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title: 'Required Knowledge'
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## Assistance from AWS and partners

This guide has been developed with a goal of providing enough detail so that you can establish an initial cloud foundation in support of development, test, and production environments on your own. 

However, if you're new to AWS and doesn't have the necessary skills, you will likely benefit from working with subject matter experts to help you navigate through this early stage of formally establishing a foundation on AWS.

* [Your AWS sales team](https://aws.amazon.com/contact-us/)
* [AWS partners](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/)
* AWS certified freelancers and consulting firms via [AWS IQ](https://iq.aws.amazon.com/)

## Introductory level knowledge requirements

Although in-depth knowledge of the following topics is not absolutely required to make use of this guide, it's recommended that your initial Cloud Foundation team members achieve at least an introductory level of knowledge of these topics prior to using this guide:

* [Core AWS Concepts](https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/fundamentals-core-concepts)
* [AWS Cost Management](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws-cost-management/beginners-guide-to-aws-cost-management/)
* [AWS Regions and Availability Zones](https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/global-infrastructure/regions_az)
* [AWS Organizations](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/organizations/latest/userguide/orgs_getting-started.html)
* [AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/introduction.html)
* [AWS Control Tower](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/controltower/latest/userguide/what-is-control-tower.html)
* [AWS Single Sign-on (AWS SSO)](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/singlesignon/latest/userguide/what-is.html)

In cases where you expect to deploy workloads that require network resources in AWS, having at least an introductory level of knowledge of the following topics will be useful:
* [AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/vpc/latest/userguide/what-is-amazon-vpc.html)
* [Network IP address ranges (CIDRs)](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/vpc/latest/userguide/VPC_Subnets.html)

## AWS Ramp-up Guide: Architect

[AWS Training and Certification](https://aws.amazon.com/training/) offers a series of [ramp-up guides](https://aws.amazon.com/training/course-descriptions/#Build_Your_AWS_Cloud_Knowledge_with_Ramp-Up_Guides) to help you get started with AWS. One particular guide of note that you may consider reviewing is the 
[AWS Ramp Up Guide - Architect](https://d1.awsstatic.com/training-and-certification/ramp-up_guides/Ramp-Up_Guide_Architect.pdf?achp_addrcs7)

## AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Another means of gaining an introduction to AWS is to become an [AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner](https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-cloud-practitioner/). 

## Knowledge requirements for builder teams

Since this guide is oriented primarily toward your initial Cloud Foundation Team, not all of the required areas of knowledge listed above apply to your builder teams, the initial teams who will be doing work on AWS.  The [Getting Started Guide for Builder Teams]({{< relref "01-getting-started-guide-builder-team-members" >}}) introduces resources for your builder teams to get started in your AWS environment including resources to get started with AWS in general.