Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a wide range of cloud services, and computing services are among the most important. In simple terms, computing services allow you to run applications, process data, and host virtual servers in the cloud without having to own or manage physical hardware.
This article explains AWS’s major computing services in simple language, perfect for beginners.
What Are AWS Computing Services?
AWS computing services allow you to use powerful servers, storage, and processing capabilities provided by AWS over the internet. Instead of buying physical hardware, you can use AWS resources on demand and pay only for what you use.
Key AWS Computing Services
Let’s explore some of the most popular AWS computing services step by step.
1. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)
What is it?
Amazon EC2 provides virtual servers in the cloud. These virtual servers are called instances and act just like physical computers, but they run in the AWS cloud.
Use Case: Hosting websites, running applications, or processing large workloads.
Key Features:
Choose your desired CPU, memory, and storage configuration.
Start, stop, or scale instances as needed.
Pay only for the time you use the instance.
Example: Imagine you want to run a small website. Instead of buying an expensive physical server, you can use an Amazon EC2 instance to host your site for just a few dollars per month.
2. AWS Lambda
What is it?
AWS Lambda allows you to run code without managing servers. You simply upload your code, and AWS takes care of running it when triggered by an event.
Use Case: Building serverless applications, automating tasks, or processing data in response to changes.
Key Features:
No need to manage servers.
Pay only for the actual time your code runs.
Automatically scales to handle any load.
Example: You can use AWS Lambda to process user uploads. When a file is uploaded to S3 (storage service), Lambda can automatically resize images or run checks without any manual intervention.
3. Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service)
What is it?
Amazon ECS allows you to run and manage containers. Containers are lightweight, self-contained environments for running applications.
Use Case: Deploying and scaling containerized applications using tools like Docker.
Key Features:
Supports Docker containers.
Easily scale applications across multiple servers.
Integrated with AWS services like EC2 and Fargate.
Example: If you develop a web application inside a Docker container, you can use ECS to deploy it to multiple servers automatically.
4. Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service)
What is it?
Amazon EKS is a fully managed service for running Kubernetes. Kubernetes is an open-source system that helps you manage containerized applications.
Use Case: Running large-scale, containerized workloads in a reliable and scalable way.
Key Features:
AWS manages the Kubernetes control plane.
Automatically scales applications as needed.
Integrates with other AWS services.
Example: Companies with complex applications built using microservices often use Kubernetes to manage and scale their workloads. Amazon EKS makes Kubernetes management simple and automated.
5. AWS Fargate
What is it?
AWS Fargate is a serverless computing engine for containers. You don’t need to manage servers—just focus on running your containers.
Use Case: Running containerized applications without worrying about infrastructure.
Key Features:
No need to provision or manage servers.
Works with ECS and EKS.
Scales automatically.
Example: If you are running a small app in containers, Fargate allows you to focus only on the app while AWS takes care of scaling and infrastructure.
6. Amazon Lightsail
What is it?
Amazon Lightsail is an easy-to-use cloud platform that provides everything you need to run simple applications. It’s ideal for beginners.
Use Case: Hosting websites, running simple apps, or creating development environments.
Key Features:
Simple pricing with a fixed monthly cost.
Comes with built-in storage, networking, and databases.
Great for small projects or businesses.
Example: If you are a small business owner who needs to host a WordPress website, Lightsail provides an easy, affordable solution with minimal setup.
7. AWS Batch
What is it?
AWS Batch helps you run batch processing workloads at scale. Batch processing involves running a series of tasks or jobs, such as analyzing large datasets.
Use Case: Processing data, rendering videos, or running simulations.
Key Features:
Automatically provisions the right resources for your workloads.
Supports thousands of jobs in parallel.
Cost-effective and scalable.
Example: A video production company can use AWS Batch to process and render large video files overnight.
8. Amazon Elastic Beanstalk
What is it?
Elastic Beanstalk allows you to quickly deploy applications without managing the underlying infrastructure.
Use Case: Deploying web applications and APIs.
Key Features:
Supports multiple programming languages (Python, Java, PHP, etc.).
AWS automatically handles scaling, load balancing, and monitoring.
Simple and beginner-friendly.
Example: If you create a small app in Python, you can upload your code to Elastic Beanstalk, and AWS will handle everything else (servers, scaling, and monitoring).
Summary Table: AWS Computing Services
| Service | Description | Use Case |
| Amazon EC2 | Virtual servers in the cloud | Hosting websites and apps |
| AWS Lambda | Serverless code execution | Automating tasks, event triggers |
| Amazon ECS | Container orchestration for Docker | Managing containerized apps |
| Amazon EKS | Managed Kubernetes service | Large-scale container workloads |
| AWS Fargate | Serverless containers | Running containers without servers |
| Amazon Lightsail | Simple, beginner-friendly platform | Hosting websites, simple apps |
| AWS Batch | Batch processing at scale | Processing large data sets |
| Elastic Beanstalk | Quick deployment of applications | Deploying web apps |
Conclusion
AWS computing services provide flexible and powerful options for running applications, managing containers, and processing workloads in the cloud.
If you need virtual servers, Amazon EC2 is a great place to start.
For event-driven tasks or serverless applications, try AWS Lambda.
To manage containers, you can use ECS, EKS, or Fargate.
Beginners looking for a simple option can start with Amazon Lightsail.
Each AWS service is designed for specific needs, so as you explore AWS, you’ll learn which one works best for your projects. AWS makes cloud computing easy, scalable, and cost-effective—perfect for beginners and experts alike! 🚀