Beginner's AWS Guide: Cloud Computing (Part 1)

About Me 👾

Hi, I'm Ayo – a self-directed developer from the UK, passionate about cloud and software engineering!

Whether you want to learn more about the cloud, are starting your cloud journey, or are looking to deepen your AWS knowledge, my goal with this series is to provide clear explanations that make topics surrounding the cloud more understandable.

I hope that by sharing how I've approached various concepts and AWS services, you'll find valuable takeaways for your own personal growth and development.

For context, I have achieved the following AWS certifications:

• AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate (SOA-C02)
• AWS Certified Developer - Associate (DVA-C02)
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03)
• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)

If you find inspiration or develop a greater understanding of AWS Cloud from my work, please share with your wider network and leave a comment below! 😄

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Objective:

This section introduces the fundamentals of cloud computing and its core infrastructure concepts. Here, we explore the different Cloud Service Models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), examine Server Architecture, and understand the AWS Global Infrastructure, including regions, availability zones, and local zones that form the backbone of modern cloud services.

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Cloud Computing ☁️

Cloud computing is like renting equipment or services on demand instead of buying them outright. We can easily set up different services based on our requirements, and scale and measure our service usage.

Key cloud computing features to note:

1. Pay-as-you-go: We only pay for what we use.
2. Instant access: We obtain instant access to resources without having to set up hardware or services.
3. Everything-as-a-service: We have web access to services, including database servers, AI tools, computing services, and storage options.

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Cloud Computing Models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS ☁️

Not all cloud services work the same way. Some require more work from us, while others do more of the work for us. This is where cloud computing models come in — they help explain how much responsibility is ours versus what the cloud provider handles.

Here are the three main models:

As we move from IaaS to PaaS to SaaS, we trade control for convenience. IaaS gives us the most flexibility but requires the most technical expertise, whereas SaaS is the easiest to use but gives us the least customisation options!

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Key IT Terminology: Servers 🖥️

A server is a physical or virtual computer with a unique IP address that stores, processes, and shares information. It responds to requests from other computers, known as clients, over a network (like the internet or through a private system).

While we use servers to host websites, run applications, store files, manage databases, etc, clients are devices that can request data from a server, for example, our phones and laptops.

And for both the client and server to successfully exchange information over a network, a server needs to implement a type of protocol like HTTP, FTP, or SMTP, which are essentially communication rules that must be followed.

In the Beginner’s AWS Guide: Virtual Servers (Part 2), we dive into virtual servers in the cloud and explore their role and significance in modern cloud computing.

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AWS Global Infrastructure 🧱

AWS hosts physical servers in data centres worldwide, which are organised into Regions and Availability Zones (AZs):

• A Region is a geographically distinct area, such as eu-west-1 (Ireland) or us-east-1 (N. Virginia).
• Each Region contains multiple Availability Zones (AZs), which are isolated data centres (or groups of data centres) in that region. AZs help with fault tolerance and high availability.

Typically, each Region has at least 3 AZs, while some have up to 6!

When deciding where our server will physically run in the world, we must weigh several trade-offs, including:

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Local Zones 🏡

Local Zones are smaller data centres placed in or near major cities to reduce network latency for end users. They essentially act as extensions of AWS Regions, allowing us to run certain AWS services closer to users.

💡 Remember, the closer our compute resources are to users, the faster and smoother their experience will be!

For example, we could have the region US-East-1 (US East, N. Virginia), with Local Zones placed in nearby cities such as Atlanta and Boston.

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🎯 TL;DR

• Cloud computing is like renting IT resources instead of buying them.
• Instant access to servers, databases, and tools without hardware setup.
• IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS offer different levels of management vs control.
• AWS global infrastructure (Regions, AZs, Local Zones) provides worldwide availability and disaster recovery.

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✨ This is part of a mini-series where I delve into everything cloud-related. Check out my other posts for further learning! ✨