AWS Explained: Regions, Zones, Edge

Welcome to AWS: your gateway to cloud innovation. In this beginner's guide, we'll unravel the basics and advantages of Amazon Web Services, empowering you to navigate its global infrastructure and harness its power for your projects. 

Before starting the AWS journey, we start with

1.    What Actually is AWS?

• AWS (Amazon Web Service) is a cloud provider.
• They provide us with servers and services that we can use OnDemand and Scale easily.

 

2.        What to use AWS over Traditional on-premises systems?

        Using AWS (Amazon Web Services) over traditional on-premises systems offers                 several advantages:

      ·    Scalability: Easily adjust resources based on demand.
·       Cost-effectiveness: Pay only for what you use, reducing upfront costs.
·       Global Reach: Data centers worldwide for improved performance.
·       Flexibility: Wide range of services to suit diverse needs.
·       Agility: Quick deployment and management of applications.
·       Reliability: High uptime and fault tolerance.
·       Security: Built-in features and compliance certifications.

 

AWS Regions

AWS Regions are separate geographical areas around the world where AWS has data centers. Each region is designed to be isolated from the others, providing redundancy and resilience. They allow customers to deploy their applications closer to their users, reducing latency and ensuring compliance with data sovereignty regulations. In simple terms, AWS Regions are like different neighborhoods where you can store and run your digital stuff, each with its own set of services and resources.

 

How to choose an AWS Region?

ð These things should be considered while choosing AWS regions:

·       Compliance: with data governance and legal requirements data never leaves a region without explicit permission.

·       Proximity to Customer: Reduce Latency

·       Available service within a Region: new services and new features aren’t available in every region.

·       Pricing: Pricing varies region to region and is transparent in the service price range.

 

 

AWS Availability Zones:

 AWS Availability Zones are isolated locations within a region where AWS operates data centers. They provide redundancy and fault tolerance, ensuring high availability and resilience for applications and services.

•    Each region has many availability zones usually 3, min is 2 and max is 6.

            Example:

ap-southeast-2a

ap-southeast-2b

ap-southeast-2c

• Each Availability Zone (AZ) is one or more discreate data centers with redundant power, Networking and Connectivity.
• They are separated from each other so that they are isolated from disaster.

 

AWS Point of Service (Edge Locations)

AWS Edge Locations, or Points of Service, are like local hubs scattered around different cities. They help speed up the delivery of content and reduce wait times by storing copies of data closer to users. It's like having mini storage units spread out, so you can quickly grab what you need without traveling too far.

Ø Amazon has 206 point of presence (205 edge locations and 11 Region Caches) in 84 cities across the 42 countries.

Ø Content is delivered to end user with lower latency.

Ready to embark on your AWS journey? With its scalable infrastructure, global reach, and secure services, AWS offers a powerful platform for businesses and developers. Remember to consider factors like region selection and availability zones as you build and deploy your applications. Happy cloud computing!