What is Amazon AWS?

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You have probably heard about Amazon AWS and wondered, “what is this?”. In this article, we will understand what Amazon AWS is, part of its history, and the key services it offers.
Thus, we will find the following topics:

What is Amazon AWS

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a company created by Amazon. Its goal is to provide a platform containing various IT infrastructure services through cloud computing. That is, it is a cloud-based infrastructure service provider for online applications. Thanks to cloud computing, we can take advantage of a variety of infrastructure services on a scalable basis.

A big difference with AWS is that you have no upfront expenses, no long-term commitments, and only pay for what you use.

Therefore, AWS is one of the cheapest and most flexible alternatives on the market.

This is because Amazon AWS delivers its services through the cloud computing model: infrastructure as a service (IaaS). This model represents the availability of multiple servers for data storage, processing, and other infrastructure available as services.

Today, AWS has DataCenters in various locations around the world. Like Europe, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Japan, and the United States.

Thanks to this, today is already used by thousands of companies in more than 190 countries. It has been increasingly adopted by companies that need the resources of an adequate IT infrastructure. Many companies with their own data centers are migrating or have already migrated their entire infrastructure to cloud computing models.

According to Amazon AWS itself, on its website:

“Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offering over 165 fully-featured services from data centers globally. Millions of customers —including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. “

The Amazon AWS History

You probably know or have heard about Amazon. A company that started selling books in 1994 and is today considered one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world.

In the 2000s, Amazon identified the need to expand its IT infrastructure. It was necessary to spread and expand thousands of servers around the world. So Amazon had to decide whether to hire an army of technicians or invest to automate as many IT infrastructure activities as possible. The second option, of course, was the one chosen.

From then on, Amazon began a process of much research and development. They were creating several solutions to common infrastructure problems.

As a result, Amazon realized that they could invest in selling computing resources using its infrastructure. And that’s how AWS was born, launched in 2006.

Initially, Amazon’s proposal closely resembled the services of Traditional Hosting Providers. But, as a big differentiator, amazon offered service so that you only pay for what you use. Thus, it was not an obligation to maintain long contracts either.

Therefore, it was now possible to utilize additional features when the website is receiving traffic spikes. Soon after, when these features were no longer needed, it could be disabled, paying only for what was used.

In short, the initial purpose of AWS arose for internal Amazon use.

Noting that these services could be offered worldwide, AWS came into being in 2006. Therefore, the services created were no longer restricted to internal use only. As a result, the company is growing and increasingly offering IT infrastructure services in cloud computing.

What is and how does cloud computing work?

Cloud Computing is a technology that allows the user direct access to online services without the need for any programs installed on their physical device.

This technology is possible through DataCenters containing several servers, interconnected by the internet.

It works using the GRID computational principle. That is, a model capable of achieving a much higher processing rate. This is because it divides the tasks between the various machines (servers) available.

This way, data archived in a Cloud Computing model can be accessed remotely. That is, from anywhere, anytime, just having a device with a connection to the internet network.

Through cloud computing, various services can be offered. For example website hosting, file storage, database, servers, streaming services, among others.

Cloud computing allows the user to pay only for what they use. This has been a strategy widely used by cloud service providers.

This method, optimizes the energy consumption. If compared to a standard dedicated server, cloud computing is a green solution. Energy estimating softwares estimates that clouds are 92% more efficient.

Great examples of companies offering Cloud Computing services include Google Drive, DropBox, Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform.

Generally, Cloud service companies offer their services with a Dashboard. This way, the user can use the features offered.

There are three main cloud computing models: SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.

SaaS (Software as a Service)

In the SaaS model, the software is hosted on the developer’s servers. This way, the developer is also responsible for its administration.

It allows the user to only perform interaction through the application.

That is, management is the responsibility of the service provider.

SaaS Example: Google Drive, Office 365, DropBox.

PaaS (Platform as a Service)

On PaaS models, the service provides a complete platform.

This way the user can use customized services and configure it. It also allows users to install and manage their own or external applications. To meet user needs, they may also allow the user to make changes to the software.

PaaS Example: Platforms provided by Microsoft Azure.

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

IaaS models offer a complete server infrastructure.

Therefore, they offer services such as data storage, processing, and other service format infrastructures.

Currently, many companies are already using this model. Even companies with their own data centres are migrating their entire infrastructure to this cloud service model.

IaaS Example: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure.

AWS Featured Services

Amazon AWS has been one of the biggest innovators in the cloud computing industry.

It also invests heavily in features and services for Machine Learning, IoT-Internet of Things, AI-artificial intelligence- and serverless computers.

Today, AWS offers many features and solutions for businesses.

In addition, AWS provides a variety of tutorials and training, including free content. This allows users to learn how to handle the tool.

It is also important to know that many of its core services are available to the user for 1 year free of charge (with some limitations). This is a great opportunity for users to get to know, study, and try AWS services.

Here are seven of the many services Amazon AWS offers:

However, you can access all AWS services and solutions on the official website.

1. Amazon EC2

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) is a service that provides secure and scalable computing power.

It is designed to facilitate scaled cloud computing for developers and IT infrastructure managers. It also has a simple interface. This way, the user is able to set up capacity quickly and with little effort.

It also offers the ability to leverage your resources to isolate your applications. That is, it allows you to be testing them faster and safer, and then starting them.

It is one of the services users use most of those available on Amazon AWS.

2. Amazon S3

Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is a service that allows you to collect, store, and analyze large volumes of data. In addition, it maintains a high-security rating and also offers the simplicity of execution.

It can store any amount of information from any kind of environment involved in the digital medium. For example, mobile apps, websites, sensor-collected data, enterprise apps, IoT devices, big data analytics, and more.

3. AWS Lambda

The AWS Lambda is a service that provides code execution without the need to manage or provision servers. Also known as serverless computing.

This way, the user pays only for the computation time used.

Therefore, through AWS Lambda, you can run almost all backend and application service codes without administering a server.

So just load the code and AWS Lambda itself will take care of everything needed to scale and execute the code in high availability.

4. Amazon RDS

Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) is a cloud relational database service. It allows easy configuration, operation, and scalability. It, therefore, provides dimensional and cost-effective capability and automates more complex administrative tasks.

That way you can focus on the performance, availability, security, and various needs your applications require.

RDS is available in a variety of database instance models. Therefore, it supports six different database types:

Finally, you can still use AWS Database Migration Service to quickly and easily migrate or replicate existing databases to Amazon RDS

5. Amazon Aurora

The Amazon Aurora is an AWS cloud relational database service that supports PostgreSQL and MySQL. With it, you can use advanced business databases with the high performance, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness of open source databases.

In addition, this is one of the most agile database services on the market and can exceed up to five times the speed of standard MySQL. All while maintaining a high level of safety and reliability, as well as below-market cost.

6. Amazon VPC

The Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is an AWS content delivery and networking service that allows you to provision a logically isolated AWS Cloud section.

That is, AWS features can only be used and run on a user-defined virtual network. In addition, the user can completely control the digital environment, including subnets, route table configuration, and network gateways.

7. Amazon AppStream 2.0

Amazon AppStream 2.0 is an AWS service that enables streaming desktop applications to browsers on any device.

Therefore, users have instant access to applications.

In addition, it is a secure and fully managed application streaming service.

What are the advantages of using Amazon AWS?

Today, AWS is one of the largest cloud computing platforms in the world. Offering over 165 complete services to users. They also offer over 40 unique features not found on any other platform.

In addition, AWS has been investing in new technology trends such as the Internet of Things, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Serverless Computers. With AWS, you can leverage the latest technologies to quickly innovate, differentiate and deliver solutions.

AWS offers the largest global footprint in the market. No other cloud provider offers as many regions with multiple Availability Zones, with 69 Availability Zones (AZs) within 22 geographic regions around the world, and announced plans for 13 more AZs and four more AWS Regions in Indonesia, Italy, South Africa, and Spain.

In addition, AWS is designed to be an extremely secure platform. Today it is one of the most secure cloud computing platforms in the world.

In addition, they already have over 12 years of experience in the cloud services market, so they have proven operational knowledge.

Still, among the advantages, they have one of the largest customer and partner communities in the world.

Finally, they still have the advantages that the cloud itself offers, such as scalability, agility, global deployment in minutes, cost savings, among others.

Amazon AWS Conclusion

With all that has been reported in this article, it is already clear how many high-quality services and features Amazon AWS offers.

Moreover, always keeping the cost-benefit to the customer, who only pays for what he uses.

Another important piece of information is that as many companies are migrating their infrastructure to cloud technologies like AWS, there is a growing demand for skilled professionals who understand this powerful tool.

The company’s website offers various tutorials and training. Many of them for free and online. In addition to these, there is also a lot of content about AWS tools. Therefore, what is not lacking is material for study.

You can also get official AWS certifications, divided into 3 main categories.

Therefore, knowledge about AWS can be a great opportunity for businesses as well as professionals looking to work with cloud technologies.

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Rafael Marques

Brazilian Web Developer and Writer!
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