Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides 200+ cloud services that help organizations build, deploy, and manage applications without owning physical servers. These services are usually grouped into categories based on their purpose.
Below are the major AWS service categories with common examples:
1. Compute Services
Used to run applications and virtual servers.
Amazon EC2 – Virtual servers in the cloud
AWS Lambda – Run code without managing servers
Amazon Elastic Beanstalk – Deploy and manage web apps automatically
AWS Fargate – Run containers without managing servers
Amazon Lightsail – Easy-to-use VPS for beginners
2. Storage Services
Used to store files, backups, and data.
Amazon S3 – Highly scalable object storage
Amazon EBS – Block storage for EC2 instances
Amazon EFS – Managed file storage
Amazon Glacier – Low-cost long-term backup storage
3. Database Services
Managed databases for applications.
Amazon RDS – Managed relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)
Amazon DynamoDB – Fully managed NoSQL database
Amazon Redshift – Data warehouse for analytics
Amazon Aurora – High-performance MySQL/PostgreSQL compatible database
4. Networking & Content Delivery
Connect and deliver applications globally.
Amazon VPC – Create isolated cloud networks
Amazon CloudFront – Content delivery network
Elastic Load Balancing – Distributes traffic across servers
Amazon Route 53 – Domain name system service
5. Security & Identity
Manage users and secure resources.
AWS Identity and Access Management – Manage user permissions
AWS Shield – Protect against attacks
AWS WAF – Protect web apps from threats
AWS Secrets Manager – Manage passwords and API keys
6. Machine Learning & AI
Build AI and ML applications.
Amazon SageMaker – Build and deploy ML models
Amazon Rekognition – Image recognition
Amazon Polly – Convert text to speech
Amazon Lex – Build chatbots
7. Monitoring & Management
Monitor applications and infrastructure.
Amazon CloudWatch – Monitor logs and metrics
AWS CloudTrail – Track account activity
AWS Systems Manager – Manage cloud resources
✅ Simple way to remember AWS core services (most commonly used):
Below is a detailed explanation of the most commonly used core services in Amazon Web Services (AWS). These services form the foundation of most AWS architectures.
1. Compute Services
1. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)
Amazon EC2 provides virtual servers in the cloud. It allows you to run applications just like you would on a physical server, but without managing hardware.
Key Features
Scalable – Increase or decrease servers depending on traffic.
Flexible instance types – Choose CPU, RAM, GPU, or storage based on workload.
Pay-as-you-go pricing.
Full control of OS (Linux, Windows).
Important Components
AMI (Amazon Machine Image) – Template used to launch EC2 instances.
Instance Type – Hardware configuration (CPU, memory).
Security Groups – Firewall rules controlling inbound/outbound traffic.
Key Pair – Used to securely access the instance via SSH.
Example Use Cases
Hosting websites
Running enterprise applications
Machine learning workloads
Development and testing environments
2. AWS Lambda
AWS Lambda lets you run code without managing servers.
You upload code and AWS automatically runs it when triggered.
Key Features
Event Triggers
Lambda functions can be triggered by:
File upload to Amazon S3
API requests
Database updates
Scheduled events
Example Use Cases
2. Storage Services
3. Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service)
Amazon S3 is object storage used to store unlimited files such as images, videos, backups, and logs.
Key Features
Important Concepts
Example Use Cases
Website hosting
Backup storage
Data lakes
Media storage
4. Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store)
Amazon EBS provides block storage volumes for EC2 instances.
Think of it as a virtual hard disk attached to a server.
Key Features
Types of EBS Volumes
gp3 / gp2 – General purpose
io1 / io2 – High performance databases
st1 – Throughput optimized
sc1 – Cold storage
Example Use Cases
3. Database Services
5. Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service)
Amazon RDS is a managed relational database service.
AWS handles tasks such as:
Backups
Patching
Scaling
High availability
Supported Databases
MySQL
PostgreSQL
Oracle
SQL Server
MariaDB
Amazon Aurora
Key Features
Example Use Cases
E-commerce websites
Banking applications
Enterprise systems
6. Amazon DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database designed for high-speed applications.
Key Features
Millisecond latency
Automatic scaling
Serverless architecture
Fully managed
Data Model
Uses:
Tables
Items (rows)
Attributes (columns)
Example Use Cases
Mobile apps
Gaming leaderboards
IoT applications
Real-time analytics
4. Networking Services
7. Amazon VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)
Amazon VPC lets you create a private network inside AWS.
You can control:
IP addresses
Subnets
Routing
Security
Components
Subnets – Divide the network into smaller sections
Route Tables – Control traffic routing
Internet Gateway – Enables internet access
NAT Gateway – Allows private instances to access the internet
Example Use Cases
8. Amazon Route 53
Amazon Route 53 is a Domain Name System (DNS) service.
It converts domain names into IP addresses.
Example:
www.example.com → 192.168.1.1
Features
Domain registration
DNS routing
Health checks
Traffic routing policies
Routing Policies
Simple routing
Weighted routing
Latency routing
Failover routing
9. Amazon CloudFront
Amazon CloudFront is a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
It delivers content from servers closest to users to reduce latency.
Key Features
Example Use Cases
Video streaming
Website acceleration
Software distribution
5. Security Service
10. AWS Identity and Access Management
IAM controls who can access AWS resources and what actions they can perform.
Key Components
Users – Individual accounts
Groups – Collection of users
Roles – Temporary access permissions
Policies – Permission rules written in JSON
Example
You can allow a user:
Read access to S3
No access to EC2
Importance
IAM is the foundation of AWS security.
6. Monitoring Service
11. Amazon CloudWatch
Amazon CloudWatch is used to monitor AWS resources and applications.
It monitors
CPU usage
Memory
Network traffic
Logs
Application metrics
Key Features
Metrics – Performance data
Logs – Application logs
Alarms – Automatic alerts
Dashboards – Visualization of system health
Example
If CPU usage > 80%:
Quick Architecture Example
Typical AWS web application:
User
↓
Route 53 (DNS)
↓
CloudFront (CDN)
↓
EC2 / Lambda (Application)
↓
RDS / DynamoDB (Database)
↓
S3 (File Storage)
Monitoring:
Security:
Networking:
Summary
| Category | AWS Services |
|---|
| Compute | EC2, Lambda |
| Storage | S3, EBS |
| Database | RDS, DynamoDB |
| Networking | VPC, Route 53, CloudFront |
| Security | IAM |
| Monitoring | CloudWatch |