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How to start your career as an AWS Advanced Networking Specialist?

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The AWS certification is well-known for offering the greatest IT infrastructure services for cloud computing firms and businesses. As a result, the company has increased energy efficiency by lowering capital infrastructure expenditures and variable costs as it develops. However, when it comes to AWS certifications, the demand for the AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty test has increased rapidly in recent years. The exam validates networking knowledge and the learner’s ability to use AWS network services to fulfill performance, cost, and security objectives.

Many businesses and organizations are turning to AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialists to assist them to improve their networking dependability and scalability. As a result, the value of AWS Certification has increased globally. However, achieving this part isn’t simple. To put it another way, passing this exam necessitates significant knowledge and expertise, as well as a strong desire to obtain this position. As a result, in this blog, we’ll go through every aspect of the Advanced Specialty exam that will help you get this. The first and most important step, however, is to pass the AWS certification. Let’s start with a general overview of the exam.

What is the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty exam?

If you have the knowledge for executing the function of AWS Networking Specialist then, you should take the AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C00) exam. However, the exam certifies advanced technical knowledge and competence in the design and execution of large-scale AWS and hybrid IT network infrastructures. Further, this exam certifies your ability to accomplish the following:

  • Firstly, planning, developing and deploying cloud-based solutions by using AWS
  • Secondly, applying core AWS services according to basic architectural best practices
  • Thirdly, planning and maintaining network architecture for all AWS services
  • Lastly, using tools for automating AWS networking tasks
Target candidates:

The ideal candidate has advanced networking knowledge that much exceeds the requirements of an AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional. The ideal applicant will be an experienced solutions architect with 5–7 years of networking specialization and experience in design, implementation, and troubleshooting. Further, they must have experience with large-scale infrastructure engineering (for example, complicated SMB, corporate, ISP, and LAN/WAN settings).

Recommended general IT knowledge:

The ideal applicant will be well-versed in the following areas:

  • Firstly, interconnectivity and advanced networking architectures (for example, IP VPN, multiprotocol label switching [MPLS], virtual private LAN service [VPLS])
  • Secondly, the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model’s networking technologies and how they impact implementation decisions
  • Thirdly, Automation scripts and tools development. However, the following will be designed, implemented, and optimised:
    • Routing architectures (including static and dynamic)
    • Multi-Region solutions for a global enterprise
    • Solutions for high-availability connection (for example, AWS Direct Connect, VPN)
  • Then, CIDR and subnetting (IPv4 and IPv6)
  • After that, IPv6 transition challenges
  • Lastly, generic solutions for network security features, including:
    • AWS WAF
    • intrusion detection systems (IDS)
    • intrusion prevention systems (IPS)
    • DDoS protection
    • economic denial of service/sustainability (EDoS)

But, how to start preparing to pass the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty exam?

Preparation ways for passing the Advanced Specialty Exam

advanced specialty exam

Step 1. Understanding the exam objectives

We’ve covered the basics of the exam pattern and the specifics that are required to move on with exam preparation. Now we’ll go on to the most important part of this blog: the exam topics. Because the exam guide is the sole area in which we must devote the majority of our study time, aside from practice exams. This guide contains a test course overview as well as a list of all exam subjects and sub-topics. As a result, maintaining a high level of attention is necessary in order to grasp exam themes. This includes the following:

Updated AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01) Course outline
Domain 1: Network Design (30%)

Task Statement 1.1: Design a solution that incorporates edge network services to optimize user performance and traffic management for global architectures.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.2: Design DNS solutions that meet public, private, and hybrid requirements.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.3: Design solutions that integrate load balancing to meet high availability, scalability,
and security requirements.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.4: Define logging and monitoring requirements across AWS and hybrid networks.
Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.5: Design a routing strategy and connectivity architecture between on-premises
networks and the AWS Cloud.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.6: Design a routing strategy and connectivity architecture that includes multiple AWS
accounts, AWS Regions, and VPCs to support different connectivity patterns.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Domain 2: Network Implementation (26%)

Task Statement 2.1: Implement routing and connectivity between on-premises networks and the AWS Cloud.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 2.2: Implement routing and connectivity across multiple AWS accounts, Regions, and VPCs to support different connectivity patterns.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 2.3: Implement complex hybrid and multi-account DNS architectures.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 2.4: Automate and configure network infrastructure.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Domain 3: Network Management and Operations (20%)

Task Statement 3.1: Maintain routing and connectivity on AWS and hybrid networks.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 3.2: Monitor and analyze network traffic to troubleshoot and optimize connectivity patterns.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 3.3: Optimize AWS networks for performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

  • Optimizing for network throughput (AWS Documentation: Amazon EC2 instance network bandwidth)
  • Selecting the right network interface for the best performance (for example, elastic network interface, Elastic Network Adapter [ENA], Elastic Fabric Adapter [EFA]) (AWS Documentation: Elastic Fabric Adapter)
  • Choosing between VPC peering, proxy patterns, or a transit gateway connection based on analysis of the network requirements provided (AWS Documentation: Transit gateway design best practices, Automate the setup of inter-Region peering)
  • Implementing a solution on an appropriate network connectivity service (for example, VPC peering, Transit Gateway, VPN connection) to meet network requirements (AWS Documentation: Transit VPC solution)
  • Implementing a multicast capability within a VPC and on-premises environments (AWS Documentation: Working with multicast)
  • Creating Route 53 public hosted zones and private hosted zones and records to optimize application availability (for example, private zonal DNS entry to route traffic to multiple Availability Zones)
  • Updating and optimizing subnets for auto-scaling configurations to support the increased application load (AWS Documentation: UpdateAutoScalingGroup)
  • Updating and optimizing subnets to prevent the depletion of available IP addresses within a VPC (for example, secondary CIDR) (AWS Documentation: Subnets for your VPC)
  • Configuring jumbo frame support across connection types (AWS Documentation: Network maximum transmission unit (MTU) for your EC2 instance)
  • Optimizing network connectivity by using Global Accelerator to improve network performance and application availability (AWS Documentation: AWS Global Accelerator)
Domain 4: Network Security, Compliance, and Governance (24%)

Task Statement 4.1: Implement and maintain network features to meet security and compliance needs and requirements.

Knowledge of:

  • Different threat models based on application architecture
  • Common security threats (AWS Documentation: Security and compliance)
  • Mechanisms to secure different application flows
  • AWS network architecture that meets security and compliance requirements

Skills in:

  • Securing inbound traffic flows into AWS (for example, AWS WAF, AWS Shield, Network Firewall) (AWS Documentation: AWS WAF, AWS Shield, and AWS Firewall Manager)
  • Securing outbound traffic flows from AWS (for example, Network Firewall, proxies, Gateway Load Balancers) (AWS Documentation: AWS Network Firewall example architectures with routing)
  • Securing inter-VPC traffic within an account or across multiple accounts (for example, security groups, network ACLs, VPC endpoint policies) (AWS Documentation: Internetwork traffic privacy in Amazon VPC)
  • Implementing an AWS network architecture to meet security and compliance requirements (for example, untrusted network, perimeter VPC, three-tier architecture) (AWS Documentation: Architecture)
  • Developing a threat model and identifying appropriate mitigation strategies for a given network architecture
  • Testing compliance with the initial requirements (for example, failover test, resiliency) (AWS Documentation: AWS Direct Connect Failover Test)
  • Automating security incident reporting and alerting using AWS (AWS Documentation: Automating Incident Response)

Task Statement 4.2: Validate and audit security by using network monitoring and logging services.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 4.3: Implement and maintain the confidentiality of data and communications of the network.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

advanced networking specialty practice exam

Step 2. Major study areas to focus for AWS Advanced Specialty Exam

Edge network services

AWS edge computing services provide the infrastructure and software necessary for moving data processing and analysis as close to the endpoint as feasible. AWS Lambda is a computing service from Amazon Web Services that allows you to run code without having to create or manage servers. Lambda effortlessly grows from a few requests per day to thousands per second, running your code only when necessary.

Hybrid network-connectivity options

VPNs are used by many AWS customers to offer private communication between AWS infrastructure and on-premises services. AWS Direct Connect may be a better fit for use cases that require additional bandwidth, consistent network performance, or improved privacy. These networking options are frequently required in order to migrate to AWS.

Inter-VPC connectivity options

VPC peering is a straightforward approach to link several VPCs; however, hub-and-spoke network architectures employing AWS Transit Gateway offer significant operational efficiencies at scale. Transit Gateway opens up a world of design possibilities.

Automating network management using AWS CloudFormation

The capacity to automate and automatically construct and break down complete environments is known as infrastructure as code. It lets enterprises install infrastructure quickly, allowing them to operate with more agility. Moreover, it also increases resilience by allowing infrastructure to be rebuilt quickly. Infrastructure as code is what CloudFormation is all about. Further, it also allows you to control your network setup using simple JSON or YAML files.

Security and compliance

Many AWS clients set up infrastructure that is accessed by a worldwide user base. Secure access must be supported by network architects. However, AWS services are frequently combined to achieve these security objectives. CloudFront and AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF), for example, can protect against network threats that target multiple levels of the OSI model when used together.

Methods for simplifying network management and troubleshooting

In real-world applications, connectivity challenges arise when communication between peer VPCs is necessary, as well as when dealing with VPNs or Direct Connect to on-premises networks. AWS offers a number of data sources that help you gain a better understanding of your network’s activities. These can help with common network administration chores like network connection problems. Additionally, Traffic Mirroring is an Amazon VPC function that allows you to replicate network traffic from Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances’ elastic network interface.

Network configuration options for high-performance applications

Some application workloads, such as high-performance computing, may necessitate low-latency, high-bandwidth network connections between compute nodes. AWS offers a variety of setup choices to accommodate these workloads. However, for obtaining the necessary network performance, high-performance computing workloads may require an operating system setup.

Designs for reliability

Designing systems that can automatically recover from failure is a design principle of the AWS Well-Architected Framework’s dependability pillar. Using network services like Amazon Route 53 and AWS Global Accelerator, network architects may create highly robust, multi-region architectures. These systems may identify failure and divert client traffic away from it, resulting in higher availability.

Step 3. AWS recommended training

AWS recommends courses to help you develop and broaden your technical knowledge. You will be able to cover the various areas of the Advanced Networking Specialty exam with the assistance of an expert.

AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty Exam Readiness

As a networking professional on AWS, you’ll create a safe, scalable, and highly available network architecture while addressing network security, hybrid IT connectivity, network interaction with other AWS services, routing approaches, and network troubleshooting needs. However, the suitable audience for this course are:

  • Firstly, Data engineers
  • Then, Solutions architects
  • Lastly, Network engineers
AWS Network Learning Plan

You won’t have to worry if you’re starting in the proper location or taking the right courses with the AWS Networking Learning Plan. However, in this, you’ll be taken through an AWS-recommended curriculum that you may complete at your own speed. Complete the whole plan or select the classes that appeal to you. Further, you will:

  • Firstly, be better equipped to develop and manage network designs for all AWS services when you finish this plan.
  • Secondly, have abilities that will assist you to get into cloud architecture and network engineering jobs.
  • Lastly, get a better understanding of Amazon Web Features (AWS) services such as Amazon Route 53, Amazon Direct Connect, and Amazon Virtual Private Cloud.
AWS Ramp-Up Guide

This downloadable guide was created by AWS specialists to help you navigate the wide array of tools and material available to help you improve your networking skills. However, you may utilize this guide at your own speed, whether you choose to read articles, examine PDFs, or take digital courses. Further, it will assist you in comprehending all of your learning alternatives and determining which are the most appropriate for you depending on your knowledge and ability level.

Step 4. Using AWS Exam Practice tests

This is yet another important component of the study guide that will not only assist you in identifying your weak regions but also in developing a strong revision level. To put it another way, utilizing the practice examinations will help you improve your answer skills while also saving time. There are, however, a number of free sample examinations available to assist you in getting started with AWS Advanced Networking Specialty practice exams. Once you’ve gone over a section or a few subjects, you can take mock examinations as part of your review.

However, above we understood the process of passing the exam. But, what to do afterwards? Let’s find out!

How to start career as an Advanced Networking Specialist?

Amazon Web Services was one of the pioneers of the cloud computing revolution. AWS is one of the market’s oldest and most successful cloud computing businesses, and it must earn the respect of the organization. As a result, starting your career with the AWS certification will benefit you. However, in order to provide clarity, we will discuss certain steps to take in order to obtain a strong start as an Advanced Networking Specialist.

1. Gain hands-on experience

This is an important step for acquiring a good and high-paid job in the market. That is to say, if you have the necessary expertise as well as an AWS certification, no company can refuse you. However, the most effective method to do so is to begin working on a project. Start working on your own project using the skills and information you gained while completing the advanced networking specialty exam. Furthermore, this may be used as an assignment to assess your abilities, as well as a benefit during the interview to demonstrate your abilities to the company.

2. Preparing for the job interview

The next stage is to secure a top position in the industry after passing the AWS certification and acquiring hands-on experience. You should also be aware that getting an AWS Advanced Networking Specialist certification is the most effective way to advance your networking career. According to a survey, AWS Architects at the entry-level make roughly ₹480,000 per year. The average AWS Architects pay is ₹1,800,000 per year when he progresses to the mid-level. Senior AWS Architects may make upwards of ₹3,000,000 each year. Talking about the interview process, the first and the most important thing is to stay confident during the interview. Secondly, for preparing you have to go through the theoretical part as well as the project you have worked on. Further, to apply for the Advanced Networking Specialist job role, some of the top companies you can look for include:

  • Accenture
  • Deloitte
  • nVent
  • amdocs
  • HP
  • NTT Data

Final Words

The AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty certification allows IT, engineers, to demonstrate their understanding of how to construct cost-effective, secure, and performant networks on AWS by validating their expertise. Preparing for a certification exam is a great method to solidify your understanding of any technology. So, start preparing for the exam, take the training courses, pass the exam, and achieve your dream role.

AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty Free Practice tests
Pulkit Dheer
With a background in Engineering and a great enthusiasm for writing, Pulkit focuses on intensive research to create targeted content. He brings his years of learning and experience to his current role. With a zeal towards technological research and powerful use of words dedicated to inspire and help professionals onset their career.
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