A Beginner’s Guide to Amazon Web Services
Cloud computing has become a core skill for modern developers and IT professionals, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the most widely used cloud platforms in the world. If you’re new to AWS, it can feel overwhelming at first — dozens of services, unfamiliar terms, and a complex console.
This article will break AWS down into simple concepts and provide a step-by-step guide to help you get started confidently.
What Is AWS?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud computing platform provided by Amazon. Instead of buying and managing physical servers, AWS allows you to rent computing resources on demand.
With AWS, you can:
Run applications and websites
Store data securely
Analyse large datasets
Build scalable and highly available systems
You only pay for what you use, making it suitable for individual learners, startups, and large enterprises alike.
Before jumping in, let’s understand some core terms:
1. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing means using remote servers over the internet instead of your own local machine or physical data center.
2. Region and Availability Zone
Region: A geographic area (e.g., US East, Asia Pacific).
Availability Zone (AZ): A data center within a region.
AWS uses multiple AZs to ensure high availability and fault tolerance.
3. AWS Services
AWS provides many services. As a beginner, you should focus on:
EC2 – Virtual servers
S3 – Object storage
IAM – User access and security
RDS – Managed databases
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Start with AWS
Step 1: Create an AWS Account
Go to aws.amazon.com
Click Create an AWS Account
Enter:
Email address
Password
Account name
Add billing information (credit/debit card)
Verify your phone number
Choose the Basic Support Plan (Free)
