Preface

The adoption rate of cloud technologies keeps accelerating, and the question is no longer if cloud computing will be the dominant paradigm, but how fast companies of all sizes will adopt it.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the leading cloud computing providers that offers a wide range of services to build, deploy, and manage scalable, cost-effective, and reliable cloud applications. AWS is used by millions of customers worldwide, ranging from startups to enterprises. It continues to innovate and expand its offerings to meet the growing demand for cloud-based solutions.

This book is designed to help AWS Solutions Architects understand and leverage the full range of AWS services to build effective cloud solutions that meet the needs of their organizations. It covers a comprehensive set of AWS services, including core services, data services, analytics, security, compute, networking, storage, machine learning, and the Well-Architected Framework.

Each chapter provides a detailed explanation of AWS services and features, along with use cases and examples to demonstrate how these services can be used to solve real-world business problems. The book also includes best practices and recommendations for designing, deploying, and managing AWS solutions.

In this book, readers will learn about the core AWS services, such as Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), and Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), and how to use them to build and deploy scalable and secure applications. They will also explore AWS data services, including Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Redshift, and Amazon Elastic MapReduce (EMR), and how they can be used to manage and analyze large amounts of data.

Additionally, the book covers AWS security services, such as Amazon Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon CloudTrail, and Amazon GuardDuty, and how they can enhance the security and compliance of AWS environments.

Readers will also learn about AWS networking services, including Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and Amazon Route 53, and how they can be used to build and manage network infrastructure in the cloud.

Moreover, the book discusses AWS compute services, including AWS Lambda, Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), and Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS), and how they can be used to run and manage applications in the cloud. It also covers AWS storage services, including Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS), Amazon Elastic File System (EFS), and Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), and how they can be used to store and manage data in the cloud.

Furthermore, the book explores AWS machine learning services, including Amazon SageMaker, Amazon Rekognition, and Amazon Comprehend, and how they can be used to build intelligent and predictive applications in the cloud. It discusses the AWS Well-Architected Framework and its five pillars: operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, and cost optimization, and how to use it to design and build well-architected solutions on AWS.

This book is a valuable resource for AWS Solutions Architects who want to learn about the full range of AWS services and how to use them to build effective cloud solutions. It is also suitable for IT professionals and developers who want to expand their knowledge of AWS and build scalable, reliable, and cost-effective cloud applications.

Who is this book for

This book is intended for a wide range of readers, including:

Solutions Architects: This book is ideal for AWS Solutions Architects who want to deepen their knowledge of AWS services and best practices. It covers all the essential AWS services and the Well-Architected Framework, making it a valuable resource for Solutions Architects preparing for the AWS Solutions Architect certification exam.

IT Professionals and Developers: This book is also suitable for IT professionals and developers who want to learn how to build, deploy, and manage scalable, cost-effective, and reliable cloud solutions on AWS. It covers a comprehensive set of AWS services, including data services, analytics, security, compute, networking, storage, machine learning, and the Well-Architected Framework, making it a valuable resource for professionals who want to expand their knowledge of AWS.

Business Executives and Managers: This book is also relevant for business executives and managers who want to understand the benefits and potential of cloud computing and AWS. It covers a range of AWS services and use cases, making it a valuable resource for executives who want to make informed decisions about cloud adoption strategies.

Overall, this book is suitable for anyone who wants to learn how to leverage AWS services to build scalable, cost-effective, and reliable cloud solutions, regardless of their level of experience with AWS or cloud computing.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Understanding AWS Principles and Key Characteristics, describes the ubiquity of cloud computing, AWS’ market share, its revenue, and its adoption across industries. In this chapter, we provide an overview of cloud computing and AWS, including the key principles and characteristics of the AWS cloud. We will discuss the benefits of cloud computing and how AWS provides scalable, flexible, and cost-effective cloud solutions to meet the needs of businesses and organizations of all sizes.

Chapter 2, Understanding the AWS Well-Architected Framework and Getting Certified, we will dive into the AWS Well-Architected Framework, which provides a set of best practices for designing and operating reliable, secure, efficient, and cost-effective systems on AWS. We will explore the six pillars of the Well-Architected Framework: operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimization, and sustainability. Additionally, we will discuss the AWS Certification program, which includes the AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification. We will provide guidance and tips for preparing for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect exam, including recommended resources, study materials, and practice exams.

Chapter 3, Leveraging the Cloud for Digital Transformation, begins to describe the AWS infrastructure and its services and how it can be used to achieve digital transformation across your enterprise. This chapter discusses how organizations can leverage the cloud to drive digital transformation initiatives and explores the benefits of cloud-based digital transformation, including increased agility, innovation, and cost savings. We will also discuss the challenges and considerations that organizations must address when embarking on a digital transformation journey.

Chapter 4, Networking in AWS, dives into the networking and content delivery services offered by AWS. We will explore how AWS provides a highly available and scalable network infrastructure that can support a wide range of workloads and applications. This chapter provides a solid understanding of the networking and content delivery services offered by AWS and how to configure and use these services to support various workloads and applications.

Chapter 5, Storage in AWS – Choosing the Right Tool for the Job, explores the various storage options available in AWS and how to choose the right tools for different scenarios. We will discuss the importance of data storage and management in modern applications, as well as the benefits and trade-offs of various storage options in AWS.

Chapter 6, Harnessing the Power of Cloud Computing, looks at the various compute services offered by AWS and how to leverage them to harness the power of cloud computing. We will discuss the benefits of cloud computing, including scalability, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility, as well as the trade-offs and considerations for various compute options in AWS.

Chapter 7, Selecting the Right Database Service, goes through the various database services offered by AWS and how to choose the right service for your application needs. We will discuss the importance of database selection in modern applications and the benefits and trade-offs of various database options in AWS.

Chapter 8, Best Practices for Application Security, Identity, and Compliance, discusses best practices for ensuring application security and compliance in AWS. We will explore the various security services and features provided by AWS and look at how to design and implement a security strategy that meets industry standards and regulations.

Chapter 9, Driving Efficiency with CloudOps, explores how to optimize efficiency in AWS through cloud operation automation. We will discuss the benefits of automation and DevOps and the trade-offs and considerations for implementing these practices in AWS.

Chapter 10, Big Data and Streaming Data Processing in AWS, looks at how AWS supports big data and streaming data processing. We will start by discussing the core concepts of big data and streaming data and how they differ from traditional data processing approaches. We will also discuss the challenges of processing big data and streaming data at scale and how AWS provides solutions to these challenges.

Chapter 11, Data Warehouses, Data Queries, and Visualization in AWS, delves into how AWS supports data warehousing, data querying, and data visualization. We will start by discussing the core concepts of data warehousing, including data modeling, data integration, and data storage. We will also discuss the challenges of implementing a data warehouse and how AWS provides solutions to these challenges.

Chapter 12, Machine Learning, IoT, and Blockchain in AWS, examines how AWS supports machine learning, IoT, and blockchain. We will start by discussing the core concepts of these technologies, including their applications and benefits. We will also discuss the challenges of implementing these technologies and how AWS provides solutions to these challenges.

Chapter 13, Containers in AWS, discusses how AWS supports containerization, container orchestration, and container management. We will start by discussing the core concepts of containers, including their benefits and limitations. We will also discuss the challenges of implementing containers and how AWS provides solutions.

Chapter 14, Microservice Architectures in AWS, looks into how AWS supports microservice architectures. We will start by discussing the core concepts of microservices, event-driven architectures, and domain-driven designs, including their benefits and limitations. We will also discuss the challenges of implementing these architectures and how AWS provides solutions.

Chapter 15, Data Lake Patterns – Integrating Your Data across the Enterprise, explores how AWS supports data lake patterns for integrating data across the enterprise. We will start by discussing the core concepts of data lakes, including their benefits and limitations. We will also discuss the challenges of implementing data lakes and how AWS provides solutions to these challenges.

Chapter 16, Hands-On Guide to Building an App in AWS, provides a hands-on guide to building an application in AWS. We will start by discussing the key considerations for designing an application in the cloud, including scalability, availability, security, and cost optimization. We will provide a solid understanding of how to design, build, and deploy applications in AWS and how to optimize their use of AWS services for application development. This knowledge will be essential for developing scalable and reliable applications in the cloud.

If you enjoyed this book, you may also enjoy Solutions Architect’s Handbook: Kick-start your career as a solutions architect by learning architecture design principles and strategies, 2nd Edition, also from Packt. You can find this book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Solutions-Architects-Handbook-Kick-start-architecture/dp/1801816611. This book provides a comprehensive guide to the role of a solutions architect, covering everything from design principles and strategies to best practices for implementing and maintaining architectures in the cloud. With practical examples and real-world scenarios, this book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in becoming a solutions architect or improving their skills in this field.

To get the most out of this book

To get the most out of this book, readers should have a basic understanding of cloud computing. A general grasp of IT terminology would also be helpful. Readers are encouraged to have an AWS account and access to the AWS Management Console, as this will allow them to follow along with the examples and exercises in the book.

It is recommended that readers go through the book sequentially and dive deep into the examples provided. This will ensure a comprehensive understanding of the material and help readers to apply the concepts to real-world scenarios.

In addition, readers should take advantage of the many resources available from AWS, including documentation, whitepapers, and online training courses. These resources can provide additional context and depth to the topics covered in the book.

Finally, readers are encouraged to engage with the AWS community, including online forums, user groups, and social media channels. This will provide opportunities to network with other AWS professionals, share knowledge and best practices, and stay updated with the latest AWS developments.

Download the color images

We also provide a PDF file that has color images of the screenshots/diagrams used in this book. You can download it here: https://packt.link/VWYwG.

Conventions used

There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.

CodeInText: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. For example: “The groupFiles and groupSize parameters need to be configured to enable file grouping.”

A block of code is set as follows:

dyf = glueContext.create_dynamic_frame_from_options("s3",
    {'paths': ["s3://path-to-files/"],
    'recurse':True,
    'groupFiles': 'inPartition',
    'groupSize': '2084236'},
    format="json")

Any command-line input or output is written as follows:

aws emr add-steps --cluster-id j-123456789EXAMPLE --steps Type=CUSTOM_JAR,Name=SABookCustomJar,ActionOnFailure=CONTINUE,Jar=s3://sa-book-bucket/book-jar.jar,Args=["s3://sa-book-bucket/input-data","s3://sa-book-bucket/output-data"]

Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see on the screen. For instance, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in the text like this. For example: “AWS allows you to quickly provision hardware through the AWS console using the Command-Line Interface (CLI) or an API, among other methods.”

Warnings or important notes appear like this.

Tips and tricks appear like this.

Get in touch

Feedback from our readers is always welcome.

General feedback: Email [e-mail] and mention the book’s title in the subject of your message. If you have questions about any aspect of this book, please email us at [e-mail].

Errata: Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes do happen. If you have found a mistake in this book, we would be grateful if you reported this to us. Please visit http://www.packtpub.com/submit-errata, click Submit Errata, and fill in the form.

Piracy: If you come across any illegal copies of our works in any form on the internet, we would be grateful if you would provide us with the location address or website name. Please contact us at [e-mail] with a link to the material.

If you are interested in becoming an author: If there is a topic that you have expertise in and you are interested in either writing or contributing to a book, please visit http://authors.packtpub.com.

Share your thoughts

Once you’ve read AWS for Solutions Architects, Second Edition, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Please click here to go straight to the Amazon review page for this book and share your feedback.

Your review is important to us and the tech community and will help us make sure we’re delivering excellent quality content.

Join us on Discord!

Read this book alongside other users, cloud experts, authors, and like-minded professionals.  

Ask questions, provide solutions to other readers, chat with the authors via. Ask Me Anything sessions and much more.  

 Scan the QR code or visit the link to join the community now.

https://packt.link/cloudanddevops

Download a free PDF copy of this book

Thanks for purchasing this book!

Do you like to read on the go but are unable to carry your print books everywhere?Is your eBook purchase not compatible with the device of your choice?

Don’t worry, now with every Packt book you get a DRM-free PDF version of that book at no cost.

Read anywhere, any place, on any device. Search, copy, and paste code from your favorite technical books directly into your application. 

The perks don’t stop there, you can get exclusive access to discounts, newsletters, and great free content in your inbox daily

Follow these simple steps to get the benefits:

1. Scan the QR code or visit the link below

https://packt.link/free-ebook/9781803238951

2. Submit your proof of purchase
3. That’s it! We’ll send your free PDF and other benefits to your email directly