The Core AWS Cloud Services

Sachin Tharaka
4 min readOct 28, 2024

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Hello and welcome, from today onwards we will have an article series regarding AWS.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the leading cloud platforms, providing a vast ecosystem of cloud services that enable businesses to scale, innovate, and deliver solutions more efficiently. Among the many services offered, four core categories serve as the backbone of AWS: Compute, Storage, Networking, and Database. Understanding these essential services is key for leveraging AWS effectively and optimizing cloud infrastructure for modern applications.

1. Compute Services in AWS

AWS Compute services are designed to help businesses process large workloads efficiently. They provide scalable virtual server options, serverless computing, and high-performance computing solutions. The main AWS Compute services include:

  • Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud): Amazon EC2 provides scalable virtual servers, allowing you to adjust instance types, storage, and capacity according to your needs. EC2 is ideal for running applications with variable workloads.
  • AWS Lambda: AWS Lambda enables serverless computing, allowing you to run code in response to events without provisioning or managing servers. It’s ideal for developers looking to build scalable applications with automatic scaling.
  • Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS): Amazon EKS offers managed Kubernetes for containerized applications, making it easier to deploy and manage containerized environments.

AWS Compute services empower businesses with flexibility, offering solutions that cater to both large-scale applications and smaller, serverless processes.

2. Storage Services in AWS

Storage is a critical aspect of cloud computing, and AWS provides a range of storage services designed to meet diverse data management needs. AWS offers high-performance, reliable storage options that cater to different data types and access frequencies.

  • Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service): Amazon S3 is an object storage service designed for high scalability, durability, and reliability. S3 is ideal for storing data like backups, static website files, and archival data.
  • Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store): Amazon EBS provides persistent block storage for EC2 instances. It’s optimized for I/O-intensive applications, such as databases and enterprise applications requiring fast data access.
  • Amazon Glacier: Amazon Glacier is a low-cost storage service designed for long-term archival data. It’s an ideal solution for data that is infrequently accessed but requires high durability.

AWS storage solutions are highly versatile, offering users multiple tiers for object storage, block storage, and archival storage to fit various data needs and usage patterns.

3. Networking Services in AWS

Networking services in AWS are foundational for creating and managing secure and scalable cloud infrastructures. AWS Networking services help businesses establish connectivity between resources, users, and services, enabling secure data exchange across multiple environments.

  • Amazon VPC (Virtual Private Cloud): Amazon VPC allows users to create isolated virtual networks within AWS. With Amazon VPC, businesses can control network traffic, establish subnets, and configure network access rules to ensure security and compliance.
  • AWS Direct Connect: AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated, high-speed network connection between on-premises environments and AWS. It offers secure, low-latency connections for organizations requiring fast, reliable access to their AWS resources.
  • Amazon CloudFront: Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) that caches content closer to users to reduce latency and improve website and application performance.

AWS Networking services provide businesses with the necessary tools for efficient traffic management, secure connectivity, and enhanced application performance across global regions.

4. Database Services in AWS

AWS Database services offer fully managed, scalable database solutions that support a wide variety of workloads. AWS databases are designed to be reliable, secure, and performant, helping businesses manage structured and unstructured data with ease.

  • Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service): Amazon RDS provides managed relational databases, including options like MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server. RDS simplifies setup, operation, and scaling, making it ideal for transactional applications.
  • Amazon DynamoDB: Amazon DynamoDB is a managed NoSQL database that supports high-performance applications requiring low-latency access to large volumes of unstructured data. It’s ideal for applications like gaming, IoT, and real-time analytics.
  • Amazon Aurora: Amazon Aurora is a MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database that combines the performance of commercial databases with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of open-source databases.

AWS Database services allow businesses to leverage fully managed databases for their workloads, from transactional processing to large-scale data analysis.

AWS’s core services — Compute, Storage, Networking, and Database — are foundational for creating and managing cloud-based applications. By understanding these AWS services, businesses can build scalable, secure, and efficient cloud architectures that support everything from websites and mobile apps to large-scale data analytics and machine learning. As AWS continues to expand, these core services will remain essential for companies looking to achieve agility, reliability, and performance in the cloud.

Whether you’re just beginning with AWS or optimizing an existing infrastructure, these services offer a versatile foundation to support the cloud needs of any modern business.

stay tuned for more and clap, follow, and comment your thoughts.

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Sachin Tharaka
Sachin Tharaka

Written by Sachin Tharaka

Software Engineering, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

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