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There are 4 modules in this course
Demand for cloud architecture skills is projected to grow significantly over the next few years. This course, designed by industry experts, gives you the skills to design hybrid and multicloud solutions and systems that businesses are looking for.
As you learn, you’ll architect, evaluate, and justify decisions across real-world scenarios. You’ll implement core concepts including cloud service models, deployment patterns, and vendor lock-in risk. You’ll design architecture patterns for availability and redundancy, configure workload portability using containers, and develop global routing and failover strategies. You’ll also apply data placement principles, define RTO and RPO targets, and govern automated pipelines using Infrastructure as Code and policy controls.
You’ll experience hands-on labs and guided design activities. Plus, you’ll complete a multicloud architecture design project that you can add to your portfolio and talk about in interviews.
Enroll now to add in-demand skills in multicloud architecture to your resume and take your next step toward a future-ready career in cloud solutions design.
In this module, you’ll explore the core concepts behind hybrid and multicloud environments. You’ll learn how organizations combine on-premises infrastructure with multiple cloud providers and how service models, deployment patterns, governance requirements, and lock-in risk influence design choices. Further, you’ll engage in an AI-powered dialogue to explore enterprise adoption drivers and connect business priorities to hybrid and multicloud design decisions. You'll complete the module with knowledge of the terminology, structures, and decision drivers that shape hybrid and multicloud strategies.
What's included
4 videos1 reading2 assignments4 plugins
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 19 minutes
Course Introduction•4 minutes
Overview of Hybrid and Multicloud Systems•5 minutes
Service Models and Responsibilities•6 minutes
Governance and Lock-In Risks in Cloud Systems•5 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Course Overview•5 minutes
2 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Graded Quiz: Hybrid and Multicloud Foundations•30 minutes
Practice Quiz: Hybrid and Multicloud Foundations•10 minutes
4 plugins•Total 30 minutes
Reading: Helpful Tips for Course Completion•3 minutes
Lab: Workload Classification•20 minutes
Reading: Governance Quick Reference•5 minutes
Summary and Highlights: Hybrid and Multicloud Foundations•2 minutes
Module 2: Architecture and Network Design
Module 2•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you’ll examine architecture and network design approaches used in hybrid and multicloud environments. You’ll explore availability and redundancy patterns, workload portability using containers, and global routing and failover strategies. Use the hands-on lab opportunities to learn how hybrid cloud architects compare trade-offs and select patterns that support resilience and portability across providers.
What's included
3 videos2 assignments3 plugins
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 15 minutes
Selecting Architecture Patterns for Availability and Redundancy•6 minutes
Workload Portability with Containers•6 minutes
Global Routing and Failover Strategies•4 minutes
2 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Graded Quiz: Architecture and Network Design•30 minutes
Practice Quiz: Architecture and Network Design•10 minutes
3 plugins•Total 20 minutes
Lab: Pattern Selection•12 minutes
Reading: Portability Constraints•5 minutes
Podcast: Summary and Highlights: Architecture and Network Design•3 minutes
Module 3: Data, Recovery, and Automation Governance
Module 3•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you’ll explore how data placement, replication, recovery objectives, and automation governance affect hybrid and multicloud architectures. You’ll examine latency and sovereignty considerations, replication and recovery models, and policy controls in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and deployment pipelines. You will also engage in an interactive, AI-powered dialogue that explores automation risk trade-offs. Through scenario-based hands-on experiences, you’ll analyze how governance and automation practices support consistency and risk control.
What's included
3 videos2 assignments2 plugins
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 16 minutes
Data Placement and Latency•5 minutes
Replication Strategies and Recovery Objectives•6 minutes
Infrastructure as Code and Pipeline Policy•5 minutes
2 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Graded Quiz: Data, Recovery, and Automation Governance •30 minutes
Practice Quiz: Data, Recovery, and Automation Governance•10 minutes
2 plugins•Total 23 minutes
Lab: Data Placement Design•20 minutes
Podcast: Summary and Highlights: Data, Recovery, and Automation Governance•3 minutes
Module 4: Final Project, Final Quiz, and Course Wrap-Up
Module 4•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you’ll complete an AI-graded, portfolio-ready final project that brings together the design concepts covered throughout the course. You’ll review a realistic hybrid and multicloud scenario, evaluate architectural choices, and document your design decisions. Take advantage of the course glossary, which provides clear definitions of key terms, architectural patterns, and cloud concepts to support your analysis and ensure you’re using industry-standard language correctly. The module concludes with a final assessment that tests your understanding of the concepts learned, followed by a course wrap-up that reinforces key architectural principles and prepares you to apply them in real-world environments. You’ll also explore recommended next steps to continue growing your cloud and architecture skills.
What's included
2 readings1 assignment1 app item4 plugins
Show info about module content
2 readings•Total 3 minutes
Congratulations and Next Steps•2 minutes
Team and Acknowledgments•1 minute
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Final Exam: Designing Hybrid and Multicloud Solutions Architecture•30 minutes
1 app item•Total 30 minutes
Project: Mark Submission and Evaluation•30 minutes
4 plugins•Total 56 minutes
Reading: Final Project Overview•5 minutes
Final Project: Design and Document a Hybrid/Multi-Cloud Architecture•30 minutes
Reading: Course Glossary: Designing Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Solutions and Systems•15 minutes
Activity: Podcast: Course Wrap-up •6 minutes
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Do I need prior cloud experience to take this course?
Yes. This course is designed for IT professionals with foundational cloud knowledge. Prior experience in software development, network engineering, or a related IT field is recommended before enrolling.
What hands-on experience will I gain?
You will complete hands-on labs, guided design activities, coaching dialogues, and a final hybrid cloud architecture design project. The final project is a shareable artifact you can present to prospective employers.
What job roles does this course prepare me for?
This course prepares you for roles in cloud and hybrid infrastructure, including Hybrid Cloud Architect, Hybrid Cloud Solutions Architect, Cloud Solutions Architect, Multicloud Architect, and Enterprise Hybrid Cloud Architect. These roles are projected to grow 13% through 2033, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Does this course cover the trade-offs between different cloud deployment patterns?
Yes. A core part of the curriculum is evaluating service models and deployment patterns across environments that span on-premises and multiple cloud providers. You will learn to weigh the pros and cons of different architectures—such as availability vs. cost—and select patterns that support portability and resilience while mitigating the risk of vendor lock-in.
How does this course address disaster recovery and business continuity?
Resilience is a major focus. You will learn to define and apply RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective) targets to your designs. The course covers failover strategies and data replication models, ensuring you can architect systems that maintain availability and meet recovery objectivesin the event of a regional or provider-specific outage.
Is this course focused on a specific cloud provider, or is it cloud-agnostic?
While designed by IBM experts, the principles taught here are cloud-agnostic and universally applicable. The focus is on the "Hybrid and Multicloud" reality of modern enterprise IT. You will learn to design architectures that integrate on-premises systems with multiple public clouds, using universal deployment patterns and governance frameworks.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Certificate?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Certificate, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.