Core AWS Services

Question 1

Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)

Answer 1

Server instances provide virtual versions of the servers you would run in your local datacenter.
EC2 instances can be provisioned with the CPU, memory, storage, and network interface profile to meet any application need, from a simple web server to one part of a cluster of instances, providing an integrated multi-tiered fleet architecture.
Since EC2 instances are virtual, they’re resource-efficient and deploy nearly instantly.

Question 2

Lambda

Answer 2

Serverless application architecture like the one provided by Amazon’s Lambda service allow you to provide responsive public-facing services without the need for a server that’s actually running 24/7.
Instead, network events (like customer requests) can trigger the execution of a pre-defined code-based operation.
When the operation (which can currently run for as long as 15 minutes) is complete, the Lambda event ends, and all resources automatically shut down.

Question 3

Auto Scaling

Answer 3

Copies of running EC2 instances can be defined as image templates and automatically launched (or scaled up) when client demand can’t be met by existing instances. As demand drops, unused instances can be terminated (or scaled down).

Question 4

Elastic Load Balancing (ELB)

Answer 4

Incoming network traffic can be directed between multiple web servers to ensure that a single web server isn’t overwhelmed while other server are underused of that traffic isn’t directed to failed servers.

Question 5

Elastic Container Service (ECS)

Answer 5

Compute workloads using container technologies like Docker and Kubernetes can be provisioned, automated, deployed, and administered using full integration with your other AWS account resources.

Kubernetes workloads have their own environment: Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS).

Question 6

Elastic Beanstalk

Answer 6

A managed service that abstracts the provisioning of AWS compute and networking infrastructure.
You are required to do nothing more than push your application code, and Beanstalk automatically launches and manages all the necessary services in the background.

Question 7

Compute Category

Answer 7

EC2
Lambda
Auto Scaling
ELB
ECS
EKS
Elastic Beanstalk

Question 8

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)

Answer 8

Highly configurable networking environments designed to host your EC2 (and RDS) instances.
You use VPC-based tools to secure and, if desired, isolate your instances by closely controlling inbound and outbound network access.

Question 9

Direct Connect

Answer 9

By purchasing fast and secure network connections to AWS through a 3rd party provider, you can use this to establish an enhanced direct tunnel between your local datacenter of office and your AWS-based VPCs.

Question 10

Route 53

Answer 10

The AWS DNS service that lets you manage domain registration, record administration, routing protocols, and health checks, which are all fully integrated with the rest of your AWS resources.

Question 11

CloudFront

Answer 11

Amazon’s distributed global content delivery network (CDN).
When properly configure, a it can store cached versions of your site’s content at edge locations around the world so that they can be delivered to customer on request with the greatest efficiency and lowest latency.

Question 12

Networking Category

Answer 12

VPC
Direct Connect6
Route 53
CloudFront

Question 13

Simple Storage Service (S3)

Answer 13

Offers highly versatile, reliable, and inexpensive object storage that’s great for data storage and backups.
It’s also commonly used as part of larger AWS production processes, including through the storage of script, template, and log files.

Question 14

S3 Glacier

Answer 14

A good choice for when you need large data archives stored cheaply over the long term and can live with retrieval delays measuring in the hours.
It’s lifecycle management is closely integrated with S3.

Question 15

Elastic Block Store (ELB)

Answer 15

Provides the persistent virtual storage drives that host the operating systems and working data of an EC2 instance.
They’re meant to mimic the function of the storage drives and partitions attached to physical servers.

Question 16

Storage Gateway

Answer 16

A hybrid storage system that exposes AWS cloud storage as a local, on-premises appliance.
It can be a great tool for migration and data backup and as part of disaster recovery operations.

Question 17

Storage Category

Answer 17

S3
S3 Glacier
EBS
Storage Gateway

Question 18

Rational Database Service (RDS)

Answer 18

A managed service that builds you stable, secure, and reliable database instance.
You can run a variety of SQL database engines including:
MySQL
MS SQL Server
Oracle
Aurora (Amazon)

Question 19

DynamoDB

Answer 19

Can be used for fast, flexible, and highly scalable, and managed nonrelational (NoSQL) database workloads.

Question 20

Database Category

Answer 20

RDS
DynamoDB

Question 21

CloudWatch

Answer 21

Can be set to monitor process performance and resource utilization and, when preset thresholds are met, either send you a message or trigger an automated response.

Question 22

CloudFormation

Answer 22

This service enables you to use template files to define full and complex AWS deployments. The ability to script your use of any AWS resources makes it easier to automate, standardizing and speeding up the application launch process.

Question 23

CloudTrail

Answer 23

Collects records of all your account’s API events.
This history is useful for account auditing and troubleshooting purposes.

Question 24

Config

Answer 24

This service is designed to help you with change management and compliance for your AWS account.
You first define a desired configuration state, and it will evaluate any future states against that ideal.
When configurations change pushes too far from the ideal baseline, you’ll be notified.

Question 25

Application Management Category

Answer 25

Cloudwatch
CloudFormation
CloudTrail
Config

Question 26

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Answer 26

Use this to administer user and programmatic access and authentication to your AWS account.
Through the use of users, groups, roles, and policies, you can control exactly who and what can access and/or work with any of your AWS resources.

Question 27

Key Management Service (KMS)

Answer 27

A managed service that allows you to administrate the creation and use of encryption keys to secure data used by and for any of your AWS resources.

Question 28

Directory Service

Answer 28

For AWS environments that need to manage identities and relationships, this service can integrate AWS resources with identity providers like AWS Cognito and MS AD domains.

Question 29

Security and Identity Category

Answer 29

IAM
KMS
Directory Service

Question 30

Simple Notification Service (SNS)

Answer 30

A notification tool that can automate the publishing of alert topics to other services (to an SQS Queue or to trigger Lambda function, for instance), to mobile devices, or to recipients using email or SMS.

Question 31

Simple Workflow (SWF)

Answer 31

This service lets you coordinate a series of tasks that must be performed using a range of AWS services or even nondigital events (human).

Question 32

Simple Queue Service (SQS)

Answer 32

This service allows for event-driven messaging within distributed systems that can decouple while coordinating the discrete steps of a larger process.
The data contained in these messages will be reliably delivered, adding to the fault-tolerant qualities of an application.

Question 33

API Gateway

Answer 33

This service enables you to create and manage secure and reliable APIs for your AWS-based applications