Unit III

Starting Your AWS Adventure : Defining the AWS Cloud-Discovering Iaas-

Determining Why You should Use AWS.
Obtaining Free Amazon Services:- Discovering the Limits of Free
Services-Considering Hardware Requirements- Considering Network
Requirements-Getting Signed Up-Performing Few Simple Task
Determining Which Services to Use:-Getting a quick Overview of Free
Tier Services-Choosing the Service-Considering AWS Security issues

Cloud@22batch
 Unit III - 1

Starting Your AWS Adventure : Defining the AWS Cloud-Discovering Iaas-

Determining Why You should Use AWS.

 Starting Your AWS Adventure
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) started out as a tiny bit of software that
enabled people to perform a limited number of tasks directly on Amazon,
such as querying a product, placing a product request, or checking on an
order status.

• The initial service didn’t do much, but people loved it, so it grew and then
kept growing.

• Today, AWS is a huge web service, so big that it’s nearly impossible for
anyone to explore it fully. It performs all sorts of tasks that don’t even relate
to buying and selling products.

• In fact, the buying and selling of products is more of a sideline today as

people use AWS more for computing services of all types (things like data
storage and running applications).

• The purpose of this chapter is to help you understand what makes AWS
special.
 Defining the AWS Cloud
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) is actually a huge array of services that can
affect consumers, Small to Medium-Sized Business (SMB), and
enterprises.

• Using AWS, you can do everything from backing up your personal hard
drive to creating a full-fledged IT department in the cloud.

• The installed base is immense.

• You can find case studies of companies like Adobe and Netflix that use
AWS at [Link]

• AWS use isn’t just for private companies either — even the government
makes use of its services.
• The technologies that make all these services possible are
actually simple in conception.
• Think of a pair of tin cans with a string attached between
them.
• Amazon holds one tin can and you hold the other.
• By talking into one tin can, you can hear what is said at the
other end.
• The implementation, however, relies on details that make
communication harder than you might initially think.
• The following sections give you an overview on how the
AWS cloud works.
Understanding Service-driven Application Architectures

• Service-driven application architectures, sometimes known as

Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA), come in many forms.

• No matter how you view them, service-driven application

architectures are extensions of the client-server technologies used
in the early days of computing, in that a client makes a request that
a server fulfills by performing an action or sending a response.

• However, the implementation details have changed significantly

over the years, making modern applications far more reliable,
flexible, and less reliant on a specific network configuration.
• The request and response process can involve multiple levels of
granularity, with the term microservice applied to the smallest
request and response pairs.

• Developers often refer to an application that relies on a service-

driven application architecture as a composite application
because it exists as multiple pieces glued together to form a
whole.

• Service-driven application architectures follow many specific

patterns, but in general, they use the following sequence to
perform communication tasks.
1. Create a request on the client using whatever message
technology the server requires.
2. Package the request, adding security or other
information as needed.
3. Send the request using a protocol, such as Simple Object
Access Protocol (SOAP), or an architecture, such as
REpresentational State Transfer (REST).
4. Process the request on the server.
5. Perform an action or return data as required by the
request.
6. When working with data, process the response on the
client and present the results to the user (or other
recipient).
• Remember AWS provides a service-driven application
architecture in which you choose a specific service, such as
S3, to perform specific tasks, such as to back up files on a
hard drive.
• In many cases, you must perform setup steps in addition to
simply interacting with the service.
• For example, if you look at the ten-minute tutorial at http://
[Link]/getting-started/tutorials/backup-files-to-
amazon-s3/,
• You find that you must first create a bucket to store the files
you want to upload to Amazon.
• This additional step makes sense because you have to
establish a location from which to retrieve the files later,
and you don’t want your files mixed in with files from other
people.
• Even though many of the processes you perform with AWS
require using an app (so that you have a user interface
rather than code to work with), the underlying process is
the same.
• The code provided in the app makes requests for you and
then waits for a response.
• In some cases, the app must determine the success or failure
of an action on the server.
• You need to realize, however, that these actions take place
in code and that the code uses a sequence of steps to
accomplish the task you’ve asked it to perform.
 Understanding Process-and-Function-driven Workflows
• In creating apps to help manage underlying services, AWS
also defines workflows.
• A workflow is an organized method of accomplishing tasks.
• For example, when you want to save a file to AWS using S3,
you must first create a bucket to hold the file.
• Only after you create a bucket can you save a file to AWS.
• In addition, you can’t retrieve a file from the bucket until
you first save a file there, which makes sense because you
can’t grab a file out of thin air.
• In short, a workflow defines a procedure for working with
software, and the concept has been around for a long time.
• Workflows can consist of additional workflows.
• In addition, workflows manage the interaction between users and underlying
services.
• A process is the aggregation of services managed by workflows into a cohesive
whole.
• The workflows may perform generic tasks, but processes tend to be specific and
help users accomplish particular goals.
• A process-driven workflow is proactive and attempts to circumvent potential
problems by

• Spotting failure patterns and acting on them

• Looking for trends that tend to lead to failures

• Locating and extinguishing potential threats

• A function is the reactive use of services managed by
workflows to address specific problems in real time.
• Even though it would be nice if process-driven workflows
worked all the time, the reality is that even with 99.999 percent
reliability, the process will fail at some point, and a function-
driven workflow must be in place to address that failure.
• Although process-driven workflows focus on flexible
completion of tasks, function-driven workflows focus on
procedurally attenuating the effect of a failure.
• In short, function-driven workflows address needs.
• The AWS services and workflows also deal with this issue
through the user interface, such as by manually restoring a
backup to mitigate a system failure
Discovering Iaas
• Even though this book frequently refers to virtual environments
and services that you can’t physically see, these elements all
exist as part of a real computer environment that Amazon hosts
on your behalf.
• You need to understand how these elements work to some
extent because they have a physical presence and impact on
your personal or business needs. Three technologies enable
anyone to create a virtual computer center using AWS:
• IaaS: A form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing
resources. You essentially use IaaS to replace physical resources,
such as servers, with virtual resources hosted and managed by
Amazon.

• SaaS: A software distribution service that lets you use applications

without actually having the applications installed locally. Another term
used to describe this service is software on demand. The host,
Amazon, maintains the software, provides the required licenses, and
does all the other work needed to make the software available.

• PaaS: A platform provides a complete solution for running software in

an integrated manner on a particular piece of hardware. For example,
Windows is a particular kind of platform. The virtual platform provided
by PaaS allows a customer to develop, run, and manage applications
of all sorts.
• The following sections provide an extended discussion of these
three technologies and help you understand how they interact
with each other.
• The point of these sections is that each element performs a
different task, yet you need all three to create a complete
solution.
 Defining IaaS
• The simplest way to view IaaS is as a means of providing access to
virtualized computer resources over an Internet connection.
• IaaS acts as one of three methods of sharing resources over the Internet,
alongside SaaS and PaaS.
• AWS supports IaaS by providing access to virtualized hardware, software,
servers, storage, and other infrastructure components.
• In short, you can use IaaS to replace every physical element in your
computing setup except those required to establish and maintain
• Internet connectivity and those required to provide nonvirtualized services
(such as printing).
The advantages of IaaS are many, but here are the ones that most people consider
essential:

• The host handles tasks such as system maintenance, backup, and resiliency
planning.

• A client can gain immediate access to additional resources when needed and then
doesn’t need to worry about getting rid of them when the need has ended.

• Detailed administrative tasks are handled by the host, but the client can manage
overall administrative tasks, such as deciding how much capacity to use for a
particular task.

• Users have access to desktop virtualization, which means that their desktop
appears on whatever device they happen to use at a given moment.

• The use of policy-based services ensures that users must still adhere to company
requirements when using computer resources.

• All required updates (software and hardware) occur automatically and without any
interaction required by the client
• However, you must consider the definite disadvantages of IaaS as well:

• Billing can become complex because some services are billed at different
rates and within different time frames. In addition, billing can include
resource usage. The client must ensure that the amount on the bill actually
matches real-world usage; paying too much for services that the client
didn’t actually use can easily happen.

• Systems management monitoring becomes more difficult. The client loses

control over the precise manner in which activities occur.

• A lag often occurs between the time a change in service is needed and the
host provides it, so the client can find that even though services are more
flexible, they aren’t as responsive.

• Host downtime can affect a large group of people and prove difficult to fix,
which means that a particular client may experience downtime at the worst
Comparing IaaS to SaaS
• SaaS is all about cloud-based applications. Products like online email
and office suites are examples of cloud-based applications.
• A client typically accesses the application using a local application, such
as a browser.
• The browser runs on local hardware, but the application runs on the host
hardware.
• What a client sees is the application running in the browser as if it is
working locally.
• In most cases, the application runs within a browser without any
alteration to the local system. However, some applications do require the
addition of plug-ins.
• The difference between IaaS and SaaS is the level of service.
When working with IaaS, a client typically requires detailed support that spans
entire solutions.
A SaaS solution may include only the application. However, it can also include
the following:
• Application runtimes
• Data access
• Middleware
• Operating system support
• Virtualization
• Server access
• Data storage
• Networking
 Comparing IaaS to PaaS
• PaaS is more of a development solution than a production
environment solution.
• A development team typically uses PaaS to create custom
solutions or modify existing solutions.
• The development staff has full control over the application and
can perform all development-related tasks, such as debugging
and testing.
As with the SaaS solution, the host normally maintains control over
• Middleware
• Operating system support
• Virtualization
• Server access
• Data storage
• Networking
• In this case, however, the development staff can access the
middleware to enhance application development without reinventing
the wheel.
• Writing application code to make the application cloud-ready isn’t
necessary because the middleware already contains these features.
• The development team gains access to cloud-based application
features that include the following:
• Scalability
• High availability
• Multitenancy
• SaaS enablement
Determining Why You should Use AWS
• Even though AWS has a lot to offer, you still need to consider
how it answers your specific needs.
• Even though this book is about AWS, you should compare
AWS with other cloud services.
• You may choose to use AWS as part of your solution rather
than as the only solution.
• Of course, this means knowing the areas in which AWS excels.
• The following sections address both of these possibilities:
✔ Compare other cloud services with AWS
✔ Defining target areas where AWS works best
 Comparing AWS to other cloud services
• You have many ways to compare cloud services. One of the
ways in which companies commonly look at services is by
the market share they have.
• A large market share tends to ensure that the cloud service
will be around for a long time and that many people find its
services both useful and functional.
• A recent InfoWorld article ([Link]
article/3065842/cloud-computing/beyond-aws-the-clouds-
[Link]) points out that AWS currently corners 70
to 80 percent of the cloud market.
• In addition, AWS revenues keep increasing, which lets
Amazon continue adding new features while maintaining
existing features at peak efficiency.
 Major AWS competitors:
• Cisco Metapod ([Link]
systems-management/metapod/[Link])
• Google Cloud Platform ([Link]
• Joyent ([Link]
• Microsoft Azure ([Link]
• Of the competitors listed here, Google Cloud Platform comes closest to
offering the same feature set found in AWS.

However, in looking at the Google offerings, you should note the prominence of
machine learning services that aren’t found in AWS.

On the other hand, AWS has more to offer in the way of the Internet of Things
(IoT), applications, and mobile services.

• Each of the vendors offering these services is different.

For example, Joyent offers a simple setup that may appeal more strongly to an
SMB that has only a few needs to address and no desire to become involved in
a complex service.

Microsoft, on the other hand, has strong SQL database-management support

as well as the connection with the Windows platform that businesses may want
to maintain. The point is that you must look at each of the vendors to determine
who can best meet your needs (although, as previously stated, most people are
voting with their dollars on AWS).
Defining target areas where AWS works best
• In looking at the services that AWS provides, you can see
that the emphasis is on enterprise productivity.
• For example, Google Cloud Platform offers four enhanced
machine learning services that you could use for analysis
purposes, but AWS offers only one.
• However, Google Cloud Platform can’t match AWS when it
comes to mobile service, which is an area that users most
definitely want included for accessing applications.
• Unless your business is heavily involved in analysis tasks,
the offerings that AWS provides are significantly better in
many ways
 Here are the service categories that AWS offers
• Compute
• Storage and content delivery
• Database
• Networking
• Analytics
• Enterprise applications
• Mobile services
• IoT
• Developer tools
• Management tools
• Security and identity
• Application services