Essential Guide

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Editor's note

Amazon Web Services just keeps growing and growing. Late 2013 saw the announcement of three major new AWS offerings:

  • Amazon AppStream, which lets developers build sophisticated applications that users can stream from the cloud
  • Amazon Kinesis, which enables real-time processing of big data
  • Amazon WorkSpaces, which is a Desktop as a Service offering

As of early 2014, only Amazon Kinesis is widely available, with the other two services remaining in "limited preview" format. But all three are poised to shake up how both developers and businesses use the cloud.

This guide introduces the three new AWS offerings, providing insights about whether and when to use them. As a bonus, it includes two videos from the most recent Amazon re:Invent conference that examine the issue of overprovisioning. The guide also offers an extensive glossary of AWS-related terms, and there's even a quiz that will test your knowledge.

1AWS advice concerning over-provisioning

Experts answer question about AWS, cloud computing and overprovisioning in this video section. Take a look at how different experts answer common AWS concerns about avoiding buying too much of one thing and not enough of another.

2What do you know about AWS services?

Find out if you can answer questions on AWS Infrastructure as a Service. This quiz was designed to test your knowledge on the subject and then gives you the correct answers if you've missed any.

3AWS glossary of terms

What is AWS? Find definitions for all terms related to Amazon Web Services in our glossary section, as well as links to related articles, news and tips.