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AWS Services
Cheat Sheet

EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, CloudFront, IAM, VPC and when to use each — one page, 50+ services mapped with decision guides and real-world use cases for beginners to cloud practitioners.

⚡ Compute 🗄️ Storage 🛢️ Database 🌐 Networking 🔐 Security & IAM λ Serverless 🛠️ Dev Tools 🤖 AI & ML 📋 All 50+ Services
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50+Services Covered
10+Categories Mapped
1 PagesPage Referenc
FreeAlways
⚡ Compute 🗄️ Storage 🛢️ Database 🌐 Networking 🔐 Security λ Serverless 🛠️ Dev Tools 🤖 AI & ML 📊 Monitoring 📋 All Services
Cloud Computing

Compute Services

Run applications in the cloud — from virtual machines to containers to serverless functions.

🖥️
EC2 — Elastic Compute Cloud
Virtual servers (instances) in the cloud. Full control over OS, CPU, RAM, and storage.
Instance Family Best For
t3 / t4g General purpose, low-cost web apps
c6i / c7g CPU-intensive (compute optimized)
r6i / x2idn Memory-heavy (SAP, in-mem DB)
p4d / g5 GPU / Machine learning training
i3 / i4i NVMe storage, high I/O
  • On-DemandPay per second, no commitment
  • Reserved1–3 yr commitment, up to 72% off
  • SpotUnused capacity, up to 90% off, interruptible
  • Savings PlansFlexible RI alternative, commit $/hr
IaaS Auto Scaling Multi-AZ
🐳
ECS & EKS — Container Services
Run Docker containers at scale. ECS is AWS-native; EKS is managed Kubernetes.
Service When to Use
ECS (Fargate) Containers without managing servers
ECS (EC2) More control, custom AMIs needed
EKS Already using Kubernetes; complex workloads
ECR Private Docker image registry on AWS
App Runner Simplest way to deploy containers
Containers Kubernetes Fargate
🌱
Elastic Beanstalk
PaaS — deploy apps without managing infrastructure. Just upload code, AWS handles the rest.
  • SupportedNode.js, Python, Java, .NET, PHP, Ruby, Go, Docker
  • HandlesLoad balancing, auto scaling, health monitoring
  • Use whenYou want PaaS simplicity but still own the EC2 instances
  • Avoid whenNeed fine-grained infra control or complex microservices
PaaS Zero Infra Mgmt

🤔 Compute Decision Guide

Need Pick Why
Full OS control, custom software EC2 IaaS, full root access, any OS/runtime
Run existing app, don't manage infra Elastic Beanstalk PaaS, handles scaling/patching automatically
Containerised microservices (AWS-native) ECS + Fargate No cluster management, per-task billing
Kubernetes workloads EKS Managed K8s control plane
Event-driven, short tasks < 15 min Lambda Serverless, pay per invocation
Simple web app from container image App Runner Fully managed, simplest deployment path
High performance computing / batch jobs AWS Batch Managed batch scheduling on EC2/Spot
Data Storage

Storage Services

Object, block, file, and archive storage — pick the right one for your access patterns.

🪣
S3 — Simple Storage Service
Virtually unlimited object storage. The backbone of AWS storage.
Storage Class Use Case
S3 Standard Frequently accessed data
Standard-IA Infrequent access, rapid retrieval
One Zone-IA Infrequent, non-critical, single AZ
Intelligent-Tiering Unknown/changing access patterns
Glacier Instant Archive, millisecond retrieval
Glacier Deep Long-term archive, hours retrieval
  • Durability99.999999999% (11 nines)
  • Max obj size5 TB per object
  • VersioningKeep all versions, restore any time
💾
EBS & EFS — Block & File
EBS = SSD/HDD volumes attached to EC2. EFS = shared NFS file system.
Service Type Key Trait
EBS gp3 Block General SSD, single instance
EBS io2 Block High IOPS, databases
EBS st1 Block Throughput HDD, big data
EFS File Shared NFS, multi-EC2
FSx Lustre File HPC, ML training fast FS
FSx Windows File Windows file share (SMB)
Block Storage Shared File
🗺️
Storage Decision Guide
Choose the right storage type for your workload.
  • Static files / media→ S3 Standard
  • EC2 OS disk / DB→ EBS gp3 or io2
  • Shared across EC2s→ EFS (Linux) or FSx Windows
  • Long-term archive→ S3 Glacier Deep Archive
  • Data lake / analytics→ S3 + Athena / Glue
  • Hybrid on-prem backup→ AWS Storage Gateway
  • Large data migration→ AWS Snowball / Snowcone
Managed Databases

Database Services

Relational, NoSQL, in-memory, time-series, graph — AWS has a managed database for every data model.

🛢️
RDS — Relational Database Service
Managed SQL databases. AWS handles backups, patching, failover — you manage the schema.
Engine Best For
Aurora MySQL Up to 5× faster MySQL, cloud-native
Aurora PostgreSQL Up to 3× faster Postgres, cloud-native
MySQL Standard MySQL, lower cost
PostgreSQL Advanced SQL, JSON, extensions
Oracle License included or BYOL
SQL Server Microsoft workloads
MariaDB MySQL fork, open-source
  • Multi-AZAutomatic failover to standby in another AZ
  • Read ReplicasScale reads, cross-region replication
  • Aurora ServerlessAuto-scale capacity, pause when idle
⚡
DynamoDB — NoSQL at Scale
Fully managed key-value & document database. Single-digit millisecond latency at any scale.
  • Primary KeyPartition key (+ optional sort key)
  • GSI / LSIGlobal/Local Secondary Indexes for alternate query patterns
  • DAXIn-memory cache, microsecond reads
  • StreamsChange data capture → trigger Lambda
  • On-demandPay per request, auto scales instantly
  • Use whenHigh throughput, flexible schema, gaming, IoT, sessions
  • Avoid whenComplex JOINs, ad-hoc SQL queries needed
NoSQL Serverless Global Tables
Database Type When to Use
RDS / Aurora Relational Structured data, ACID transactions, reporting, ERP/CRM systems
DynamoDB Key-Value / Doc High-scale web apps, gaming, IoT, user sessions, shopping carts
ElastiCache (Redis) In-Memory Caching, leaderboards, pub/sub, real-time analytics, session store
ElastiCache (Memcached) In-Memory Simple caching, multi-threaded, stateless
Neptune Graph Social networks, fraud detection, knowledge graphs, recommendations
Timestream Time-Series IoT telemetry, DevOps metrics, industrial sensor data
DocumentDB Document MongoDB-compatible workloads, content management, catalogs
Keyspaces Wide Column Cassandra-compatible, IoT at scale, time-series-like
Redshift Data Warehouse Petabyte-scale analytics, BI tools, OLAP queries
OpenSearch Search Full-text search, log analytics, Elasticsearch-compatible
Network & CDN

Networking & Content Delivery

VPC, subnets, load balancers, DNS, CDN — control how traffic flows in and out of AWS.

🏗️
VPC — Virtual Private Cloud
Your own isolated network in AWS. Control IP ranges, subnets, routing, and security.
  • SubnetPublic (internet-facing) or Private (internal only)
  • IGWInternet Gateway — VPC ↔ public internet
  • NAT GWPrivate subnet → internet (no inbound)
  • Security GroupStateful firewall at instance level
  • NACLStateless firewall at subnet level
  • VPC PeeringConnect two VPCs privately
  • VPN / DXConnect on-premises to AWS
🌐
CloudFront — CDN
Global Content Delivery Network. Cache content at 450+ edge locations worldwide.
  • OriginsS3, EC2, ALB, API Gateway, custom HTTP
  • CacheTTL-based caching at edge; reduce origin load
  • OACOrigin Access Control — only CloudFront reads S3
  • FunctionsRun JS at edge for request/response manipulation
  • WAFAttach WAF to block bad traffic at the edge
  • Use forStatic sites, video streaming, API acceleration, DDoS protection
CDN Low Latency 450+ PoPs
⚖️
Load Balancers & Route 53
Distribute traffic and manage DNS for your AWS workloads.
Service Layer Use For
ALB L7 HTTP/S Web apps, path-based routing, gRPC
NLB L4 TCP/UDP Ultra-low latency, static IP, gaming
GLB L3/L4 Deploy network appliances (firewalls)
CLB L4/L7 Legacy (prefer ALB)
  • Route 53DNS + health checks + routing policies (weighted, latency, failover, geolocation)
  • Global AcceleratorRoute via AWS backbone for lowest latency globally
Identity & Security

Security & IAM

Control who can access what in AWS. Identity, encryption, compliance, and threat detection.

🔐
IAM — Identity & Access Management
Control who (identity) can do what (permissions) to which AWS resources.
  • UsersIndividual people; get long-term credentials
  • GroupsCollection of users with shared permissions
  • RolesAssumed by services/apps; no long-term keys
  • PoliciesJSON documents defining Allow/Deny actions
  • Least PrivilegeGrant only minimum permissions needed
  • MFAAlways enable for root + IAM users
  • Root accountNever use daily; lock down immediately
Always Needed Free Service
🛡️
Security Services
Threat detection, encryption, secrets, and compliance at scale.
  • GuardDutyML-based threat detection; monitors CloudTrail, DNS, VPC Flow Logs
  • WAFWeb Application Firewall; block SQL injection, XSS
  • ShieldDDoS protection; Standard (free) + Advanced
  • Secrets ManagerStore & rotate DB passwords, API keys securely
  • KMSManaged encryption keys; integrate with all AWS services
  • MacieFind PII & sensitive data in S3 automatically
  • InspectorAutomated vulnerability scanning for EC2 & containers
📋
Compliance & Audit
Track changes, ensure compliance, and audit every API call in AWS.
  • CloudTrailLog every API call — who did what, when, from where
  • AWS ConfigTrack resource configuration changes over time
  • Security HubCentralised security findings dashboard
  • IAM Access AnalyzerFind resources shared with external entities
  • SSO / Identity CenterSingle sign-on across multiple AWS accounts
  • OrganizationsManage multiple AWS accounts; apply SCPs
Audit Compliance
Event-Driven

Serverless & Messaging

Build event-driven apps without provisioning servers. Pay only for what you use.

λ
Lambda — Serverless Functions
Run code in response to events. No servers, auto-scaling, pay per 1ms execution.
  • RuntimesPython, Node.js, Java, Go, .NET, Ruby, custom
  • Max timeout15 minutes per invocation
  • Max memory10 GB RAM (CPU scales with RAM)
  • TriggersAPI Gateway, S3, DynamoDB Streams, SQS, SNS, EventBridge, CloudWatch
  • Concurrency1000 concurrent by default (request increase)
  • Free tier1M requests / 400K GB-sec per month free
Serverless Event-Driven
📨
Messaging & API Services
Decouple services with queues, pub/sub, and managed API endpoints.
  • API GatewayREST/WebSocket APIs; proxy to Lambda or HTTP backends
  • SQSMessage queue; decouple microservices; standard or FIFO
  • SNSPub/Sub notifications; fan-out to SQS, Lambda, email, SMS
  • EventBridgeServerless event bus; route events from AWS/SaaS services
  • Step FunctionsOrchestrate Lambda/services into visual workflows
  • KinesisReal-time data streaming; logs, clickstreams, IoT
🔗
Common Serverless Patterns
Proven architectures combining serverless building blocks.
  • REST APIAPI Gateway → Lambda → DynamoDB
  • File ProcessingS3 upload → S3 Event → Lambda → S3 output
  • Fan-outSNS → multiple SQS queues → Lambda consumers
  • Scheduled JobsCloudWatch Events (cron) → Lambda
  • WorkflowStep Functions → orchestrate multiple Lambda steps
  • Real-time StreamKinesis Data Streams → Lambda → DynamoDB/S3
CI/CD & IaC

Developer Tools

Build, test, deploy, and manage infrastructure as code with AWS developer services.

🚀
CI/CD Pipeline
Fully managed DevOps pipeline services for continuous delivery.
  • CodeCommitManaged Git repositories (like GitHub on AWS)
  • CodeBuildManaged build service; compile, test, package
  • CodeDeployAutomated deployment to EC2, ECS, Lambda
  • CodePipelineOrchestrate full CI/CD workflow visually
  • CodeArtifactPrivate package repository (npm, Maven, PyPI)
🏗️
Infrastructure as Code
Define and provision AWS infrastructure declaratively — no clicking in the console.
  • CloudFormationAWS-native IaC in JSON/YAML; free to use
  • CDKDefine infra in Python/TypeScript/Java; compiles to CF
  • SAMServerless Application Model; simplified Lambda/API deployment
  • TerraformThird-party IaC; multi-cloud, HCL syntax (popular)
  • Systems ManagerManage EC2 at scale; parameter store, patch manager, session manager
Artificial Intelligence

AI & Machine Learning

From pre-built AI APIs to full ML training pipelines — AWS has services for every ML skill level.

🤖
Pre-Built AI Services
Use AI via simple API calls — no ML experience needed.
  • RekognitionImage/video analysis — faces, labels, moderation
  • TranscribeSpeech to text, multilingual
  • PollyText to speech, natural-sounding voices
  • TranslateNeural machine translation, 75+ languages
  • ComprehendNLP — sentiment, entities, topics, PII detection
  • TextractExtract text & data from PDFs, scanned docs
  • LexBuild conversational chatbots (powers Alexa)
🧪
SageMaker & Bedrock
Build, train, deploy custom ML models and access foundation models.
  • SageMakerEnd-to-end ML platform: notebooks, training, hosting
  • SageMaker StudioIDE for ML — Jupyter + experiment tracking
  • SageMaker AutopilotAutoML — best model automatically
  • BedrockAccess Claude, Llama, Titan, Stable Diffusion via API
  • Bedrock AgentsBuild autonomous AI agents with tool use
  • Q DeveloperAI coding assistant (GitHub Copilot alternative)
📊
Analytics Services
Process and visualise data at any scale.
  • RedshiftPetabyte data warehouse, BI/analytics SQL
  • AthenaQuery S3 with SQL; serverless, pay per query
  • GlueETL service; catalog & transform data
  • QuickSightBI dashboards; serverless, ML-powered insights
  • Lake FormationBuild secure data lakes on S3 easily
  • MSKManaged Apache Kafka for real-time streaming
Observability

Monitoring & Observability

Know what's happening in your AWS environment — metrics, logs, traces, and alarms.

📊
CloudWatch
The central monitoring hub for all AWS services.
  • MetricsCPU, memory, latency, custom metrics from app code
  • LogsCentralise logs from EC2, Lambda, containers
  • AlarmsAlert via SNS / auto-scale when thresholds breached
  • DashboardsBuild visual operations dashboards
  • Events / SchedulerCron jobs, react to AWS service state changes
  • Logs InsightsSQL-like query language to search log groups
🔍
X-Ray & Other Tools
Distributed tracing, cost management, and infrastructure visibility.
  • X-RayDistributed tracing — trace requests across microservices
  • Cost ExplorerVisualise and forecast AWS spend by service/tag
  • BudgetsSet spend alerts before bills arrive
  • Trusted AdvisorBest practice checks: cost, security, performance, fault tolerance
  • Health DashboardAWS service status & personalised event alerts
  • Well-Arch ToolReview architecture against 6 pillars framework
Complete Reference

All 50+ Services at a Glance

Every major AWS service, category, and one-line description for fast lookup.

⚡ Compute
  • EC2Virtual servers
  • LambdaServerless functions
  • ECSContainer orchestration
  • EKSManaged Kubernetes
  • FargateServerless containers
  • BeanstalkPaaS app hosting
  • BatchManaged batch jobs
  • LightsailSimple VPS for beginners
  • App RunnerSimple container hosting
  • OutpostsAWS hardware on-premises
🗄️ Storage
  • S3Object storage
  • EBSBlock volumes for EC2
  • EFSShared file system
  • FSx LustreHPC/ML fast file system
  • FSx WindowsWindows file share
  • GlacierLong-term archive
  • Storage GWHybrid on-prem storage
  • SnowballPhysical data migration
  • SnowconeSmall edge device
  • SnowmobileExabyte data migration truck
🛢️ Database
  • RDSManaged relational DB
  • AuroraCloud-native SQL
  • DynamoDBNoSQL key-value
  • ElastiCacheIn-memory Redis/Memcached
  • NeptuneGraph database
  • TimestreamTime-series database
  • DocumentDBMongoDB-compatible
  • KeyspacesCassandra-compatible
  • RedshiftData warehouse
  • QLDBImmutable ledger DB
🌐 Networking
  • VPCVirtual private network
  • CloudFrontCDN / edge caching
  • Route 53DNS + health checks
  • ALBLayer 7 load balancer
  • NLBLayer 4 load balancer
  • Global AccelGlobal AWS backbone routing
  • Direct ConnectPrivate fiber to AWS
  • Site-to-Site VPNEncrypted tunnel to AWS
  • Transit GWConnect many VPCs/networks
  • PrivateLinkPrivate service endpoints
🔐 Security
  • IAMAccess control
  • KMSEncryption key management
  • Secrets ManagerStore/rotate secrets
  • GuardDutyThreat detection
  • WAFWeb app firewall
  • ShieldDDoS protection
  • MacieFind sensitive data in S3
  • InspectorVulnerability scanner
  • CognitoUser auth / OAuth / SSO for apps
  • ACMFree SSL/TLS certificates
λ Serverless & Messaging
  • LambdaServerless functions
  • API GatewayManaged REST/WS APIs
  • SQSMessage queue
  • SNSPub/Sub notifications
  • EventBridgeServerless event bus
  • Step FunctionsWorkflow orchestration
  • Kinesis Data StreamsReal-time data streaming
  • Kinesis FirehoseLoad streams to S3/Redshift
  • SESSend emails at scale
  • AppSyncManaged GraphQL API
🤖 AI & ML
  • SageMakerFull ML platform
  • BedrockFoundation models API
  • RekognitionImage/video AI
  • TranscribeSpeech to text
  • PollyText to speech
  • TranslateLanguage translation
  • ComprehendNLP / text analysis
  • TextractDocument text extraction
  • LexChatbot builder
  • PersonalizeRecommendation engine
📊 Monitoring & Management
  • CloudWatchMetrics, logs, alarms
  • CloudTrailAPI call audit log
  • AWS ConfigConfig change tracking
  • X-RayDistributed tracing
  • Trusted AdvisorBest practices checks
  • Systems ManagerEC2 management at scale
  • Cost ExplorerSpend visualisation
  • BudgetsCost alerts
  • OrganizationsMulti-account management
  • Control TowerLanding zone setup

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