I still remember Amazon Web Services (AWS) when it was simply a method for getting information about Amazon products, making sales, and getting product status. The original web service didn’t do much, but people absolutely loved it, so it continued to evolve. Amazon has put a lot of work into AWS since that humble beginning and now you can perform all sorts of tasks that have nothing to do with buying or selling anything. You can create an entire IT structure for your organization that doesn’t involve any of the micromanagement, hardware purchases, software purchases, and other issues that kept IT from doing what it was supposed to do in the past-serving user needs in the most efficient manner possible.
There are a number of AWS books either published or currently in the process of being published, but these books don’t really answer the one question that everyone appears to be asking in the forums online, “How do I get started?” However, in recent years this has changed with more blogs talking about the subject. You can even check out this great AWS blog for more information. As for books, most of the titles out there right now answer questions for a specific group after that group has installed the product and gotten started with it. AWS is immense and is naturally intimidating. Unfortunately, the getting started documentation from Amazon is incomplete, outdated, and hard to understand. Amazon Web Services for Admins for Dummies helps administrators (the focus group) and others (such as DevOps and developers) get started so that they can actually make use of that next level up book. Here are the sorts of things you see covered in the book:
- Part I: Uncovering the AWS Landscape
- Chapter 1: Starting Your AWS Adventure
- Chapter 2: Obtaining Free Amazon Services
- Chapter 3: Determining Which Services to Use
- Part II: Configuring a Virtual Server
- Chapter 4: Creating a Virtual Server Using EC2
- Chapter 5: Managing Web Apps Using Elastic Beanstalk
- Chapter 6: Responding to Events with Lambda
- Part III: Working with Storage
- Chapter 7: Working with Cloud Storage Using S3
- Chapter 8: Managing Files Using Elastic File System
- Chapter 9: Archiving Data Using Glacier
- Part IV: Performing Basic Database Management
- Chapter 10: Getting Basic DBMS Using RDS
- Chapter 11: Moving Data Using Database Migration Service
- Chapter 12: Gaining NoSQL Access Using DynamoDB
- Part V: Interacting with Networks
- Chapter 13: Isolating Cloud Resources Using Virtual Private Cloud
- Chapter 14: Connecting Directly to AWS with Direct Connect
- Part VI: Getting Free Software
- Chapter 15: Using the Infrastructure Software
- Chapter 16: Supporting Users with Business Software
- Part VII: The Part of Tens
- Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Deploy AWS Quickly
- Chapter 18: Ten Must Have AWS Software Packages
As you can see, this book is going to give you a good start in working with AWS by helping you with the basics. Because of the subject matter, I really want to avoid making any errors in this book, which is where you come into play. I’m looking for beta readers who want to use AWS to perform basic administration tasks, even when those tasks are related to a home office. In fact, I have a strong interest in trying to meet the needs of the small-to-medium sized business (SMB) because many of the other books out there cover the enterprise to the exclusion of these smaller entities. As a beta reader, you get to see the material as I write it. Your comments will help me improve the text and make it easier to use.
As you can see from the outline, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is actually a huge array of services that can affect consumers, Small to Medium Sized Business (SMB), and enterprises. Using AWS, you can do everything from back up your personal hard drive to creating a full-fledged IT department in the cloud. The installed base is immense. You can find case studies of companies like Adobe and Netflix that use AWS at https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/. AWS use isn’t just for private companies either-even the government is involved. That’s why Amazon Web Services for Admins for Dummies has a somewhat narrowly focused audience and emphasizes a specific set of tasks that it will help you perform. Otherwise, a single book couldn’t even begin to cover the topic.
In consideration of your time and effort, your name will appear in the Acknowledgements (unless you specifically request that we not provide it). You also get to read the book free of charge. Being a beta reader is both fun and educational. If you have any interest in reviewing this book, please contact me at [email protected] and will fill in all the details for you.