Cloud Computing | A Beginner's Guide to AWS

"If you’re just starting out like me, who has recently begun the cloud journey and is eager to learn something new every day, then come dive in with me — let's break down the barriers together, one concept at a time!"

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services — such as servers, storage, databases, networking, and software — over the internet, often referred to as "the cloud."

If you do everything on your own you need to buy servers, storage devices, networking equipment, a secure place with enough room to house all your hardware. You also need reliable electricity and cooling systems to keep the equipment running safely without overheating. Network setup, security setup, backup and disaster recovery and many more in the list. You will requires more upfront cost, space, and ongoing maintenance. However, with cloud, everything you need—servers, storage, security, networking, and backups—is just a few clicks away, without the hassle of setting up or managing anything physically.

Put simply: Cloud computing lets you build, run, and manage applications or services. over the internet without setting up physical hardware yourself.

Here’s a simple example:

Imagine you want to host a website. You have two options:

• The old way: Buy a physical server, find a place to store it, install software, configure databases, and maintain it all yourself.

• The cloud way: With just a few clicks, you can launch a virtual server, store files, manage your database, and scale your website — all online.

Pretty cool, right?

Cloud computing can be done on different platforms. The main ones in the market are Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), and some others. Each of these platforms lets you build, run, manage, and grow your apps anywhere in the world using their own set of cloud tools.

I decided to go with AWS for my learning and projects because it has the most tools, works really well around the world, and is easy for beginners like me to use. While Azure is more for big companies and Google Cloud is great for data and AI stuff, AWS felt like the best all-rounder. It also has a big community and lots of help available online, which makes learning much easier.

In this blog series, we’ll focus on AWS, one of the most popular cloud platforms in the world — and we’ll explore it step by step from beginner level!

What is AWS?

AWS stands for Amazon Web Services, the world’s leading cloud platform launched by Amazon in 2006. It offers over 200 services — from compute and storage to machine learning and security — to help businesses and developers build anything in the cloud.

Big companies like Netflix, NASA, Airbnb, and BMW use AWS!

Benefits of using Cloud Computing

1. Save cost: No need to spend thousands setting up physical servers, cooling systems, or IT staff. With cloud computing, the heavy lifting is already done for you — all you need is a few clicks and pay only for what you use.

2. Flexibility & Scalability: Need more resources? Just click to scale up. Need less? Click to scale down. You only use (and pay for) what you need — whenever you need it.

3. Stay Global: Want to make your app available worldwide? Launch it from data centers around the globe. AWS, has regions in North America, Asia, Europe, and beyond.

4. Speed & Simplicity: Launch servers and services within minutes without complex setups.

5. Security & Compliance: Built-in enterprise-grade security and regulatory compliance.

6. Free tier: You can try and learn many services for free for 12 months.

Getting Started with AWS Free Tier

If you are a beginner, I recommend setting up a free tier account on AWS. With the Free Tier, you can launch virtual servers (called EC2), store files using S3, run small databases, and much more — all within certain usage limits. This way, you can try out and experiment with different services without worrying about any cost.

How to Sign Up for Your AWS Free Tier Account — Step by Step

1. Open your browser and visit http://aws.amazon.com/free

2. Click “Create a free account button”

3. Enter your email and choose a password.

4. Choose between a Personal (preferred as a beginner) or Professional account and provide your contact information.

5. Add payment details- You’ll need to enter your credit or debit card details. Don’t worry—AWS won’t charge you as long as you stay within Free Tier limits.

6. Verify your phone number.

7. Choose the Basic Support Plan (Free)

8. Review your details and submit the form.

9. Once your account is ready, go to https://aws.amazon.com/console/ and log in with your email and password.

10. Once you logged in you will see this:

Congratulations!!!

Now you have successfully created your AWS Free Tier account. You’re ready to explore the amazing world of cloud computing with AWS. You can try many services without paying anything. Keep learning, keep trying new things, and don’t be afraid to explore more. Your cloud journey is just beginning!