AWS Introduction
AWS: Cloud Computing by Amazon
Section titled “AWS: Cloud Computing by Amazon”Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offered by Amazon. Launched in 2006, AWS pioneered the cloud computing industry and today provides over 200 fully featured services from data centers globally.
AWS services span a vast range of categories, including:
- Compute: EC2, Lambda, ECS, EKS, Fargate, Elastic Beanstalk
- Storage: S3, EBS, EFS, Glacier, Storage Gateway
- Networking: VPC, Route 53, CloudFront, Direct Connect, API Gateway
- Databases: RDS, DynamoDB, Aurora, ElastiCache, Redshift
- DevOps & CI/CD: CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, CloudFormation, CDK
- Messaging: SQS, SNS, EventBridge, Kinesis
- AI & ML: SageMaker, Rekognition, Comprehend, Bedrock, Polly
- Security & Identity: IAM, Cognito, KMS, Secrets Manager, Shield, WAF
- Monitoring: CloudWatch, CloudTrail, X-Ray
AWS enables individuals and enterprises to build, deploy, and scale applications without the need to manage physical hardware. It supports all three main service models:
- IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) — e.g., EC2, VPC, EBS
- PaaS (Platform as a Service) — e.g., Elastic Beanstalk, RDS, Lambda
- SaaS (Software as a Service) — e.g., WorkSpaces, Chime, QuickSight
Why Learn AWS?
Section titled “Why Learn AWS?”- Market leader: AWS holds the largest share of the cloud market globally
- Broadest service catalog: Over 200 services across virtually every technology domain
- Global reach: 35+ geographic regions with 100+ availability zones
- High demand: AWS skills are among the most sought-after in the tech job market
- Strong ecosystem: Massive partner network, marketplace, and community
AWS vs Other Clouds (Quick Overview)
Section titled “AWS vs Other Clouds (Quick Overview)”| Feature | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market share | Largest | Second | Third |
| Founded | 2006 | 2010 | 2008 |
| Strengths | Breadth of services, maturity | Microsoft ecosystem | Data/ML, Kubernetes |
| Free tier | Yes (12 months + always free) | Yes (12 months + always free) | Yes ($300 credit) |
Getting Started
Section titled “Getting Started”Certifications
Section titled “Certifications”AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)
Section titled “AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)”The entry-level AWS certification covering cloud fundamentals, core services, billing, and security. Ideal for beginners and non-technical professionals.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03)
Section titled “AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03)”The most popular AWS certification. Covers designing resilient, cost-optimized, high-performing, and secure architectures.
Tip: Start with the Cloud Practitioner exam if you are new to AWS, then progress to Solutions Architect Associate.
Explore More
Section titled “Explore More”Browse the left-hand menu for detailed guides on specific AWS services, hands-on tutorials, comparisons with Azure and GCP, and certification resources.