AWS Basics

Introduction to Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world's most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offering over 200 fully featured services from data centers globally. AWS provides on-demand access to computing resources, storage, databases, and other IT services.

Core AWS Concepts

1. Cloud Computing Models

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): Virtual servers, storage, and networking (EC2, VPC)
• PaaS (Platform as a Service): Managed platforms for application development (Elastic Beanstalk)
• SaaS (Software as a Service): Complete applications delivered over the internet

2. AWS Global Infrastructure

• Regions: Geographic locations with multiple data centers
• Availability Zones (AZs): Isolated data centers within a region
• Edge Locations: CDN endpoints for content delivery (CloudFront)

Core AWS Services

Compute Services

• EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud): Virtual servers in the cloud
• Lambda: Serverless compute - run code without managing servers
• ECS/EKS: Container orchestration services
• Elastic Beanstalk: Platform for deploying and scaling web applications

Storage Services

• S3 (Simple Storage Service): Object storage for any type of data
• EBS (Elastic Block Store): Block storage for EC2 instances
• EFS (Elastic File System): Scalable file storage
• Glacier: Long-term archival storage

Database Services

• RDS (Relational Database Service): Managed relational databases
• DynamoDB: NoSQL database service
• Aurora: MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database
• ElastiCache: In-memory caching service

Networking Services

• VPC (Virtual Private Cloud): Isolated cloud network
• Route 53: DNS and domain registration service
• CloudFront: Content Delivery Network (CDN)
• ELB (Elastic Load Balancing): Distribute traffic across resources

AWS Security & Identity

• IAM (Identity and Access Management): Control access to AWS resources
• Security Groups: Virtual firewalls for EC2 instances
• KMS (Key Management Service): Encryption key management
• AWS Shield: DDoS protection

AWS Pricing Models

• Pay-as-you-go: Pay only for what you use
• Reserved Instances: Commit to 1 or 3 years for discounts
• Spot Instances: Bid on unused capacity for up to 90% savings
• Free Tier: Limited free usage for 12 months

AWS Well-Architected Framework

The AWS Well-Architected Framework describes key concepts, design principles, and best practices:

• Operational Excellence: Run and monitor systems
• Security: Protect information and systems
• Reliability: Ensure workload performs correctly
• Performance Efficiency: Use resources efficiently
• Cost Optimization: Avoid unnecessary costs
• Sustainability: Minimize environmental impact

Getting Started with AWS

1. Create an AWS account
2. Set up IAM users and groups
3. Configure billing alerts
4. Launch your first EC2 instance
5. Create an S3 bucket
6. Explore the AWS Management Console

Best Practices

• Never use root account for daily operations
• Enable MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)
• Use IAM roles instead of access keys when possible
• Tag all resources for cost tracking
• Implement backup and disaster recovery strategies
• Monitor costs and set up billing alarms