Cloud computing is a technology that uses the internet and remote servers to store and manage data, instead of using a local server or a personal computer. It allows users to access their data and applications from anywhere, at any time, as long as they have an internet connection. This technology provides a way for businesses to increase their capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software.
The cloud makes it easy for enterprises to scale their service offerings without building out expensive on-site infrastructure. It also allows them to quickly pivot resources from one initiative to another based on changing business needs. Companies can avoid the up-front expense and complexity of setting up and managing an on-site data center, and instead procure IT resources on-demand and pay for only what they use.
Cloud computing services are delivered over the internet, available on-demand, and are paid for in a pay-as-you-go model. The services are elastic, meaning they can be scaled up or down quickly to meet current demands. The cloud service provider manages the hardware and software for their customers. This allows companies to focus on their core business instead of expending resources on running and maintaining IT systems.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive, evolving cloud computing platform provided by Amazon. It includes a mixture of infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and packaged software as a service (SaaS) offerings. AWS services can offer an organization tools such as compute power, database storage, and content delivery services.
AWS offers over 200 cloud services that enable organizations to move faster, lower IT costs, and scale applications globally. Some of the most popular AWS services are:
AWS operates from many global geographical regions including 24 regions across the world, with 6 in North America. This global infrastructure allows customers to deploy applications and store data close to their end users for lower latency and better performance.
In 2020, AWS comprised more than 212 services spanning a wide range including computing, storage, networking, database, analytics, application services, deployment, management, mobile, developer tools, and tools for the Internet of Things. AWS keeps expanding its services to support virtually any cloud workload.
When a user signs up for AWS, they have access to all of these services. They can then create a virtual environment to launch and manage their software and applications. This virtual environment allows the user to select their IP address range, create subnets, and configure route tables and network gateways.
Users pay only for the resources they use, like compute time, storage, and outbound data transfers. AWS offers tools to monitor resource utilization and spending so you can optimize ongoing costs. Pricing is transparent and there are no upfront expenses or long-term contracts.
AWS manages the underlying infrastructure, while users control and configure the operating systems, applications, and code running on the instances. This allows companies to focus on their core business instead of expending resources on procuring and maintaining hardware.
AWS provides comprehensive security features including identity and access management, security auditing, data encryption, DDoS mitigation, and more. The AWS cloud complies with many security standards and regulations.
A: Cloud computing is a technology that uses the internet and remote servers to store and manage data, instead of using a local server or a personal computer.
A: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive, evolving cloud computing platform provided by Amazon that offers over 200 services including computing power, storage, databases, analytics, and more.
A: AWS provides a virtual environment that allows users to launch and manage their software and applications. Users can select their IP address range, create subnets, and configure route tables and network gateways. AWS manages the underlying infrastructure.
A: Key advantages of AWS include flexibility, scalability, cost savings, security, continuous innovation, global infrastructure, speed to market, economies of scale, ease of management, and disaster recovery capabilities.
A: AWS uses a pay-as-you-go model with no upfront fees or long-term contracts. You only pay for the individual services you use, like compute time, storage, and data transfers.
A: Yes, AWS provides end-to-end security and extensive privacy controls that have been continuously audited for compliance with major security standards. AWS gives you control to configure security as you need it.
A: AWS offers technical support plans that give you access to AWS support engineers 24/7. Support options range from developer support to enterprise-grade premium support.
A: Sign up for an AWS account, use the AWS Free Tier to get free usage of key services for 12 months, and access on-demand training through AWS Training and Certification. The AWS console allows you to launch and configure services.
A: AWS offers certifications for cloud practitioners, solutions architects, sysops administrators, developers, and specialty certs. Achieving AWS certification validates your expertise to employers.
A: Yes, AWS employs state-of-the-art data security features including encryption, access controls, security monitoring, auditing, and advanced threat detection capabilities to protect your data in the cloud.