Overview of AWS and cloud computing

Today’s Topics:

1. What is AWS?

2. What is Cloud Computing & AWS?

3. Companies that Use AWS

4. Popular Services on AWS

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What is AWS?

AWS, or Amazon Web Services, is a comprehensive cloud computing platform Amazon offers. Think of it as a collection of tools and resources, such as servers, databases, and storage, accessible over the Internet. Instead of purchasing and managing these tools yourself, you can rent them from AWS whenever needed.

For instance, if you run a small business and need a website, AWS provides servers (known as EC2 instances) to host your site, databases (like Amazon RDS) to securely store your data, and a content delivery network (Amazon CloudFront) to enhance your website’s loading speed globally.

AWS is like leasing a fully-equipped toolbox for your projects, offering flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness without the hassle of maintaining the tools yourself.

What is Cloud Computing & AWS?

Cloud computing involves using internet-based services to perform tasks, store files, or run applications instead of relying on your own physical hardware. With cloud computing, you can rent computing power and storage from a cloud provider rather than owning and maintaining your own equipment.

For example, if you’re a photographer needing powerful computing resources to edit your photos, you can use AWS. AWS provides virtual machines (instances) that you can rent by the hour. You upload your photos to AWS, use its powerful computing resources for editing with software like Adobe Photoshop, and then download the edited images back to your computer.

In this context, AWS serves as your virtual computer lab, offering the necessary tools and resources without the burden of hardware management and maintenance. Its flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness make it a favored choice for both individuals and businesses.

Companies that Use AWS

Many organizations across various sectors rely on AWS for their cloud computing needs. Here are some notable examples:

• Netflix: Utilizes AWS for hosting its streaming service, benefiting from its scalability and reliability to manage millions of global streaming requests.

• Airbnb: Leverages AWS to host and scale its website and mobile apps, ensuring smooth user experiences despite traffic fluctuations.

• Slack: Depends on AWS for its messaging platform, managing real-time messaging, file sharing, and collaboration for millions of users.

• Lyft: Uses AWS to support its ride-sharing platform, managing large data volumes and real-time driver dispatching.

• Pinterest: Relies on AWS to store and serve billions of pins, handling user interactions and scaling infrastructure based on demand.

• GE (General Electric): Employs AWS for industrial IoT solutions, analytics, and machine learning to enhance operational efficiency.

• Capital One: Utilizes AWS for secure and compliant banking services, managing customer data and running applications effectively.

These examples highlight AWS's broad appeal across industries such as media, technology, healthcare, and finance, demonstrating its flexibility and extensive range of services.

Popular Services on AWS

AWS offers a diverse array of cloud computing services tailored to different needs. Some of its most popular services include:

• Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud): Provides virtual servers (instances) for running applications and services in the cloud. EC2 enables you to scale your computing capacity up or down as needed, allowing you to host websites and applications efficiently.

  

  1. 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.

     

  2. 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.

     

  3. 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.

     

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

     

  5. 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.

     

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

     

  7. 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.

     

  8. 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.

     

  9. 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 computing 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.