A Salesforce Developer’s Guide to Acing the Google Cloud Associate Engineer (ACE) exam

As a Salesforce Developer, I’ve spent years mastering Salesforce’s capabilities and limitations. My journey has been filled with designing and developing with Apex, Lightning Web Components, and other technologies to build customized solutions that support business requirements and drive key business decisions.

However, in the ever-evolving world of IT, it’s crucial to continue expanding our skills and knowledge. With this in mind, I wanted to try out new things in cloud engineering. I had three choices: AWS, Azure, and GCP. In the end, I settled on GCP. I’ve recently acquired the ACE certification badge and I am eager to discuss my thoughts on this topic.

Why GCP?

Honestly, I was uncertain about which cloud provider to select. Having small experience with all three platforms, I opted to exclude Azure due to my dislike for its interface. This left me with a choice between AWS and GCP. What ultimately persuaded me to choose GCP was a LinkedIn post by Magda Dziewguc, the Country Director at Google Cloud Poland Sp. z o.o., that I came across in 2023. Her words convinced me of the value of learning Google’s toolset. Subsequently, I applied for the GET GCP CERTIFIED program and successfully qualified.

The practical lessons and expert sessions provided valuable insights, showcasing numerous real-world applications for Google tools. Completing all the required labs on the Google Cloud Skills Boost platform, I explored new areas, such as setting up VMs and virtual networks, which were outside my usual scope in Salesforce. This journey led me to utilize a voucher and enroll for the ACE exam.

Sources

The primary learning resource I utilized was the Google Cloud Skills Boost platform and its available labs, accessed through the GET GCP CERTIFIED program. The challenges presented were quite rigorous, necessitating some research and visits to Stack Overflow to complete lessons.

Moreover, following the Associate Cloud Engineer Certification exam guide at https://cloud.google.com/learn/certification/guides/cloud-engineer was instrumental in getting oriented with the tools. I also engaged with the course “Google Associate Cloud Engineer Exam Preparation” on Cloud Academy (https://cloudacademy.com/learning-paths/google-associate-cloud-engineer-exam-preparation-844), which presented topics in a user-friendly manner. Particularly beneficial was the detailed explanation of Google products and their applications.

Lastly, the ebook “Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer Certification and Implementation Guide” by Agnieszka Koziorowska and Wojciech Marusiak (https://www.packtpub.com/product/google-cloud-associate-cloud-engineer-certification-and-implementation-guide/9781803232713) stood out as the most valuable resource for me. It provides in-depth insights into Google Cloud capabilities with practical examples, covering essential exam topics. Additionally, I practiced with some exam simulations available, for instance, on Udemy.

My advices

1. The crucial aspect lies in selecting the appropriate tool from the diverse options available at https://cloud.google.com/products?hl=en. For instance, how would you configure a database in GCP for managing a transaction-heavy database with a global reach? What are the practical applications of BigQuery? When should you opt for Dataflow or Dataproc?
2. Decision trees, such as the one for load balancers found at https://cloud.google.com/load-balancing/docs/choosing-load-balancer, proved extremely beneficial in the learning process. These visual representations offer guidance on tackling various scenarios effectively.
3. Security plays a big role, with Google referring to it as IAM — Identity Access Management. Understanding roles, users, groups, service accounts, and the impersonation process is essential.
4. It’s advisable to have a basic understanding of the gcloud CLI, accessible at https://cloud.google.com/static/sdk/docs/images/gcloud-cheat-sheet.pdf, and the gsutil CLI.
5. Occasionally, questions may touch on fundamental bash knowledge, like moving files between directories.
6. Following Google’s philosophy, simplicity is key. Avoid unnecessary complexities when resolving issues, like almost everywhere.
7. Monitoring costs is crucial. Use cloud monitoring tools and logging.
8. Utilize the pricing calculator to assess potential expenses.
9. Embrace automation whenever possible. Employ gcloud for repetitive tasks to enhance efficiency and adhere to Google’s time-saving methodology.

Required basics

Google typically advises having a minimum of 6 months of practical experience with Google Cloud before taking the ACE exam. Despite not meeting this requirement, I successfully passed the exam following the preparation process outlined earlier. My IT experience since 2018 has equipped me with fundamental principles and concepts that remain constant across technologies.

Additionally, I have some prior exposure to BigQuery from a project involving data consumption from a datalake in Salesforce. However, I wouldn’t suggest this route for newcomers in the IT field. Ideally, starting work within the Google environment would be the most beneficial.

One might wonder why invest hours in learning new tools without the certainty of using them in a real business project. There are several reasons. Exploring concepts and background services beyond my current knowledge in Salesforce is one. I aim to explore different technologies in the future. Google’s toolset can be beneficial for developing your products. Even if not directly used, other cloud providers offer similar solutions that may be leveraged. The core concepts largely remain consistent.

I recommend experimenting with new tools and platforms. You never know what might prove useful. Enjoy the journey!

Words by Maciej Kończal, Senior Engineer at Altimetrik Poland