AWS Solutions Architect Exam - SAA-C03

AWS Solutions Architect Exam - SAA-C03

• The course is designed for the AWS Solutions Architect - Associate exam (SAA-C03).
• Basic IT knowledge is required.
• The course will cover over 30 AWS services.
• The course includes videos from the Cloud Practitioner, Developer and SysOps courses, as well as videos specific to the Solutions Architect exam.

Instructor

• The instructor is Stephane Maarek, an AWS Solutions Architect and veteran instructor.
• He worked as an IT consultant and has built websites, apps, and streaming platforms using AWS.
• You can find him on GitHub, LinkedIn, Medium, and Twitter.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in AWS

• MFA devices can be hardware key fobs.
• Gemalto and SurePassID are third-party providers for hardware key fobs.
• Hardware key fobs are available for AWS GovCloud (US).

Accessing AWS

• You can access AWS through the AWS Management Console, AWS Command Line Interface (CLI), or AWS Software Development Kit (SDK).
• The Management Console is protected by passwords and MFA.
• The CLI and SDK are protected by access keys.
• Access keys are generated through the AWS Console.
• Users manage their own access keys.
• Access keys are secret and should not be shared.
• Access Key ID is similar to a username.
• Secret Access Key is similar to a password.

AWS Command Line Interface (CLI)

• The CLI is a tool that allows you to interact with AWS services using commands in your command-line shell.
• It provides direct access to the public APIs of AWS services.
• You can develop scripts to manage your resources.
• It is open-source and available on GitHub.
• The CLI is an alternative to the AWS Management Console.

AWS Software Development Kit (SDK)

• The SDK allows you to manage and interact with AWS services programmatically.
• You can use the SDK to develop applications that interact with AWS services.
• It is an alternative to manually making API calls.

Security Groups

• Security groups act as a firewall on EC2 instances.
• They regulate access to ports, authorized IP ranges, and control inbound and outbound network traffic.
• Security groups have rules that define what traffic is allowed in and out of the EC2 instance.
• Security groups can be attached to multiple instances.
• Security groups are locked down to a specific region and VPC combination.
• They live outside the EC2 instances.
• All inbound traffic is blocked by default.
• All outbound traffic is authorized by default.

EC2 Instance Purchasing Options

• On-Demand Instances: - Short workload, predictable pricing, pay by second
• Reserved Instances (1 & 3 years): - Long workloads, discount, upfront payment commitment
  • Conver tible Reserved Instances: - Flexible instance type, family, OS, scope, and tenancy
• Savings Plans (1 & 3 years): - Commitment to an amount of usage, long workload, discount
• Spot Instances: - Short workloads, cheap, can lose instances (less reliable)
• Dedicated Hosts: - Book an entire physical server, control instance placement
• Dedicated Instances: - No other customers share your hardware
• Capacity Reservations: - Reserve capacity in a specific Availability Zone for any duration

EC2 Instance Purchasing Option Details

• On-Demand Instances: Pay for what you use, highest cost, no upfront payment, no long-term commitment. Recommended for short-term and uninterrupted workloads.
• Reserved Instances: Up to 72% discount compared to On-Demand, long-term commitment. Recommended for steady-state usage applications. Can be bought and sold in the Reserved Instance Marketplace.

EC2 Instance Storage

• Instance Store: - Temporary storage that is lost when the instance terminates.
• Elastic Block Store (EBS): - Persistent storage that is not lost when the instance terminates. Can be mounted to only one instance at a time and are bound to a specific Availability Zone.

EBS Volume

• An EBS volume is a network drive that can be attached to your instances while they run.
• It allows instances to persist data even after termination.
• Only one instance can be mounted at the same time.
• Bound to a specific Availability Zone.
• Free tier: 30 GB of free EBS storage per month.
• Analogous to a "network USB stick".

Classic Ports

• 22: SSH (Secure Shell) - log into a Linux instance
• 21: FTP (File Transfer Protocol) – upload files into a file share
• 22: SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) – upload files using SSH
• 80: HTTP – access unsecured websites
• 443: HTTPS – access secured websites
• 3389: RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) – log into a Windows instance

SSH Summary Table

• Mac/Linux: Use SSH
• Windows < 10: Use Putty
• Windows >= 10: Use SSH or Putty
• EC2 Instance Connect: Use EC2 Instance Connect tool

SSH Troubleshooting

• If SSH doesn't work, try these steps:
  • Make sure your security group allows inbound traffic on port 22.
  • Verify your EC2 instance's status and ensure it is running.
  • Confirm that you are using the correct SSH credentials.
  • Ensure that the SSH client you are using is properly configured.

Important to Remember

• An instance can NOT be hibernated more than 60 days.
• The root volume for an instance must be EBS, encrypted, not instance store, and large.
• Instance storage is temporary and is lost when the instance shuts down.
• An EBS volume can be attached to only one instance at a time.