Chapter 1: Understanding Cloud Resources

In today’s tech landscape, leveraging cloud resources is essential for businesses. The cloud operates as a centralized data hub, offering various resources over the internet. This model enables the on-demand delivery of databases, applications, and IT services, all while following a pay-as-you-go pricing strategy.

For instance, consider a small company establishing an IT department. It must manage both capital expenditures (Capex) and operational expenditures (Opex):

• Capex refers to the initial costs for physical infrastructure like servers, routers, and firewalls. Prior to the advent of cloud computing, organizations had to purchase these assets outright.
• Opex encompasses the ongoing costs necessary for running the business, including salaries, utilities, and maintenance.

While a small enterprise can manage a few servers, larger corporations requiring hundreds or thousands face significant logistical and financial challenges. Instead of acquiring all necessary equipment, businesses can utilize cloud infrastructure, known as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

Key Characteristics of Cloud Computing:

• On-demand Self-Service: Access cloud services anytime, anywhere.
• Broad Network Access: Services are available over the internet.
• Scalability: Easily scale resources up or down based on demand.
• Resource Pooling: Access to a variety of resources in one location.
• Measured Services: Monitor and optimize resource usage.

Chapter 2: Setting Up a Linux Machine on AWS Free Tier

To begin utilizing a Linux machine in the AWS cloud, follow these simple steps to create a free account:

1. Create an AWS Free Tier Account: Search for "AWS Free Tier" on Google and click the appropriate link.
2. Sign Up: Fill out your information, including contact and payment details, to secure a one-year free subscription.
3. Log In: After signing up, access your account to navigate the console where you can create servers and utilize other services.
4. Select Your Region: Choose the geographical region for your server by clicking on the upper-right corner. Remember, the locations of your servers are critical.
5. Access EC2: If the EC2 instance page doesn’t display, simply click on "Services" followed by "EC2."
6. Launch an Instance: Click on "Running Instances," then "Launch Instance," and select "Amazon Linux 64-bit" or another configuration of your choice.
7. Configure Instance: After selecting, the T2 micro instance should appear. Proceed to configure the instance.
8. Choose the Number of Instances: Decide how many instances to create; the time taken remains constant regardless of the number of instances.
9. Select Storage: Allocate storage space for your instances. For free tier accounts, a maximum of 30 GB is available, but 8 GB suffices for practice.
10. Tag Your Instance: Assign relevant tags to your instance for better organization.
11. Set Access Type: Opt for SSH access and set the source to "Anywhere" to ensure accessibility from any location.
12. Review and Launch: Check the instance type and properties before clicking "Launch."
13. Create a Key Pair: A dialogue box will prompt you to create a new key pair for secure access. Name your key and download it.
14. Launch the Instance: After downloading the key pair, click on "Launch Instance." Your Linux machine will be ready in about two minutes.
15. Accessing the Linux Machine: Utilize PuTTY to connect to your Linux instance. Download both PuTTY and PuTTYgen.
16. Generate a .ppk File: Open PuTTYgen, load your downloaded key, and save the private key for PuTTY.
17. Connect Using PuTTY: Paste the IPv4 address of your Linux machine into PuTTY, select the saved .ppk file under SSH > Auth, and click "Open."
18. Log In: Use the username "ec2-user" to access your Linux terminal. You’re now set to explore and practice Linux commands.

Feel free to reach out via LinkedIn or Twitter for any questions.

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This video demonstrates how to create a free Linux environment on AWS and connect from Windows and Mac OS.

This tutorial provides detailed instructions for creating a Linux virtual machine on AWS EC2.