploy, and secure software systems using industry-leading strategies. This will empower you to advance in your career confidently and handle real-world software engineering challenges with skill and precision.

By the end, you’ll have a mastery of the essential skills needed to stand out in today’s fast-evolving tech landscape and confidently navigate complex architectural decisions.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Apply security-first principles with techniques like memory-safe programming.
  • Develop and manage apis with a focus on versioning, error handling, and best practices.
  • Implement secure cloud environments using serverless and containerized applications.
  • Design scalable software architectures using microservices and cqrs.
  • Learn kubernetes for deployment, scaling, and troubleshooting in cloud systems.
  • Evaluate emerging tech and trends, like data mesh and devops, for architectural improvement.

Syllabus

Introduction
What Does Software Architecture Mean?
About Me

Test your understanding and appreciation of the crucial concepts introduced so far. Challenge your grasp of "zooming out" and "systems thinking" as essential tools for any software engineer looking to broaden their horizon and deepen their impact. Are you ready to dive in?

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Dive into my vibrant world as a freelance senior software engineer and an influential figure in the tech community. This quiz is a gateway to understanding my contributions and expertise.

Test your understanding and see if you can match wits with the experts.

Test your knowledge of the architectural shifts that have shaped the digital landscape. Discover how software architecture has transformed from monolithic structures to the dynamic world of microservices, event-driven architectures, serverless computing, and CQRS.

Dive into the fascinating world of Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS) and explore how this architectural pattern brings clarity, efficiency, and a unique time dimension to software design.

This engaging quiz will deepen your understanding of cloud computing, serverless, and DevOps.

Explore the evolving landscapes of software architecture, from the theoretical blueprints of prescriptive designs to the tangible realities of descriptive architecture. Test your knowledge on how these concepts play out in real-world systems, including the Linux Kernel, iRODS, and AWS cloud environments. Ready to dive in?

Uncover the principles of good software architecture through the practical realities of software development. Explore the nuanced trade-offs and contextual decisions that shape the foundation of resilient, adaptable, and efficient software systems.

Test your knowledge of the distinctions and overlaps between software architecture and system architecture. Solidify your understanding of these foundational concepts that are crucial for developing, deploying, and managing robust IT solutions.

This quiz helps reinforce key concepts about API design and engages you with practical and thought-provoking questions.

The quiz is designed to be insightful and helpful in mastering API versioning patterns and strategies.

The quiz is designed to be insightful and helpful to have a better understanding of API error handling best practices and strategies.

Get a deep understanding of access control and JSON Web Token (JWT) authentication.

Get a deep understanding of authorization and techniques like RBAC and ABAC.

If you’re new to relational databases or just want to know why Postgres is such a big deal, you’re in the right place! Let’s dive into the whys and whats of this amazing database system.

This quiz reinforces the practical and theoretical concepts discussed in this section, ensuring learners grasp the key aspects of PostgreSQL.

Decipher the nuanced laws of Systems Thinking as articulated by Peter Senge, and explore their profound implications in the realm of software development. Challenge your understanding and reflect on how these universal truths shape the way we design, develop, and interact with software systems.

Get a deep understanding of service mesh.

Learn Docker basics and hands-on

Review what you learned from the Docker Deep Dive section and check your understanding for it.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides hands-on experience building scalable, secure, and resilient software systems, which is highly valuable for career advancement
Explores architectural patterns like microservices and serverless architectures, which are essential for modern software development
Covers Kubernetes for deployment, scaling, and troubleshooting in cloud systems, which is a core skill for DevOps engineers
Addresses security challenges and memory-safe programming, which are critical for building robust and secure applications
Examines real-world case studies, including AWS and Linux kernel architecture, offering practical insights for immediate application
Requires familiarity with Docker, which may necessitate additional learning for those new to containerization technologies

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Reviews summary

Software architecture, cloud, and security

According to students, this course provides a comprehensive and practical deep dive into modern software engineering principles, covering architecture patterns, cloud technologies (like Docker and Kubernetes), and security fundamentals. Learners particularly appreciate the clarity and depth of the explanations, the relevant real-world examples, and the instructor's ability to make complex topics understandable. Many found the course structure and the inclusion of hands-on elements helpful for solidifying concepts. While the course is largely well-received, some notes suggest it is best suited for those with some prior development experience, as it moves at a professional pace.
Well-structured and logical progression.
"The course structure is logical, moving from architectural fundamentals to practical implementation details like Docker and Kubernetes."
"I felt the way the topics were organized made sense and helped build knowledge progressively."
"The modules flow well, making it easy to follow the complex subject matter."
Instructor is knowledgeable and engaging.
"The instructor's passion for the subject is evident, and they explain concepts in an engaging manner that keeps you hooked."
"Highly knowledgeable instructor who simplifies complex topics effectively."
"I found the instructor to be very clear and easy to follow throughout the modules."
Topics are relevant to real-world scenarios.
"The real-world case studies and practical examples provided throughout the course are extremely valuable and applicable to my work."
"I liked that the course didn't stay purely theoretical but included practical insights and hands-on examples for things like API design and Docker."
"The relevance of the topics to current industry practices is undeniable; I feel better prepared for real-world challenges."
"Practical aspects like API design and Kubernetes were particularly helpful."
Concepts are explained clearly and understandably.
"The instructor does a fantastic job of explaining complex architectural patterns and cloud concepts in a very clear and understandable way."
"I found the explanations particularly clear, making it easy to grasp even challenging topics like CQRS and reactive programming."
"The clarity of the lectures was a major plus, helping me connect different concepts effectively."
"Explains difficult topics in an accessible manner."
Deep dive into architecture, cloud, security.
"This course covers a very comprehensive range of topics critical for modern software engineers: architecture, cloud, and security."
"I really appreciated how the course touched upon so many relevant areas like microservices, serverless, Docker, Kubernetes, and API design."
"Provides an excellent overview and deep dive into various aspects of building resilient and secure systems."
"The breadth of topics covered here is impressive and highly relevant to today's tech landscape."
Best suited for those with some experience.
"While the course is excellent, I feel it is better suited for developers who already have some foundational experience in software engineering."
"The pace can be quite fast, which is great if you have prior knowledge, but might be challenging for absolute beginners."
"Coming into this with some development background helped me keep up and fully appreciate the depth of the content."
"Might be slightly advanced for someone just starting out, but perfect for mid-level engineers."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Modern Software Engineering: Architecture, Cloud & Security with these activities:
Review Cloud Computing Fundamentals
Solidify your understanding of cloud computing concepts to better grasp the course's cloud-related topics.
Browse courses on Cloud Computing
Show steps
  • Review the different cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).
  • Familiarize yourself with major cloud providers and their services.
  • Understand basic networking concepts in the cloud.
Review 'Clean Architecture' by Robert C. Martin
Deepen your understanding of software architecture principles and design patterns.
View Clean Architecture on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
  • Relate the book's principles to the course's architectural patterns.
  • Consider how to apply these principles in your own projects.
Build a Simple Microservices Application
Gain hands-on experience with microservices architecture by building a simple application.
Show steps
  • Design a simple application with a few microservices.
  • Implement each microservice using a different technology stack.
  • Deploy the application to a cloud environment using Kubernetes.
  • Implement API gateways for each microservice.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Write a Blog Post on API Versioning Strategies
Solidify your understanding of API versioning by explaining different strategies in a blog post.
Show steps
  • Research different API versioning strategies.
  • Write a blog post explaining the pros and cons of each strategy.
  • Provide examples of how to implement each strategy.
Practice Kubernetes Deployment Scenarios
Reinforce your Kubernetes skills by practicing different deployment scenarios.
Show steps
  • Set up a local Kubernetes cluster using Minikube or Kind.
  • Deploy a simple application to the cluster.
  • Scale the application and monitor its performance.
  • Troubleshoot common deployment issues.
Review 'Designing Data-Intensive Applications' by Martin Kleppmann
Expand your knowledge of data-intensive application design and distributed systems.
Show steps
  • Read the book and focus on the chapters related to distributed systems.
  • Relate the book's concepts to the course's architectural patterns.
  • Consider how to apply these principles in your own projects.
Contribute to an Open Source Project Related to Cloud Security
Apply your knowledge of cloud security by contributing to an open-source project.
Show steps
  • Find an open-source project related to cloud security.
  • Identify a bug or feature to work on.
  • Submit a pull request with your changes.
  • Address feedback from the project maintainers.

Career center

Learners who complete Modern Software Engineering: Architecture, Cloud & Security will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Cloud Architect
A Cloud Architect designs and oversees a company's cloud computing strategy. This role involves planning, designing, and building cloud infrastructure, including selecting appropriate cloud services, designing network configurations, and ensuring security. This course helps build expertise in areas crucial to this role. Architectural patterns like microservices and serverless architectures are covered. Knowledge of Kubernetes for deployment and scaling, directly applicable to managing cloud applications, is covered in the course. Learning security-first principles and applying those to safeguard software and applications is directly relevant to implementing secure cloud environments.
DevOps Engineer
A DevOps Engineer automates and streamlines the software development lifecycle, focusing on collaboration and communication. This role involves using tools and practices to accelerate the delivery of software. This course helps equip learners with the right skills for this role. Hands-on experience with Kubernetes for deployment, scaling, and troubleshooting is directly applicable to DevOps practices. The course's coverage of cloud computing, serverless architectures, and DevOps principles helps build this role's understanding of modern software delivery. The course's focus on automation and security aligns with the core responsibilities of a DevOps Engineer.
Software Architect
A Software Architect designs the high-level structure of software systems, ensuring they meet requirements and are scalable, maintainable, and secure. This role requires a broad understanding of different technologies and architectural patterns. The course provides the foundations to become a skilled Software Architect. The course dives deep into architectural patterns, from monolithic systems to microservices, and helps design robust systems. Learners gain knowledge of command query responsibility segregation and API design, which enhances their ability to design complex architectures. Real-world case studies, including AWS examples, provide practical insights for applying these concepts.
Security Engineer
A Security Engineer focuses on protecting computer systems and networks from threats. This role involves identifying vulnerabilities, implementing security measures, and responding to security incidents. This course may be useful for those seeking to enter this field. The course addresses security challenges, including memory-safe programming and security-by-design principles, to safeguard applications. Implementing secure cloud environments using serverless and containerized applications is also covered. This course helps build an understanding of potential security threats, crucial for designing secure systems and applications.
Cloud Security Engineer
A Cloud Security Engineer specializes in securing cloud computing environments. This role involves implementing security controls, monitoring cloud systems for threats, and ensuring compliance with security policies. This course helps build a strong understanding of cloud security principles and techniques. The course's focus on secure cloud environments, serverless architectures, and containerized applications helps provide the foundations for securing cloud infrastructure. Hands-on experience with Kubernetes is beneficial for managing and securing container deployments in the cloud. The principles of security-by-design and memory-safe programming help create robust and secure cloud applications.
API Developer
An API Developer designs, develops, and maintains application programming interfaces that enable different software systems to communicate with each other. API developers need to understand versioning, error handling, and security concerns relevant in that domain. The course dives into API design, API architecture styles, versioning, and error handling. Hands-on API design exercises help one gain practical skills. The course's focus on building high-performance applications makes it a great tool for aspiring API Developers.
Solutions Architect
A Solutions Architect is responsible for designing and implementing solutions to complex business problems using technology. This often involves integrating different systems and services. This course may be useful for those seeking to enter this field. The course helps build the skills needed to design scalable software architectures using microservices and command query responsibility segregation. Understanding different architectural patterns, from monolithic to microservices, enables a solutions architect to choose the most appropriate solution for a given problem. Case studies, including AWS examples, further enhance understanding of real-world solutions.
Systems Architect
A Systems Architect is responsible for the overall design and architecture of computer systems. This role involves understanding hardware, software, and network components and how they interact. Systems architects need to understand how to solve complex problems related to computer systems. This course may be useful for those seeking to enter this field. The course helps build an understanding of the borderline between software architecture and system architecture. It also covers different architectural patterns and how software architecture evolves over time. A system architect should be able to evaluate emerging tech and trends for architectural improvement.
Backend Developer
A Backend Developer is responsible for developing the server-side logic and databases that power web and mobile applications. This role requires expertise in programming languages, databases, and server-side frameworks. This course may be useful to become a backend developer. The focus on microservices, serverless, and cloud infrastructures helps one understand the modern backend development landscape. Hands-on experience with Kubernetes and API design furthers backend capabilities. An understanding of databases, containerization, and how to deploy an application help with the practical aspects of the job.
Software Consultant
A Software Consultant advises organizations on how to use technology to solve business problems. This role requires strong technical skills, as well as communication and consulting skills. This course may be useful for this career field. Learners will build skills in software architecture, cloud computing, and DevOps. The ability to design scalable software architectures using microservices and command query responsibility segregation is valuable in providing effective advice. The case studies incorporated in the course may provide real-world examples that enhance consulting capabilities.
Technical Lead
A Technical Lead guides a team of developers, ensuring the technical vision is aligned with business goals. This role requires strong technical expertise and leadership skills. This course may be useful for one who seeks to become a technical lead. It helps learners develop expertise in modern software engineering practices, architectural patterns, and cloud technologies. Knowledge of API design, versioning, and error handling enhances leadership capabilities in guiding development teams. Familiarity with Kubernetes and DevOps practices enables effective team collaboration and project management.
Database Administrator
A Database Administrator manages and maintains databases, ensuring data is available, secure, and performing optimally. This includes tasks such as backup/recovery, security patching, and performance tuning. This course may be useful for those seeking to enter this field. The course provides a practical guide for databases. It provides a deep understanding of access control. The course ensures learners grasp the key aspects of PostgreSQL. All of this knowledge is relevant for a database administrator.
Release Manager
A Release Manager plans and coordinates the release of software updates and new features, ensuring a smooth and efficient deployment process. This role involves managing risks and ensuring seamless integration with existing systems. A release manager needs to have a solid understanding of DevOps and container systems. This course may be useful for a release manager. The course covers serverless and containerized applications. The course explores Kubernetes for deployment. It may be helpful in improving the release management pipeline.
Technical Writer
A Technical Writer creates documentation for software and hardware products. This role requires strong writing skills and a solid understanding of technical concepts. This course may be useful for those seeking to enter this field. The course provides a broad overview of modern software engineering practices. This course covers microservices, serverless computing, and command query responsibility segregation. Knowledge of industry techniques enhances a technical writer's ability to create accurate and helpful documentation.
Project Manager
A Project Manager is responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality. Project managers do not generally require any prior knowledge of software or computer systems. The course is helpful at improving a manager's knowledge of the underlying development processes. Principles taught in the course may even improve a project manager's ability to deliver projects.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Modern Software Engineering: Architecture, Cloud & Security.
Provides a comprehensive overview of software architecture principles. It emphasizes building maintainable, testable, and scalable systems. It valuable resource for understanding the underlying principles behind many of the architectural patterns discussed in the course. This book is commonly used as a reference by software architects and senior developers.
Explores the fundamentals of building reliable, scalable, and maintainable data systems. It covers a wide range of topics, including data models, storage engines, distributed systems, and consistency models. It is particularly useful for understanding the challenges of building modern software architectures. This book is often recommended for software engineers working on large-scale systems.

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