Welcome to the AWS Glossary You’ll Actually Enjoy Reading 😂

Welcome to the AWS Glossary You’ll Actually Enjoy Reading 😂

AWS has a mind-boggling 200+ services, but don’t worry—we’re not here to drown you in jargon. Instead, we’ve handpicked 25 of the most essential AWS services and explained them in plain, relatable terms. Whether you’re new to the cloud or you’ve been navigating it for years, this glossary is your shortcut to understanding AWS in a way that actually makes sense.

Before we dive into the definitions, take a quick glance at the tree diagram below. It’s a simple breakdown of the services we’ll cover, grouped by their general purpose. No need to study it or analyze the connections—we’ll save that for another blog post. For now, just think of it as a map to guide you through the glossary.

AWS
├── Compute
│   ├── EC2
│   ├── Lambda
│   └── ECS/EKS
├── Storage
│   ├── S3
│   ├── EBS
│   └── Glacier
├── Databases
│   ├── RDS
│   ├── DynamoDB
│   └── Aurora
├── Networking
│   ├── VPC
│   ├── Route 53
│   └── CloudFront
├── Monitoring & Management
│   ├── CloudWatch
│   └── CloudTrail
├── Machine Learning
│   ├── SageMaker
│   └── Rekognition
├── Developer Tools
│   ├── CodePipeline
│   └── CloudFormation
├── Messaging
│   ├── SNS
│   └── SQS
├── Security & Identity
│   ├── IAM
│   └── KMS

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Glossary Entries

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Compute

EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)
"Think of EC2 like renting a hotel room in the cloud. You don’t need to own the building, worry about the plumbing, or do any upkeep. Just pick the size of the room you need—whether it’s a cozy single or a luxurious suite—and stay as long as you like. You only pay for the nights you use, making it perfect for on-demand computing."

Lambda
"Lambda is the cloud’s version of a lightbulb that only switches on when you clap. It doesn’t run all the time—it just waits in the wings, ready to spring into action when triggered. Bonus: you only pay for the moments it’s actually running."

ECS/EKS (Elastic Container Service/Elastic Kubernetes Service)
"Containers are like food trucks for apps—self-contained, mobile, and ready to serve. ECS/EKS are the parking lots that manage where all these trucks go and how they work together. Whether you’re into DIY (ECS) or need extra help (EKS with Kubernetes), these tools make container management a breeze."

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Storage

S3 (Simple Storage Service)
"S3 is like a giant virtual filing cabinet that never gets full. Need to store photos, videos, or even your grandma’s pie recipe? Toss it in. Everything is neatly labeled (by you) so you can find it later, and you only pay for the space you actually use. Plus, it’s pretty much indestructible, so no worries about coffee spills!"

EBS (Elastic Block Store)
"EBS is the hard drive for your EC2 instances. It’s like the external drive you plug into your laptop, except it lives in the cloud and grows as you need it. Think of it as S3’s practical cousin who’s always ready for heavy lifting."

Glacier
"Need to store something you won’t touch for a while? Glacier is like that dusty attic where you stash old photo albums or tax records. It’s super cheap, but don’t expect to grab your stuff in a hurry—it takes time to retrieve."

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Databases

RDS (Relational Database Service)
"RDS is like hiring a personal chef for your database needs. Whether you prefer MySQL, PostgreSQL, or even Oracle, RDS handles all the cooking (setup, backups, scaling) while you enjoy the meal (data)."

DynamoDB
"Imagine a librarian who can find the exact book you need in milliseconds, even if the library is the size of a football field. That’s DynamoDB—fast, serverless, and always ready to organize your NoSQL data."

Aurora
"Aurora is like upgrading your favorite car to a turbocharged version. It’s a relational database built for speed and scale, giving you all the performance of a luxury database without the hefty maintenance costs."

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Networking

VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)
"VPC is like your own private island in the AWS ocean. You control who visits, where they can go, and what they can do. It’s secure, customizable, and totally yours."

Route 53
"Think of Route 53 as your internet GPS. It helps people find your website, no matter where they are in the world, and makes sure they take the fastest route to get there."

CloudFront
"CloudFront is like an international pizza delivery service. Instead of shipping from one central location, it delivers content from the branch closest to you, so it’s hot and fresh in no time."

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Monitoring & Management

CloudWatch
"CloudWatch is your cloud’s fitness tracker. It monitors performance, usage, and overall health, giving you real-time insights to keep your apps in peak condition."

CloudTrail
"CloudTrail is like a security camera for your AWS account. It records every move—who did what, when, and how—so you always have a detailed activity log."

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Machine Learning

SageMaker
"SageMaker is the AI workshop of AWS. It’s like giving an artist every tool they need to create, train, and deploy machine learning models, all in one studio."

Rekognition
"Rekognition is AWS’s version of a bouncer with photographic memory. It can analyze images and videos to identify faces, objects, and even emotions, making it perfect for security and media tagging."

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Developer Tools

CodePipeline
"CodePipeline is the conveyor belt of modern software development. It automates your code’s journey from idea to deployment, so you can focus on creating instead of managing."

CloudFormation
"CloudFormation is like giving an architect a magic wand. Write down what you want—servers, databases, networking—and poof! The cloud builds it for you exactly as specified."

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Messaging

SNS (Simple Notification Service)
"SNS is like a megaphone for your apps. Need to send alerts or updates? It broadcasts them to the right people or systems instantly, keeping everyone in the loop."

SQS (Simple Queue Service)
"SQS is the middleman of messaging. It lines up tasks and ensures they get handled in the right order, like a super-organized bouncer at a busy club."

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Security & Identity

IAM (Identity and Access Management)
"IAM is like the keymaster for your AWS resources. It decides who gets a key (access) and what rooms (services) they can enter. Whether it’s a single user or an entire team, IAM ensures everyone has just the right amount of access—nothing more, nothing less."

KMS (Key Management Service)
"KMS is your cloud’s safe deposit box for encryption keys. It stores, manages, and uses the keys that keep your data secure. Think of it as a super-organized locksmith who ensures that only the right people can access the vault."

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And That’s AWS, Folks! 😂

There you have it—25 AWS services demystified, de-jargonized, and (hopefully) a little more fun than you expected. Whether you’re spinning up servers, storing your grandma’s pie recipes, or training AI models to recognize cats in videos, AWS has a service for it. Now, go forth and cloud responsibly—just don’t blame us if your EC2 instance turns into a hotel room for rubber ducks. 🦆💻

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Source:  AWS

Image:  AWS