Cloud Computing, AWS Global Infrastructure:

Cloud computing refers to the on-demand delivery of computing services – including servers,
storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence – over the internet ("the
cloud") with pay as you go pricing model.

Here's a breakdown of the key points:

What it is:

• Accessing computing resources (like servers, storage, software) over the internet
instead of having them on your own physical hardware.
• Resources are provided by cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google
Cloud Platform, etc.
• You pay only for the resources you use, typically with a pay-as-you-go model.

Benefits of Cloud Computing:

• Cost Savings: Eliminates the need for upfront investments in hardware and
infrastructure.
• Scalability: Easily scale resources up or down as your needs change.
• Flexibility: Access resources from anywhere with an internet connection.
• Increased Agility: Faster innovation and quicker deployment of applications.
• Improved Reliability: Cloud providers offer high availability and disaster recovery
options.
• Enhanced Security: Benefit from the provider's robust security infrastructure.

Types of Cloud Services:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides virtualized computing resources like

servers, storage, and networking.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Offers a platform for developing, deploying, and
managing applications.
• Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers ready-to-use software applications accessible
through a web browser.
Examples of Cloud Computing:

• Using online email services like Gmail or Outlook.

• Storing files and photos in cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox.
• Running applications on the cloud instead of your own computer.

Cloud computing has revolutionized how we access and utilize computing resources, offering
significant advantages for individuals and businesses alike.

Types of Cloud Computing

loud computing can be categorized into two main types based on deployment model and three
types based on service model:

Deployment Models:

1. Public Cloud:
o Resources (servers, storage, databases) are owned and operated by a cloud
service provider (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and accessible to the public
over the internet.
o Offers pay-as-you-go pricing and high scalability.
o Suitable for non-critical workloads and businesses seeking cost-effectiveness
and agility.
2. Private Cloud:
o Resources are dedicated to a single organization and deployed on their own
infrastructure or a managed service provider's infrastructure.
o Provides greater control and security over data and resources.
o Often more expensive than public cloud due to upfront infrastructure costs.
o Ideal for organizations with strict security and compliance requirements.
3. Hybrid Cloud:
o Combines both public and private cloud environments.
o Allows organizations to leverage the flexibility and scalability of the public
cloud while maintaining control and security for sensitive data in the private
cloud.
4. Multicloud:
 o Utilizes multiple public cloud providers simultaneously.
o Provides redundancy, avoids vendor lock-in, and allows for choosing the best
service from each provider based on specific needs.

Service Models:

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):

o Provides the fundamental building blocks of computing – servers, storage,
networking – as virtualized resources.
o Users manage the operating systems, applications, and data on these resources.
o Examples: Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines, Google Compute
Engine.
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS):
o Offers a platform for developing, deploying, and managing applications
without managing the underlying infrastructure (OS, servers).
o Focuses on application development and deployment instead of infrastructure
management.
o Examples: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Microsoft Azure App Service, Google
App Engine.
3. Software as a Service (SaaS):
o Delivers ready-to-use software applications accessible through a web browser
or API.
o Users subscribe to the service and access it on-demand without managing the
infrastructure or software itself.
o Examples: Gmail, Dropbox, Salesforce, Office 365.

Understanding these different types of cloud computing helps you choose the best solution
based on your specific needs and priorities.
Certification Road Map

AWS Infrastructure

AWS boasts one of the most extensive and robust global infrastructures in the cloud
computing industry. Here's a deeper dive into its key aspects:

Building Blocks:

• Regions: These are geographically distinct areas around the world where AWS
maintains data centers. As of October 2023, there are 27 AWS Regions globally.
• Availability Zones (AZs): Each Region consists of multiple AZs, physically separate
data centers within a Region. This ensures fault tolerance and high availability,
meaning even if one AZ experiences an outage, your applications remain accessible in
other AZs.

Key Features:

• Global Reach: AWS offers services in various Regions, allowing you to deploy your
applications closer to your target audience, minimizing latency.
• Scalability: You can easily scale resources (compute, storage, etc.) up or down within
a Region or across Regions based on your needs.
 • High Availability: Redundant infrastructure across AZs within a Region minimizes
downtime and ensures business continuity.
• Security: AWS prioritizes security with a robust infrastructure that adheres to various
compliance standards.
• Performance: The network backbone is designed for low latency and high
throughput, providing reliable service across the globe.

Additional Components:

• Edge Locations: These are strategically placed points of presence outside of AWS
Regions, often within internet service provider (ISP) networks. They offer services
like content delivery and caching to optimize latency for end users.
• Regional Edge Caches: These caches store frequently accessed data closer to users,
further reducing latency for specific services.
• Local Zones: Designed for applications requiring ultra-low latency, Local Zones
place AWS compute, storage, database, and networking services closer to large
population centers.
• Wavelength Zones: Deployed within the data centers of telecommunication
providers, Wavelength Zones embed core AWS services directly within 5G mobile
networks, providing single-digit millisecond latency for specific use cases.
• Outposts: These are physical hardware devices that extend AWS services,
networking, and operating model to on-premises environments, enabling a hybrid
cloud approach.

Benefits of AWS Global Infrastructure:

• Reduced Latency: Users can access services closer to their location, leading to faster
response times and improved user experience.
• Enhanced Scalability: Easily scale your applications across Regions and AZs to
meet fluctuating demands.
• High Availability: Redundant infrastructure minimizes downtime and ensures
business continuity.
• Improved Performance: The global network backbone is designed for high
throughput and low latency.
Six Pillars of AWS Architecture:

1. Operational Excellence

The Operational Excellence pillar includes the ability to support development and run
workloads effectively, gain insight into their operation, and continuously improve supporting
processes and procedures to delivery business value. You can find prescriptive guidance on
implementation in the Operational Excellence Pillar whitepaper.

Design Principles

There are five design principles for operational excellence in the cloud:

• Perform operations as code

• Make frequent, small, reversible changes
• Refine operations procedures frequently
• Anticipate failure
• Learn from all operational failures

2. Security

The Security pillar includes the ability to protect data, systems, and assets to take advantage
of cloud technologies to improve your security. You can find prescriptive guidance on
implementation in the Security Pillar whitepaper.

Design Principles

There are seven design principles for security in the cloud:

• Implement a strong identity foundation

• Enable traceability
• Apply security at all layers
• Automate security best practices
• Protect data in transit and at rest
• Keep people away from data
• Prepare for security events
3. Reliability

The Reliability pillar encompasses the ability of a workload to perform its intended function
correctly and consistently when it’s expected to. This includes the ability to operate and test
the workload through its total lifecycle. You can find prescriptive guidance on
implementation in the Reliability Pillar whitepaper.

Design Principles

There are five design principles for reliability in the cloud:

• Automatically recover from failure

• Test recovery procedures
• Scale horizontally to increase aggregate workload availability
• Stop guessing capacity
• Manage change in automation

4. Performance Efficiency

The Performance Efficiency pillar includes the ability to use computing resources efficiently
to meet system requirements, and to maintain that efficiency as demand changes and
technologies evolve. You can find prescriptive guidance on implementation in the
Performance Efficiency Pillar whitepaper.

Design Principles

There are five design principles for performance efficiency in the cloud:

• Democratize advanced technologies

• Go global in minutes
• Use serverless architectures
• Experiment more often
• Consider mechanical sympathy
5. Cost Optimization

The Cost Optimization pillar includes the ability to run systems to deliver business value at
the lowest price point. You can find prescriptive guidance on implementation in the Cost
Optimization Pillar whitepaper.

Design Principles

There are five design principles for cost optimization in the cloud:

• Implement cloud financial management

• Adopt a consumption model
• Measure overall efficiency
• Stop spending money on undifferentiated heavy lifting
• Analyze and attribute expenditure

6. Sustainability

The discipline of sustainability addresses the long-term environmental, economic, and

societal impact of your business activities. You can find prescriptive guidance on
implementation in the Sustainability Pillar whitepaper.

Design Principles

There are six design principles for sustainability in the cloud:

• Understand your impact

• Establish sustainability goals
• Maximize utilization
• Anticipate and adopt new, more efficient hardware and software offerings
• Use managed services
• Reduce the downstream impact of your cloud workloads
Shared Responsibility Model:
Security and Compliance is a shared responsibility between AWS and the customer.
This shared model can help relieve the customer’s operational burden as AWS operates,
manages and controls the components from the host operating system and virtualization layer
down to the physical security of the facilities in which the service operates.

Responsibility of AWS
• AWS's responsibility is the security of the cloud.
• AWS manages all infrastructure layers.
• Some of the infrastructure layers are:
o Data centers
o Hardware and software
o Virtualization
o Networking
Responsibility of a Customer
• Customers' responsibility is the security of everything they make in AWS Cloud.
• Customers (you) have complete control over your content.
• Customer manages AWS services, software, and access to the data.
AWS Account Creation:

Here's what you need to do to create an AWS account:

Navigate to the AWS Website:

1. Go to the Amazon Web Services homepage: https://aws.amazon.com/

Click "Create an AWS Account":

2. Look for the button labeled "Create an AWS Account" and click on it.

Provide Basic Information:

3. Enter your email address and choose a unique account name.

4. You'll receive a verification code via email. Enter this code to verify your account.

Set Your Password:

5. Create a strong password for your root user account and confirm it.

Choose Account Type:

6. Select whether you're creating a business or personal account.

Enter Contact Information:

7. Provide your personal or company information, including name, address, and phone
number.

Review and Accept Agreement:

8. Read and accept the AWS Customer Agreement.

Add Payment Method:

9. Enter your credit or debit card information for payment. You can also choose to
activate the Free Tier, which allows you to experiment with certain services for free.
Verify and Activate:

10. Verify your phone number and provide any additional customer verification
information requested.
11. Choose your preferred AWS Support plan (optional).
12. Wait for your account activation, which usually happens quickly.

Important Notes:

• Strong Password: Always use a strong and unique password for your root user
account.
• Free Tier: Take advantage of the AWS Free Tier to explore various services without
upfront costs.
• Security: Remember to implement additional security measures like multi-factor
authentication (MFA) to further protect your account.

By following these steps, you'll have your AWS account up and running in no time!

AWS Management Console & Free Tier Usage

Here's a breakdown of the AWS Management Console and how to leverage the Free Tier:

AWS Management Console:

• This is the web interface for managing your AWS account and resources. It provides
access to all AWS services, tools, and settings.
• You can access it by going to https://console.aws.amazon.com/ and logging in with
your account credentials.

Key Features of the Console:

• Services: Browse through the wide range of AWS services available.

• Resources: View and manage your existing resources like EC2 instances, S3 buckets,
etc.
• Billing & Cost Management: Track your resource usage and costs.
 • Security & Identity: Manage user access and security settings.
• CloudFormation: Create and manage infrastructure as code templates.
• Support: Access AWS support resources and documentation.

Using the AWS Free Tier:

• The AWS Free Tier allows you to experiment with various services for a limited time
or with specific usage limits, without incurring any charges.
• It's a great way to learn and explore the AWS platform before committing to paid
services.

Accessing the Free Tier:

• When you create an AWS account, you're automatically enrolled in the Free Tier.
• You can find information about specific Free Tier offerings on the AWS website:
https://aws.amazon.com/free/

Here are some ways to utilize the Free Tier effectively:

• Explore services: Try out various services like EC2 instances, S3 storage, Lambda
functions, etc., to understand their functionalities.
• Develop and test applications: Use the Free Tier resources to build and test small
applications or prototypes.
• Learn and experiment: Take advantage of the Free Tier to learn cloud computing
concepts and practice using AWS tools.

Tracking Free Tier Usage:

• It's crucial to monitor your Free Tier usage to avoid exceeding the limits and incurring
charges.
• The AWS Management Console provides tools to track your usage:
o Billing and Cost Management Console: This section displays your overall
usage and costs, including Free Tier usage.
o Free Tier Usage Alerts: You can set up alerts to notify you when you
approach the Free Tier limits for specific services.
 o AWS SDK and CLI: You can programmatically track Free Tier usage
through the AWS SDK or Command Line Interface (CLI).

Additional Tips:

• Always Free Services: Some services are permanently free, even after the Free Tier
period ends.
• Short-Term Trials: Some services offer short-term free trials for extended
evaluation.
• Cost Explorer: This tool provides detailed insights into your resource usage and
costs, helping you optimize your spending.

By effectively utilizing the AWS Management Console and understanding the Free Tier
offerings, you can gain valuable experience with cloud computing without financial
commitments. Remember to monitor your usage and leverage the available tools to stay
within the Free Tier limits.