National Certificate in Cloud Computing and Virtualization Architecture
Build an introductory understanding of cloud services and virtual computing environments.
About the course
Build an introductory understanding of cloud services and virtual computing environments. The proposed certificate connects basic infrastructure concepts with practical administration in an authorised learning environment. Southern African cases should consider connectivity, cost, user support and data responsibilities, with architecture decisions explained at an appropriate introductory level.
What you'll learn
Explain cloud service and deployment models using a practical example.
Describe how compute, network, storage and identity components interact.
Complete an authorised virtual-environment exercise and record the result.
Compare basic solution options using cost, reliability and security considerations.
Requirements
Recommended preparation includes relevant school mathematics, science or computing and the ability to follow written instructions. BMIT must confirm the approved National Certificate admission route, prerequisite learning and assessment rules. Comparable South African awards and vendor courses do not establish Zimbabwean award recognition.
Course content
The subjects are grouped by learning stage, from foundations to specialist study and supervised application. Complete earlier foundations before the related advanced work. Clinical, laboratory, field and workplace subjects use approved facilities and supervision appropriate to the programme.
3 learning stages 12 subjects
1Stage 1: Foundations5 subjects
2Stage 2: Technical and applied subjects5 subjects
3Stage 3: Supervised practice and integration2 subjects
Subjects in this programme
The subjects are grouped by learning stage, from foundations to specialist study and supervised application. Complete earlier foundations before the related advanced work. Clinical, laboratory, field and workplace subjects use approved facilities and supervision appropriate to the programme.
12 subjects are listed below with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Foundations
- Digital Information Skills. Examine file organisation, word processing and their relationship within digital information skills. The subject develops spreadsheets and online information, then examines account security and data integrity. Organise files and analyse a small dataset using common digital tools.
- Operating Systems. Develop your understanding of operating systems through processes and memory. The subject develops file systems and scheduling, then examines concurrency and system administration. Investigate an authorised virtual-machine environment and record system behaviour.
- Computer Networks. Study layered communication and addressing as foundations for computer networks. The subject develops routing and switching, then examines network services and troubleshooting. Configure a small isolated teaching network or simulation.
- Programming Fundamentals. Examine variables, control flow and their relationship within programming fundamentals. The subject develops functions and data structures, then examines file handling and testing. Develop a small program which processes a defined teaching dataset.
- Academic and Professional Communication. Develop your understanding of academic and professional communication through reading strategies and evidence use. The subject develops report structure and presentations, then examines audience and referencing. Prepare a report and presentation for a defined professional audience.
Stage 2: Technical and applied subjects
- Virtualisation and Containers. Study virtual machines and hypervisors as foundations for virtualisation and containers. The subject develops images and containers, then examines resource allocation and isolation. Create an isolated local teaching environment and document its configuration.
- Cloud Computing Fundamentals. Examine service models, deployment models and their relationship within cloud computing fundamentals. The subject develops shared responsibility and elasticity, then examines availability and cost awareness. Compare cloud options for a modest organisational teaching case.
- Cloud Infrastructure Architecture. Develop your understanding of cloud infrastructure architecture through compute services and storage. The subject develops virtual networks and identity, then examines resilience and monitoring. Design a small infrastructure arrangement in an approved sandbox.
- Information Security. Study threat modelling and access control as foundations for information security. The subject develops cryptographic principles and secure configuration, then examines logging and incident response. Assess a deliberately authorised teaching system using a defensive checklist.
- Database Systems. Examine data models, relational design and their relationship within database systems. The subject develops queries and transactions, then examines data integrity and access control. Build a database for synthetic organisational records.
Stage 3: Supervised practice and integration
- Cloud Operations and Governance. Develop your understanding of cloud operations and governance through resource organisation and permissions. The subject develops backups and logs, then examines cost controls and change management. Review and improve a sandbox deployment with explicit spending limits.
- Foundation Practical Project. Study brief interpretation and preparation as foundations for foundation practical project. The subject develops supervised execution and quality checking, then examines corrections and reflection. Complete an approved foundation task within the programme practical scope.
Assessment and practical learning
- Proposed assessment: knowledge checks, practical exercises and annotated examples explaining design or technical choices.
- An individual portfolio containing working files, test or review evidence and a clear account of revisions.
- A focused applied project and presentation. BMIT and the awarding body must approve weighting, examination requirements and final award rules.
Practical application
Use an approved sandbox or local virtual lab with synthetic data. Learners should protect credentials, document resource settings and remove unneeded paid resources after exercises. Cloud spending and production changes require separate authorisation. A course project should show both a working result and a clear record of verification.
Subject descriptions
Select a subject to read its learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment.
Stage 1: Foundations
Digital Information Skills
Examine file organisation, word processing and their relationship within digital information skills. The subject develops spreadsheets and online information, then examines account security and data integrity. Organise files and analyse a small dataset using common digital tools.
Learning outcomes
- Explain file organisation and word processing using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving spreadsheets and online information.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing account security and data integrity.
Main topics
- File organisation
- Word processing
- Spreadsheets
- Online information
- Account security
- Data integrity
Practical task
Organise files and analyse a small dataset using common digital tools.
Assessment
Submit a digital portfolio demonstrating accurate and responsible work.
Operating Systems
Develop your understanding of operating systems through processes and memory. The subject develops file systems and scheduling, then examines concurrency and system administration. Investigate an authorised virtual-machine environment and record system behaviour.
Learning outcomes
- Explain processes and memory using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving file systems and scheduling.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing concurrency and system administration.
Main topics
- Processes
- Memory
- File systems
- Scheduling
- Concurrency
- System administration
Practical task
Investigate an authorised virtual-machine environment and record system behaviour.
Assessment
Submit practical records and an operating-system analysis.
Computer Networks
Study layered communication and addressing as foundations for computer networks. The subject develops routing and switching, then examines network services and troubleshooting. Configure a small isolated teaching network or simulation.
Learning outcomes
- Explain layered communication and addressing using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving routing and switching.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing network services and troubleshooting.
Main topics
- Layered communication
- Addressing
- Routing
- Switching
- Network services
- Troubleshooting
Practical task
Configure a small isolated teaching network or simulation.
Assessment
Submit diagrams, configurations and troubleshooting evidence.
Programming Fundamentals
Examine variables, control flow and their relationship within programming fundamentals. The subject develops functions and data structures, then examines file handling and testing. Develop a small program which processes a defined teaching dataset.
Learning outcomes
- Explain variables and control flow using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving functions and data structures.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing file handling and testing.
Main topics
- Variables
- Control flow
- Functions
- Data structures
- File handling
- Testing
Practical task
Develop a small program which processes a defined teaching dataset.
Assessment
Submit working code, tests and a concise user explanation.
Academic and Professional Communication
Develop your understanding of academic and professional communication through reading strategies and evidence use. The subject develops report structure and presentations, then examines audience and referencing. Prepare a report and presentation for a defined professional audience.
Learning outcomes
- Explain reading strategies and evidence use using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving report structure and presentations.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing audience and referencing.
Main topics
- Reading strategies
- Evidence use
- Report structure
- Presentations
- Audience
- Referencing
Practical task
Prepare a report and presentation for a defined professional audience.
Assessment
Submit revised written work and an individual presentation.
Stage 2: Technical and applied subjects
Virtualisation and Containers
Study virtual machines and hypervisors as foundations for virtualisation and containers. The subject develops images and containers, then examines resource allocation and isolation. Create an isolated local teaching environment and document its configuration.
Learning outcomes
- Explain virtual machines and hypervisors using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving images and containers.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing resource allocation and isolation.
Main topics
- Virtual machines
- Hypervisors
- Images
- Containers
- Resource allocation
- Isolation
Practical task
Create an isolated local teaching environment and document its configuration.
Assessment
Submit configuration records, tests and a resource-use explanation.
Cloud Computing Fundamentals
Examine service models, deployment models and their relationship within cloud computing fundamentals. The subject develops shared responsibility and elasticity, then examines availability and cost awareness. Compare cloud options for a modest organisational teaching case.
Learning outcomes
- Explain service models and deployment models using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving shared responsibility and elasticity.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing availability and cost awareness.
Main topics
- Service models
- Deployment models
- Shared responsibility
- Elasticity
- Availability
- Cost awareness
Practical task
Compare cloud options for a modest organisational teaching case.
Assessment
Submit a service comparison and cost-risk explanation.
Cloud Infrastructure Architecture
Develop your understanding of cloud infrastructure architecture through compute services and storage. The subject develops virtual networks and identity, then examines resilience and monitoring. Design a small infrastructure arrangement in an approved sandbox.
Learning outcomes
- Explain compute services and storage using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving virtual networks and identity.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing resilience and monitoring.
Main topics
- Compute services
- Storage
- Virtual networks
- Identity
- Resilience
- Monitoring
Practical task
Design a small infrastructure arrangement in an approved sandbox.
Assessment
Submit an architecture diagram, configuration record and verification report.
Information Security
Study threat modelling and access control as foundations for information security. The subject develops cryptographic principles and secure configuration, then examines logging and incident response. Assess a deliberately authorised teaching system using a defensive checklist.
Learning outcomes
- Explain threat modelling and access control using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving cryptographic principles and secure configuration.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing logging and incident response.
Main topics
- Threat modelling
- Access control
- Cryptographic principles
- Secure configuration
- Logging
- Incident response
Practical task
Assess a deliberately authorised teaching system using a defensive checklist.
Assessment
Submit a security review and prioritised improvement plan.
Database Systems
Examine data models, relational design and their relationship within database systems. The subject develops queries and transactions, then examines data integrity and access control. Build a database for synthetic organisational records.
Learning outcomes
- Explain data models and relational design using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving queries and transactions.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing data integrity and access control.
Main topics
- Data models
- Relational design
- Queries
- Transactions
- Data integrity
- Access control
Practical task
Build a database for synthetic organisational records.
Assessment
Submit the schema, queries, test data and integrity checks.
Stage 3: Supervised practice and integration
Cloud Operations and Governance
Develop your understanding of cloud operations and governance through resource organisation and permissions. The subject develops backups and logs, then examines cost controls and change management. Review and improve a sandbox deployment with explicit spending limits.
Learning outcomes
- Explain resource organisation and permissions using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving backups and logs.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing cost controls and change management.
Main topics
- Resource organisation
- Permissions
- Backups
- Logs
- Cost controls
- Change management
Practical task
Review and improve a sandbox deployment with explicit spending limits.
Assessment
Submit an operations checklist and evidence of tested recovery.
Foundation Practical Project
Study brief interpretation and preparation as foundations for foundation practical project. The subject develops supervised execution and quality checking, then examines corrections and reflection. Complete an approved foundation task within the programme practical scope.
Learning outcomes
- Explain brief interpretation and preparation using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving supervised execution and quality checking.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing corrections and reflection.
Main topics
- Brief interpretation
- Preparation
- Supervised execution
- Quality checking
- Corrections
- Reflection
Practical task
Complete an approved foundation task within the programme practical scope.
Assessment
Submit the finished work, observed competence record and explanation of corrections.
Instructors
