reading-notes

AWS Cloud Servers

What is an EC2 Instance?

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) is a web service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows users to rent virtual servers, known as EC2 instances, in the cloud. An EC2 instance is a virtual machine (VM) that provides computing resources such as CPU, memory, storage, and networking capabilities

Name 2 use cases for EC2.

Web Hosting: EC2 instances are frequently used for web hosting. Data Processing and Analysis: EC2 instances are well-suited for data processing and analysis tasks.

Provide 1 reason to use ECS instead of a service such as Heroku, Digital Ocean, or Render.com.

One reason to use Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) instead of services like Heroku, Digital Ocean, or Render.com is the seamless integration with other AWS services and the broader AWS ecosystem.

Where can we find EC2 on the AWS Console?

After signing in to your AWS account, look for the “Services” dropdown menu in the top navigation bar.

Hover over the “Services” dropdown, and a list of various AWS services will appear.

Scroll down or use the search bar within the dropdown to find and click on “EC2” or “Elastic Compute Cloud.”

Explain the general difference between T2 Micro and XL.

Performance: T2 Micro instances offer lower performance compared to XL instances. Resource Allocations: T2 Micro instances have limited CPU and memory resources compared to XL instances. Pricing: T2 Micro instances are generally more cost-effective than XL instances.

Explain a “Compute Cycle” to a non-technical friend.

Imagine you have a computer, like a laptop or a smartphone. Every time you perform a task on that computer, like opening an app, editing a document, or watching a video, the computer needs to do some work to process and complete that task. This work is made up of many small steps, and each step is called a “compute cycle.”

Think of a compute cycle as a single unit of work that the computer performs. It’s like a tiny step that helps the computer process and execute the instructions it receives. The computer goes through thousands or even millions of compute cycles every second to perform various tasks.

For example, when you type something on the keyboard, the computer needs to process each keystroke. It takes the input from the keyboard, interprets it, and displays the corresponding letters or actions on the screen. Each of these steps is a compute cycle.

Similarly, when you open a web page or play a game, the computer goes through multiple compute cycles to fetch and display the content, process user interactions, and provide a smooth experience.

What is Elastic Beanstalk?

Elastic Beanstalk is a fully managed service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that simplifies the deployment and management of applications in the cloud. It is designed to make it easier for developers to quickly deploy their applications without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure.

Describe the relationship between EC2 and Elastic Beanstalk

EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) and Elastic Beanstalk are both services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), and they work together to facilitate the deployment and management of applications in the cloud.

Name some benefits of using Elastic Beanstalk.

Easy Deployment: Elastic Beanstalk simplifies the deployment process by automatically handling the provisioning and configuration of underlying infrastructure components. Scalability: Elastic Beanstalk provides built-in scalability features that allow your application to handle varying levels of traffic. Load Balancing and High Availability: Elastic Beanstalk integrates with elastic load balancing, which automatically distributes incoming traffic across multiple instances of your application.

Looking ahead at this module’s course schedule, What do you look forward to learning?

How to better use AWS

What are your learning goals after reading and reviewing the class README?

learning about elastic beanstalk