Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive cloud computing platform providing infrastructure, platforms, and services enabling organisations to build, deploy, and scale applications. AWS provides hundreds of services spanning compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, and more. Organisations use AWS to eliminate capital infrastructure investment, scale dynamically with demand, and access advanced capabilities without building them in-house.
AWS Core Services
Essential AWS services:
EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) - Virtual servers enabling running applications without managing physical hardware. EC2 provides flexible compute capacity scaling with demand.
S3 (Simple Storage Service) - Object storage for files, backups, and media. S3 provides unlimited capacity, high availability, and cost-effective storage.
RDS (Relational Database Service) - Managed database service running PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, and other databases. RDS eliminates database administration burden.
Lambda - Serverless compute enabling running code without managing servers. Lambda charges only for execution time, eliminating idle capacity costs.
CloudFront - Content delivery network distributing content globally from edge locations. CloudFront reduces latency and server load.
VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) - Network isolation enabling secure, private application environments.
IAM (Identity and Access Management) - Managing user access and permissions.
Storage Services
AWS storage services:
S3 - Object storage for files, backups, and archives.
EBS (Elastic Block Store) - Persistent block storage for EC2 instances.
EFS (Elastic File System) - Managed file storage for Linux applications.
Glacier - Low-cost archive storage for long-term retention.
Backup - Centralized backup management across services.
Compute Services
AWS compute options:
EC2 - Traditional virtual servers with full control.
Lambda - Serverless functions running code on-demand.
ECS (Elastic Container Service) - Managed container orchestration.
EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service) - Managed Kubernetes.
Batch - Batch job processing for large-scale processing.
Lightsail - Simple virtual private servers for straightforward use cases.
Different compute services suit different use cases - EC2 for full control, Lambda for simple functions, containers for complex applications.
Database Services
AWS databases:
RDS - Managed relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server).
DynamoDB - NoSQL database for high-scale applications.
Elasticsearch - Managed search and analytics.
DocumentDB - MongoDB-compatible database.
Elasticache - In-memory caching (Redis, Memcached).
Each database service addresses different needs - relational for structured data, NoSQL for flexible schemas, Elasticsearch for search, Elasticache for performance.
Networking Services
AWS networking:
VPC - Virtual networks isolating applications.
CloudFront - Content delivery network.
Route 53 - DNS service.
Elastic Load Balancing - Distributing traffic across instances.
Direct Connect - Dedicated network connection to AWS.
API Gateway - Publishing APIs with rate limiting, authentication, and monitoring.
Managed Services
AWS increasingly provides managed services eliminating operational burden:
RDS - Database administration handled by AWS.
ElastiCache - Cache management handled by AWS.
Elasticsearch - Search infrastructure managed by AWS.
SQS (Simple Queue Service) - Message queues handled by AWS.
SNS (Simple Notification Service) - Notifications handled by AWS.
Managed services reduce operational burden at the cost of less control.
Analytics Services
AWS analytics capabilities:
Athena - Querying S3 data with SQL.
Redshift - Data warehouse for analytics.
Kinesis - Real-time data streaming and processing.
EMR (Elastic MapReduce) - Hadoop and Spark processing.
QuickSight - Business intelligence and visualisation.
Machine Learning
AWS machine learning services:
SageMaker - Building, training, and deploying ML models.
Rekognition - Image and video analysis.
Comprehend - Natural language processing.
Forecast - Time series forecasting.
Textract - Extracting text and data from documents.
Security Services
AWS security services:
IAM - Identity and access management.
Secrets Manager - Managing sensitive credentials.
KMS (Key Management Service) - Cryptography key management.
WAF (Web Application Firewall) - Protecting applications from web attacks.
Shield - DDoS protection.
GuardDuty - Threat detection using machine learning.
Monitoring and Management
AWS operational services:
CloudWatch - Monitoring and logging.
CloudTrail - Audit logging.
Config - Configuration management and compliance.
Systems Manager - System patch management and automation.
OpsWorks - Configuration management.
AWS Pricing
AWS pricing models:
On-demand - Pay for resources used, no commitment.
Reserved instances - Commit to capacity, receive discounts for 1-3 year commitments.
Spot instances - Unused capacity at steep discounts, available for flexible workloads.
Savings plans - Flexible compute savings across EC2, Fargate, Lambda.
Understanding pricing models enables cost optimisation.
AWS at PixelForce
PixelForce extensively uses AWS for client applications. Our expertise spans EC2, RDS, S3, Lambda, CloudFront, and other services. For applications requiring global distribution, we leverage CloudFront and regional deployments. For database needs, we design PostgreSQL (via RDS) architectures supporting scalability. This AWS expertise enables building reliable, scalable applications.
AWS Certification
AWS provides certifications validating expertise:
- Solutions Architect
- Developer
- SysOps Administrator
- DevOps Engineer
- Specialised certifications for databases, machine learning, etc.
Certifications validate skill and open career opportunities.
Cost Optimisation
AWS costs require management:
- Right-sizing instances for actual needs
- Using managed services to reduce operational overhead
- Reserved instances and savings plans for steady-state workloads
- Spot instances for flexible workloads
- Architect for efficiency, not just capability
Conclusion
AWS provides comprehensive cloud infrastructure and services enabling organisations to build scalable, reliable applications without capital infrastructure investment. By understanding AWS services, choosing appropriate services for use cases, and managing costs through optimisation, organisations leverage cloud capabilities effectively.