Over view of AWS and cloud computing

Namdev PratapNamdev Pratap
5 min read

Table of contents

Today we will understand

What is AWS ?
What is Cloud Computing & AWS?
Companies that use AWS? and
Popular Services on AWS?

  1. what is AWS?
    AWS, or Amazon Web Services, is a cloud computing platform provided by Amazon. Imagine you have a bunch of tools and resources (like servers, databases, and storage) that you can access over the internet whenever you need them, rather than having to buy and maintain all those tools yourself.

    For example, let's say you have a small business and you need a website. Instead of buying and managing your own servers to host the website, you can use AWS. AWS provides servers (called EC2 instances) where you can run your website, databases (like Amazon RDS) to store your data securely, and even a content delivery network (like Amazon CloudFront) to make your website load faster for users around the world.

    In simple terms, AWS is like renting a toolbox with all the tools you need to build and run your projects, rather than owning and storing those tools yourself. It's flexible, scalable, and cost-effective, making it popular for businesses of all sizes.

  2. What is Cloud Computing & AWS?
    Cloud computing is like using someone else's computer over the internet to do your work, store your files, or run your applications. Instead of owning and maintaining your own computer hardware, you can rent space and computing power from a cloud provider.

    For example, imagine you're a photographer. Instead of buying and managing a powerful computer to edit your photos, you can use a cloud service like AWS (Amazon Web Services). AWS offers virtual computers (called instances) that you can rent by the hour. You upload your photos to AWS, use their powerful computers to edit them using software like Adobe Photoshop, and then download the edited photos back to your own computer.

    In this scenario, AWS acts as your virtual computer lab, providing the tools and resources you need without you having to worry about the underlying hardware or maintenance costs. It's flexible, scalable (meaning you can easily increase or decrease your resources as needed), and cost-effective, making it a popular choice for individuals and businesses alike.

  3. Companies that use AWS?
    Many companies across various industries use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for their cloud computing needs. Here are some examples:

    1. Netflix: Netflix uses AWS for hosting its streaming service. AWS provides the scalability and reliability needed to handle millions of streaming requests from users worldwide.

    2. Airbnb: Airbnb uses AWS to host and scale its website and mobile applications. AWS's cloud infrastructure allows Airbnb to handle fluctuations in traffic and provide a seamless user experience.

    3. Slack: Slack relies on AWS for its messaging platform. AWS helps Slack manage real-time messaging, file sharing, and collaboration tools for millions of users.

    4. Lyft: Lyft uses AWS to power its ride-sharing platform. AWS enables Lyft to handle large volumes of data, manage real-time dispatching of drivers, and provide a responsive experience to its users.

    5. Pinterest: Pinterest leverages AWS for its social media platform. AWS helps Pinterest store and serve billions of pins, handle user interactions, and scale its infrastructure based on demand.

    6. GE (General Electric): GE uses AWS for various applications, including industrial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, analytics, and machine learning to optimize operations and improve efficiency.

    7. Capital One: Capital One uses AWS for its banking and financial services. AWS provides secure and compliant cloud services that help Capital One manage customer data and run its applications effectively.

These are just a few examples, but AWS is used by thousands of companies worldwide across industries such as media and entertainment, technology, healthcare, finance, and more. Its flexibility, scalability, and comprehensive range of services make AWS a preferred choice for organizations looking to leverage cloud computing for their business operations.

  1. Popular Services on AWS?
    AWS (Amazon Web Services) offers a wide range of cloud computing services to cater to diverse needs across industries. Some of the popular services provided by AWS include:

    1. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud): Virtual servers (instances) that allow you to run applications and services in the cloud,
      It is all about having access to another computer, where many websites and applications can be hosted, but real magic is you can scale up and down your computing owner as required .

    2. Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service): Scalable object storage for storing and retrieving data, suitable for a wide range of use cases including backups, data lakes, and static website hosting.

    3. Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service): Managed relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, etc.) in the cloud, making it easier to set up, operate, and scale databases.

    4. Amazon Lambda: Server less computing service that allows you to run code without provisioning or managing servers. You pay only for the compute time consumed by your functions.

    5. Amazon DynamoDB: Fully managed NoSQL database service for applications that need seamless scalability, high performance, and low latency.

    6. Amazon VPC (Virtual Private Cloud): Lets you provision a logically isolated section of the AWS cloud where you can launch AWS resources in a virtual network that you define.

    7. Amazon Cloud Front: Content delivery network (CDN) service that delivers your content (videos, images, websites, etc.) with low latency and high transfer speeds.

    8. Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service) and Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service): Managed container orchestration services for deploying, managing, and scaling containerized applications using Docker and Kubernetes, respectively.

    9. Amazon SQS (Simple Queue Service) and Amazon SNS (Simple Notification Service): Messaging and notification services that allow you to decouple and scale microservices, distributed systems, and serverless applications.

    10. AWS IAM (Identity and Access Management): Helps you securely control access to AWS services and resources for your users.

These are just a few examples of the extensive portfolio of services offered by AWS. Each service is designed to address specific needs such as compute power, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning, security, and more. AWS services are known for their reliability, scalability, and flexibility, making them popular choices for startups, enterprises, and organizations of all sizes looking to leverage cloud computing capabilities.

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Written by

Namdev Pratap
Namdev Pratap

Come along with me on a public learning journey into AWS Cloud and DevOps, designed specifically for those without a technical background. I'll be documenting each step in straightforward, easy-to-understand language to help others make a smooth transition into DevOps. Together, we'll delve into continuous integration, deployment, and automation, breaking down complex concepts into manageable, actionable insights.