Aws Services

calendar Apr 26, 2024 · 3 min read · aws  ·
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If you're new to AWS (or cloud concepts in general), or if you are studying for an AWS certifications, there is always a chapter explaining the concept of services.
This is really what cloud is all about.

AWS Services

  • AWS stands for Amazon WEB Services, and really these services are accessible through the web.
  • Since these services are already deployed for you, it is easier and faster using it:
    • no need to deploy hardware (e.g no servers, no load-balancers, no routers, no FWs..)
    • no need to deploy software (no databases, no Linux/Windows/OSx, no Kubernetes...)
    • no need to care for geographic presence (it is easy to make it work around the globe)
  • The basic usage pricing scheme is pay as you go, so you can start/increase/descrease/stop almost every service you use.
    IT CAN BE CHEAPER in many cases (but not always)
    but it is certainly simpler to implement and use: AWS is doing some of the work for you.
  • We're accessing these services by contacting AWS vi WEB API (Application Interface):
    AWS Web API

What Services

  • How many AWS services are there?
    As of April 2024, most sources stil stick to that "more than 200 services".. phrase
  • There are many categories:
    • Compute: AWS App Runner, Batch, EC2, EC2 Image Builder, Elastic Beanstalk, Lambda...
    • Containers: Elastic Container Registry, Elastic Container Service, Elastic Kubernetes Service...
    • Database: Amazon DocumentDB, DynamoDB, ElasticCache, RDS, ...
    • Machine Learning: Amazon DodeGuru, AWS DeepRacer, Amazon Lex, Amazon Polly...
    • Storage: AWS Backup, EFS, FSx, S3, S3 Glacier...
    • ...

Managed and UnManaged Services

  • Sometimes, AWS takes care about everything until the virtualization point.
    That includes physical data center, cooling, power, physical servers and hypervisors.
  • In these cases, your responsibility as a customer starts with the OS you would run on the virtual machine.
    This is the case of unmanaged services.
    AWS refers to that as the Shared Responsibility Model
  • The case(s) for managed services are where the barrier between AWS and the customer is placed higher, so AWS does more for you:
    unmanaged and managed services

Server based and Serverless Services

  • The concept is close to what we were discussing in the last section:
  • If you don't think about the server(s) that is doing the work for you (its IP address/hardware/OS etc), then you are using a serverless service.
  • S3 storage is a good example: you know some wervers are part of that service, but you don't know how many, their specific IP address etc.
  • RDS is an example of a server oriented service:
    • It is true that AWS is responsible for the DB software (so patching it, installing it etc), but...
    • ..you are aware of a specific server type involved (so you know the specific subnet, the IP address, hardware type etc.)

Learning AWS is learning about AWS services.
Enjoy!