Running Your Applications with AWS

If you’ve ever been told not to run with scissors, you should not have the same concern when running with AWS. It is neither dangerous nor unsafe when you know what you are doing and where to look when you don’t. Amazon’s current service offering, AWS (Amazon Web Services), is a collection of services, applications and tools that can be used to deploy your infrastructure and application environment to the cloud.  Amazon gives you the option to start their service offerings with a ‘free tier’ and then move toward a pay as you go model.  We will highlight a few of the features when you open your account with AWS.

One of the first things you will notice is that Amazon offers a bulk of information regarding cloud computing right up front. Whether you are a novice, amateur or an expert in cloud computing, Amazon offers documented information before you create your account.  This type of information is essential if you are exploring this tool for a project or doing some self-study on your own.

If you are a pre-existing Amazon customer, you can use your same account to get started with AWS. If you want to keep your personal account separate from your development or business, it would be best to create a separate account.

Amazon Web Services Landing Page

The Free Tier is one of the most attractive features of AWS. As a new account you are entitled to twelve months within the Free Tier. In addition to this span of time, there are services that can continue after the free tier is over. This gives the user ample time to explore the offerings within this free-tier period. The caution is not to exceed the free service limitations as it will incur charges. Setting up the free-tier still requires a credit card. Fee-based services will be offered throughout the free tier, so it is important not to select a fee-based charge unless you are ready to start paying for it. Actual paid use will vary based on what you have selected.

AWS Service and Offerings (shown on an open account)

AWS overview of services available on the landing page

Amazon’s service list is very robust. If you are already considering AWS, hopefully this means you are aware of what you need or at least what you would like to use. If not, this would be a good time to press pause and look at some resource-based materials. Before the clock starts ticking on your free-tier, I would recommend a slow walk through the introductory information on this site to ensure that you are selecting the right mix of services before creating your account. Amazon’s technical resources has a 10-minute tutorial that gives you a complete overview of the services. Topics like ‘AWS Training and Introduction’ and ‘Get Started with AWS’ include a list of 10-minute videos as well as a short list of ‘how to’ instructions for some of the more commonly used features.

If you are a techie by trade or hobby, this may be something you want to dive into immediately.In a company, generally there is a predefined need or issue that the organization may feel can be resolved by the cloud.  If it is a team initiative, it would be good to review the resources mentioned in this article so that everyone is on the same page as to what this solution can do.It’s recommended before you start any trial, subscription or new service that you have a set goal or expectation of why you are doing it. Simply stated, a cloud solution is not the perfect solution for everyone. 

There is so much information here on the AWS site. It’s also great if you are comparing between competing cloud service vendors in the same space. You will be able to do a complete assessment of most services within the free-tier. You can map use case scenarios to determine if AWS is the right fit for your project.

AWS First Project is a great place to get started if you are new to AWS. If you are wondering how to get started, these technical resources will set you in the right direction. By reviewing this information during your setup or before you start, you will be able to make good use out of your first few months and your introduction to AWS.

About the author

Cheryl Adams is a senior cloud data and infrastructure architect in the healthcare data realm. She is also the co-author of Professional Hadoop by Wrox.