What is AWS? — The Complete Beginner Guide
Learn what AWS (Amazon Web Services) is, why it became popular, and how it powers modern cloud computing and DevOps.
☁️ What is AWS?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is a cloud computing platform provided by Amazon.
It allows individuals and organizations to store data, host websites, run applications, and manage infrastructure — all through the internet.
Instead of buying physical servers or maintaining your own data center,
you can use AWS to rent computing power, storage, and services on demand.
🧩 Why AWS Was Created
Before cloud platforms like AWS existed:
- Companies had to buy expensive servers.
- They had to manage cooling, electricity, and maintenance.
- Scaling (adding more servers) was slow and costly.
Amazon realized that they had extra computing power from their own infrastructure —
so they decided to offer it to others as a service.
That’s how AWS launched in 2006, starting the cloud revolution.
🚀 What AWS Offers
AWS provides over 200 services.
Here are some of the main categories:
| Category | Examples | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | EC2, Lambda | Run applications or servers |
| Storage | S3, EBS, Glacier | Store and backup data securely |
| Databases | RDS, DynamoDB | Manage SQL and NoSQL databases |
| Networking | VPC, Route 53 | Connect systems securely |
| DevOps | CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CloudWatch | Automate builds, deploys, and monitoring |
| AI & ML | SageMaker, Rekognition | Machine learning and image recognition |
| Security | IAM, KMS, GuardDuty | Control access and protect data |
💡 Why Companies Use AWS
| Advantage | Description |
|---|---|
| 💸 Pay-as-you-go | You pay only for what you use |
| ⚡ Scalability | Easily increase or decrease resources |
| 🔐 Security | Strong encryption and identity controls |
| 🌍 Global Infrastructure | Data centers all over the world |
| 🧠 Automation & Integration | Works seamlessly with DevOps tools like Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes |
🧠 How AWS Fits Into DevOps
AWS supports DevOps practices by providing tools and services for:
| Stage | AWS Service | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Code | AWS CodeCommit | Source code management |
| Build | AWS CodeBuild | Automated build process |
| Test | AWS Device Farm | Test across devices |
| Deploy | AWS CodeDeploy | Automate deployment |
| Monitor | AWS CloudWatch | Monitor apps and servers |
| Infrastructure | AWS CloudFormation | Infrastructure as Code (IaC) |
These tools help automate the entire CI/CD pipeline, from code commit to deployment — making DevOps faster and more reliable.
🧰 Common AWS Services to Learn First
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) | Virtual servers to host apps |
| S3 (Simple Storage Service) | Store files and backups |
| RDS (Relational Database Service) | Manage databases like MySQL or PostgreSQL |
| IAM (Identity and Access Management) | Manage users and permissions |
| CloudWatch | Monitor performance and logs |
| Lambda | Run code without managing servers (serverless) |
🌍 Real-Life Example
Imagine you’re building a web application:
- You host your frontend on S3 (Static Website Hosting)
- Run your backend API on EC2 or Lambda
- Store data in RDS (MySQL)
- Manage DNS with Route 53
- Monitor everything using CloudWatch
All this can be done without owning a single physical server.
🧾 Summary
- AWS is the world’s leading cloud platform.
- It provides scalable, secure, and cost-effective computing power.
- It’s deeply connected with DevOps, helping automate builds, deploys, and monitoring.
- Learning AWS gives you the foundation to deploy any app — from startups to enterprise systems.
🏁 Next Step: Learn how AWS and DevOps work together to create a CI/CD pipeline that automates deployments and improves release speed 🚀