Introduction to AWS for Beginners

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📘 Chapter 2: Core AWS Services You Should Know

🔍 Overview

Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides over 200 fully featured services for cloud computing, networking, security, storage, AI/ML, and beyond. However, for beginners, there are a few core services that form the foundation of most applications. Understanding and using these services will allow you to build, deploy, and manage real-world cloud solutions.

In this chapter, we will cover the following key services:

  • EC2 – Elastic Compute Cloud (virtual servers)
  • S3 – Simple Storage Service (object storage)
  • RDS – Relational Database Service
  • Lambda – Serverless computing
  • IAM – Identity and Access Management
  • CloudFront – Content Delivery Network
  • VPC – Virtual Private Cloud (networking)
  • CloudWatch – Monitoring and logging

🖥️ 1. EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)

💡 What it is:

EC2 allows you to launch virtual machines (instances) in the cloud. You can install any operating system, configure your software, and scale resources as needed.

🔧 Key Features:

  • Choice of instance types (general-purpose, memory-optimized, compute-optimized)
  • Auto-scaling and load balancing
  • Pay-per-use pricing (by second or hour)
  • SSH access to Linux servers

Example: Launching EC2 via CLI

bash

 

aws ec2 run-instances \

  --image-id ami-0c02fb55956c7d316 \

  --instance-type t2.micro \

  --key-name MyKeyPair \

  --security-groups MySecurityGroup

Feature

Example

Instance Type

t2.micro (Free Tier eligible)

AMI

Amazon Machine Image (Linux/Windows)

Storage

Elastic Block Store (EBS)


🗃️ 2. S3 (Simple Storage Service)

💡 What it is:

S3 is object storage for the internet. You can store and retrieve any amount of data from anywhere.

🔧 Key Features:

  • Unlimited storage with 99.999999999% (11 9s) durability
  • Versioning and lifecycle rules
  • Supports static website hosting
  • S3 Buckets are globally unique

Example: Upload File to S3 via CLI

bash

 

aws s3 cp my-image.jpg s3://my-first-bucket/

Feature

Benefit

Storage Class

Standard, Intelligent Tiering, Glacier

Bucket Policy

Fine-grained access control

Encryption

SSE-S3, SSE-KMS, client-side


🧮 3. RDS (Relational Database Service)

💡 What it is:

RDS is a managed service for relational databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server.

🔧 Key Features:

  • Automated backups and patching
  • Easy to scale (vertical and horizontal)
  • Multi-AZ deployment for high availability
  • Integrated monitoring with CloudWatch

Example: Create RDS Instance (MySQL) via CLI

bash

 

aws rds create-db-instance \

    --db-instance-identifier mydb \

    --db-instance-class db.t2.micro \

    --engine mysql \

    --allocated-storage 20 \

    --master-username admin \

    --master-user-password mypassword

DB Engine

Supported

MySQL

PostgreSQL

Oracle

(License required)

SQL Server

(License required)


4. Lambda (Serverless Computing)

💡 What it is:

AWS Lambda lets you run code without provisioning servers. You write your function, upload it, and AWS handles everything else.

🔧 Key Features:

  • Event-driven (S3 upload, API Gateway, DynamoDB, etc.)
  • Supports Node.js, Python, Java, Go, Ruby, .NET
  • 1M free requests/month in Free Tier
  • Auto-scales by default

Example: Python Lambda Function

python

 

def lambda_handler(event, context):

    return {

        'statusCode': 200,

        'body': 'Hello from Lambda!'

    }

Trigger Source

Use Case

S3

Resize image after upload

API Gateway

Create serverless API

CloudWatch Events

Scheduled tasks (CRON jobs)


🔐 5. IAM (Identity and Access Management)

💡 What it is:

IAM controls access to AWS services and resources. You can create users, groups, roles, and policies.

🔧 Key Features:

  • Role-based access control
  • MFA support for added security
  • Fine-grained permissions (JSON policies)
  • Shared access via roles

Example: Create New IAM User via CLI

bash

 

aws iam create-user --user-name mynewuser

IAM Entity

Purpose

User

Individual access

Group

Manage permissions for teams

Role

Temporary access (for services or EC2)


🌍 6. CloudFront (Content Delivery Network)

💡 What it is:

CloudFront speeds up delivery of static/dynamic content via a global network of edge locations.

🔧 Key Features:

  • Integrated with S3, EC2, and Load Balancers
  • HTTPS, custom domains, and WAF support
  • Caching and compression options
  • DDoS protection built-in

Example Use Case:

Host images on S3, deliver globally via CloudFront for faster loading.


🌐 7. VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)

💡 What it is:

VPC allows you to launch AWS resources in an isolated virtual network that you define.

🔧 Key Features:

  • Subnets (public/private)
  • Route tables, Internet Gateway, NAT Gateway
  • Network ACLs and Security Groups
  • Peering and VPN options

Component

Description

Subnet

Divides VPC into isolated sections

IGW

Connects VPC to the public internet

SG / NACL

Controls traffic at instance/network level


📈 8. CloudWatch (Monitoring & Logging)

💡 What it is:

CloudWatch collects and visualizes metrics, logs, and events from AWS resources and applications.

🔧 Key Features:

  • Real-time dashboards
  • Custom metric and log ingestion
  • Set alarms and auto-scaling triggers
  • Integrated with EC2, Lambda, RDS, and more

Example: View EC2 Metrics

bash

 

aws cloudwatch get-metric-statistics \

  --namespace AWS/EC2 \

  --metric-name CPUUtilization \

  --dimensions Name=InstanceId,Value=i-1234567890abcdef0 \

  --start-time 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z \

  --end-time 2024-01-02T00:00:00Z \

  --period 3600 \

  --statistics Average


🧠 Summary Table – Core AWS Services

Service

Description

Common Use Case

EC2

Virtual machines in the cloud

Host applications or APIs

S3

Object storage

File hosting, backups, static sites

RDS

Managed relational databases

Web apps, business data storage

Lambda

Serverless compute

Event-driven automation

IAM

User & access control

Secure user and role management

CloudFront

CDN for global delivery

Image hosting, website acceleration

VPC

Network isolation

Secure app deployment

CloudWatch

Monitoring and alerts

Performance tracking, logging


🏁 Final Thoughts


With a solid understanding of these core AWS services, you're now equipped to build scalable, secure, and cost-effective applications in the cloud. These services form the backbone of cloud architecture on AWS and are widely used in enterprise, startup, and hobby projects.

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FAQs


❓1. What is AWS and what does it do?

Answer:
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is a cloud computing platform that provides on-demand access to computing power, storage, databases, networking, machine learning, and more. It allows users to run applications, host websites, and store data without owning physical servers.

❓2. Is AWS free to use?

Answer:
Yes, AWS offers a Free Tier that gives new users limited access to services like EC2, S3, Lambda, and RDS for 12 months. However, exceeding usage limits or using services not covered by the free tier may result in charges.

❓3. What are the most commonly used AWS services for beginners?

Answer:
Popular AWS services for beginners include:

  • EC2 (virtual servers)
  • S3 (file storage)
  • RDS (databases)
  • Lambda (serverless computing)
  • IAM (user and access management)

❓4. How do I start using AWS as a beginner?

Answer:

  1. Create a free AWS account
  2. Log into the AWS Management Console
  3. Explore core services like EC2 and S3
  4. Follow official tutorials or beginner courses
  5. Practice with small projects to build hands-on experience

❓5. What is EC2 in AWS?

Answer:
EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) allows you to run virtual machines (instances) in the cloud. You can choose an operating system, configure storage, and scale resources based on your needs.

❓6. What is S3 used for?

Answer:
Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is used to store and retrieve any amount of data at any time. It is ideal for backups, file hosting, media libraries, and serving static content.

❓7. Do I need to know programming to learn AWS?

Answer:
Not necessarily. While programming helps in using services like Lambda and automation via SDKs or the AWS CLI, many services can be managed through the AWS web console with little to no code.

❓8. Is AWS certification necessary?

Answer:
No, but it’s helpful. Certifications like AWS Cloud Practitioner or Solutions Architect Associate validate your skills and improve job prospects, especially if you plan to work in cloud roles.

❓9. Can I use AWS for hosting a website?

Answer:
Yes. You can host a static website using S3 and CloudFront or a dynamic website using EC2, RDS, and Load Balancer. AWS offers flexible solutions for all types of web hosting.

❓10. What are Availability Zones and Regions in AWS?

Answer:
Regions are geographical locations (like us-east-1, ap-south-1) where AWS operates data centers. Each region contains Availability Zones (AZs)—isolated locations for high availability and fault tolerance.