Amazon Web Services: AWS Foundations - Intro to AWS

Delve into the world of Amazon Web Services (AWS) with trainer Jeremy Cioara. If you're trying to establish a cloud presence, AWS offers a cost-effective, scalable infrastructure. Jeremy covers what AWS is, how it works, and how you (and your organization) can get started using it.

This series is full of cool technology, but the biggest “way-cool” factor is the complete shift in the way we think about and handle Information Technology! With AWS, you no longer have to build your own world-wide IT enterprise to deliver amazing cloud-based services.

Jeremy walks you through how to sign up for an AWS account, create and use instances, Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Simple Storage Service (S3), and more. You'll also see a real-life case study on a company called CBT Nuggets that migrated its services to AWS.

Find out how easy it is to use AWS, and how to make the powerful features of AWS work for you.

Content:

Amazon Web Services: AWS Foundations - Getting the Most from this Series - 00:18:30
Welcome to the AWS Foundations series! This opening nugget discusses the changing world of "The Cloud" and how it relates to AWS. It then moves into study strategies and the best methods of going through series with CBTNuggets.

AWS Foundations: How to Build a Cloud Presence - 00:37:45
It seems everyone is moving toward "The Cloud." Let's see how to do it! This Nugget compares two strategies of building your cloud presence: the traditional method (your own data center) and Amazon Web Services (AWS). In addition, you will learn about Vertical Scaling and Horizontal Scaling in cloud environments.

AWS Foundations: Getting Started with AWS - 00:34:51
It's time to check out AWS…what's it going to take? Do they want my credit card? How much does this cost? What do I get? In this Nugget, Jeremy answers all of those questions! By the time you're done here, you'll understand the key AWS services, account requirements, and what's included in the AWS "free tier."

EC2: Creating an EC2 Instance - AMI Selection - 00:24:53
We're diving right into the most popular component of AWS: Elastic Cloud Computing (EC2). In this Nugget, Jeremy walks through the look and feel of the AWS Management Console as well as the many sources when generating an Amazon Machine Image (AMI).

EC2: Creating an EC2 Instance - Pricing - 00:30:12
There are three pricing models used with Amazon EC2 that offer drastic differences in your bottom line (you want to understand these!!!). This Nugget walks through the differences between On-Demand, Reserved, and Spot instance pricing. By time you're done here, you'll know exactly how to budget your EC2 projects in AWS!

EC2: Creating an EC2 Instance - Instance Types - 00:26:33
It's a drop-down box everybody uses - "Select your Instance Type": Micro, Small, Large, Extra Large, Super Extra Giant Large. But what does all that mean… really? This Nugget unpacks the EC2 Instance Types - by time you're done here, you'll fully understand Memory, EC2 Computing Units (ECUs), IO performance, and more! BONUS: By time you're done with this Nugget, you'll also know how to make butter!

EC2: Creating an EC2 Instance - Tags and Key Pairs - 00:29:51
The more instances you create in AWS EC2, the more you need good descriptions of what each instance does. Tags are the key to keeping your sanity for this! In this Nugget, Jeremy discusses the use of tags as well as breaking down the use of EC2 Key Pairs in Windows and Linux environments.

EC2: Creating an EC2 Instance - Security Groups - 00:33:57
When you create instances in EC2, you'll be using some type of Security Group - it's a feature that's on by default. However, since you cannot change security groups after you've generated an instance, you'll be MUCH better poised to handle this correctly if you know what you're doing before you start. This Nugget explains all!

EC2: Creating an EC2 Instance - Elastic IPs and ELB - 00:31:32
At times, "The Cloud" does get a little bit… cloudy. Elastic IP addresses allow you to put something a tangible (Static Public IP Addresses) to an amorphous environment… But all that is simply introduction to the Elastic Load Balance (ELB) capabilities of AWS. In this Nugget, Jeremy discusses when to use use, the capabilities, and pure awesomeness of everything ELB.

VPC: It's MY Cloud Now! Understanding AWS Network Management - 00:31:54
The networking of Amazon EC2 is very "auto-magic": your servers get a private IP, are mapped to a public, Elastic IP and just start working (for the average admin). But you are no average admin! VPC moves you to the next level, allowing you to create your own private subnets with complete access control. This Nugget gets at the core of VPC, creating a single instance configuration with a single private/public subnet.

VPC: It's MY Cloud Now! Understanding AWS Network Management, Part 2 - 00:31:38
Think of this as your VPC Advanced Configuration Nugget. In this Nugget, Jeremy walks through the MANUAL configuration of a public/private VPC relationships. From creating the CIDR block, to assigning subnets, internet gateway routers, and routing tables, this Nugget is loads of fun!

VPC: It's MY Cloud Now! Understanding AWS Network Management, Part 3 - 00:25:24
When you decide to design your own networking with VPC, you gain quite a bit of flexibilty… and complexity! In this Nugget, Jeremy navigates through the design and configuration of Security Groups within the public/private VPC environment.

S3 Foundations: Getting Started with S3 - 00:26:39
Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3) is just that: Simple storage in the cloud. But why do we need this? What are some practical uses? How much does it cost? All those questions and more are answered in this informational Nugget.

S3 Foundations: Working with S3 Storage - 00:28:07
The S3 adventure continues in the AWS Management Console: Creating buckets, uploading files, setting permissions, and hosting websites! As a bonus, Jeremy goes through a simple method to make your website available worldwide using CloudFront (Amazon's Edge Distribution Network).

Route 53: DNS Management Made Easy - 00:33:21
The DNS service is so simple, its critical status is often overlooked: if your organization were to lose DNS for its services, EVERYTHING fails. In this Nugget, Jeremy unpacks the DNS management capabilities of AWS. When you're done here, you'll understand Route 53 pricing, core DNS configuration, and DNS load balancing options (simple, weighted, and latency-based).

IAM: Creating and Managing User Access - 00:28:48
When you originally create an AWS account, the username and password you used to generate the account has "master access" to every area of AWS. This is fine for a "one-man show," but you'll eventually need other restrictions. This Nugget covers everything you need to get started with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM): Creating users, creating groups, generating policies, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and assigning roles.

AWS Case Study: CBT Nuggets Move to the Cloud - 00:21:35
CBT Nuggets may never have created the AWS series if they would not have experienced the power of it first-hand! In this Nugget, Jeremy walks through the process CBT Nuggets went through to move their organization to AWS.

AWS: Series Wrap-up - 00:09:16
This Nugget wraps up the AWS series, discussing the key topics covered, as well as providing direction on where to go next.