AWS Console: Deep Dive Into AWS Management Interface

There is no denying that AWS is one of the leading Cloud Service Providers in the market. One of the major reasons AWS finds itself at the helm of Cloud Computing affairs is the ease with which you can access Amazon Web Services. And how does one do that? Well, we have AWS Console or AWS Management Console to help us do the same. In this blog on  AWS Console, I will pen down and demonstrate all the cool stuff you can do with AWS.

So without any further delays, lets jump onto the first topic of this AWS Console blog:

Now, Let us continue with this blog and try to understand what AWS Console is:

What Is AWS Console?

AWS Console or AWS Management Console is a web application that lets you manage AWS. It has a list of various services to choose from. This Console supports various activities like giving you metric details or account billing etc. The Console’s inbuilt user interface lets you work with S3 buckets, launch instances, etc

In simple words, you can access and manage Amazon Web Services through a simple and intuitive web-based user interface. If your concern is accessing some of the features using mobile phone, then AWS Console mobile app lets you quickly view resources on the go.

Here is the list of some of the features of AWS Console:

• Administer your AWS account
• Finding Services in the AWS Console
• Learn More About AWS
• Pin Service Shortcuts
• Tag Editor
• Manage AWS Resources from your Mobile Device

Below is the snapshot of AWS Console:

Now that the introduction is out of the way, let us continue with this AWS Console blog and see what all can we do with it.

Why Do We Need AWS Management Console?

The AWS Management Console is more than just an interface to get to cloud services. It is an important tool for managing the cloud well. Here is why it is so important:

Centralized Control

The Console gives you a unified view of all your AWS resources. Instead of using a lot of tools you can easily find, set up and keep an eye on everything from one place. This centralized access not only makes things run more smoothly but it also makes everything in your cloud environment more visible.

Simplified Resource Management

The Console is easy to use interface that makes it easy to launch EC2 instances, set up S3 storage buckets or configure RDS databases. It makes cloud management easier by eliminating the need for sophisticated command-line operations for many everyday tasks.

Operational Efficiency

The Console makes it easy for teams to launch new applications quickly and keep an eye on the ones already running. It also helps manage accounts by tracking monthly spending and handling billing smoothly.

Learning and Adaptability

For newcomers, the Console provides essential educational tools such as wizards and guided workflows. This support enables users to adjust to the cloud environment and face new challenges.

Customization and Personalization

Customizing the Console Home page with widgets such as Recently Visited and AWS Health enables users to personalize their view for quick access to essential information. Additionally, the Tag Editor feature facilitates effective management of resources that share similar attributes.

Mobile Accessibility

The AWS Console mobile app allows you to carry out essential operational tasks from anywhere, keeping you connected and in control of your cloud resources while on the move

Broad Browser Support

The Console works with most of the popular web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. This makes it easy to use without downloading any software.

One way to think of the AWS Management Console is as a command center in the cloud. With Amazon Web Services, you can do hard things faster, see what’s going on better, and get jobs done faster.

Getting Started With AWS Console

Before we start exploring the features of this console, you need to create an account on AWS. For people who do not have an account can visit AWS’ website and create a free account. You must enter your credit/debit card details. AWS would not charge you during your free subscription as long as you use the services as per the specified limits.

Once you have an account you are good to go. So what all can you do with AWS Console?

Accessing AWS Services:

There are two ways to do it. One, you can click on the Services tab on the left top corner of the Console and a list of all the services is made available to you. Two, use the search tab to look for the desired service.

Pinning Services To The Console

You can easily pin shortcuts of frequently used services to the Console. Just click on the Pin icon on top left corner of the Console and click hold the service you wish to pin it to the Console. 

Next drag and drop the desired service on the Pin icon and your shortcut would be created.

You can drag and drop them back if you want to remove these icons.

Account Drop Down

On the top right corner you have a tab with your account name. If you click on it you will have following features made available to you:

You can explore account details, organisation details, check your billing dashboard, change password etc. To the right of this tab is the ‘Region‘ tab which tells you which region are you currently operating from and you can go ahead chose other regions.

There are a lot more things one can do with the AWS Console. Each service has functionalities of its own. You may refer this blog to more about AWS.

Console Overview and Navigation of AWS Management Console

When you first open the AWS Management Console, you will see your main dashboard. You can control all of your cloud resources from here. Even though it is supposed to be easy, you’ll get things done faster if you know where to look.

Console Home

The Console Home page is where you can go to get started. It is meant to give you a quick look and easy access to the features you use most often. You will usually see:

• At first we have Widgets which are customizable boxes that show information like AWS Health, Cost & Usage Data and recommendations from AWS Trusted Advisor. Here, we can change the order of these widgets, add any new ones or remove any of these to fit our needs.
• Then we have our Search Bar which is located at the top. This search bar is our shortcut to find any AWS service, resource, or documentation. It is usually the quickest way to search for these services.

At last, we have Recently Visited Services which shows the services you have used the most. This makes it easier to pick up where you left off..

Navigating the Console

Efficient navigation is key to maximizing your time in the Console. Here are the primary ways to move between services and manage your account:

• At first, we have the Services Menu which is located in the top left corner. This menu provides a list of all AWS services categorized by their types. This is a great option to discover the new services or find the less frequently used ones.
• Then we have the Search Bar which as discussed before it located at the top. We just need to type the name of the service and it will offer suggestions, allowing us to jump directly to the service’s concole page.
• After that we have the Account Dropdown menu which is located at the top right corner. Clicking on your account name will reveal a dropdown menu where you can find all the options related to your account, including:
  • My Account: Here you can access your account settings, billings and usage report.
  • AWS Organizations: You can access this if your account is part of any organization.
  • Security Credentials: Here you can manage your access keys and other security settings.
  • Switch Role / Sign Out: This one is important for security and management of multiple AWS accounts.
• Next, we have the Region Selector which is located at the top right. Here, you can see the currently selected AWS region and can manage the region settings as you might have deployed different resources in different regions depending on the requirements.
• At last, we have the Notifications & Support menu which includes a bell shaped icon for notifications, a question mark for help and support, and a icon for AWS CloudShell.

Within a Service Console

When you arrive at a specific service, you’ll usually see a handy navigation pane on the left side. This pane is designed just for that service, making it easy for you to discover its many features and resources!

By understanding these key areas and navigation methods, you can efficiently interact with your AWS resources and make the most of the Management Console.

What are the main services offered on the AWS Management Console?

There are over 200 services on AWS that make it easy for us to build and run apps and other cloud based tasks. You can also pick the type of storage that works best for you, such as file storage, cloud object storage, and block storage.

The Console connects seamlessly with all AWS resources, highlighting some of the most popular services such as:

1. Amazon EC2

This web service makes it easy for users to rent serverless or virtual machines, referred to as Amazon EC2 instances, right in the AWS cloud to run their applications. What’s great is that these EC2 instances can automatically scale up or down, adapting to the computing capacity you need. Plus, there are various instance types available to suit different resources like CPU, storage, memory, and networking capacity!

2. Amazon S3

S3 offers a wonderful low-cost, scalable, high-speed, and secure object storage service in the cloud. It’s perfect for online data backup and archiving of application programs, making your life so much easier! Plus, S3 has a user-friendly web interface that ensures easy accessibility for everyone. People love using it for various purposes, including file storage for websites, enterprise apps, and mobile apps, along with seamless backup and restore functions.

3. Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)

RDS is a fully managed and distributed cloud-based relational database service. The goal was to make it easier for developers and DevOps teams to handle databases and make them bigger.Oracle Database, SQL Server, Amazon Aurora, MySQL, and PostgreSQL are the six well-known database systems you can pick from.   You now have a lot of options to help you find the right one for you!

4. Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS)

Setting up and growing containers in the cloud is straightforward with our fully managed container orchestration solution.  ECS works nicely with a number of Amazon services, including AWS IAM, AWS Secrets Manager, and AWS CloudWatch.

5. AWS OpsWorks

AWS OpsWorks is a wonderful cloud computing service that helps cloud managers build up infrastructure.  You may easily use managed versions of Chef and Puppet, which are wonderful automation tools that employ code to make setting up servers easier.

6. AWS IAM

This directory service is designed to help you securely track system users, manage permissions, and easily provide or restrict authentication access to AWS services. Plus, it gives IAM users shared access to an AWS account, making collaboration simpler!

7. AWS CloudWatch

This component offers seamless monitoring for AWS resources and customer applications that are running smoothly on the Amazon infrastructure.

8. Route 53

This wonderfully available and scalable domain name system service offers a dependable way for businesses and developers to connect end users with their applications. Route 53 makes this happen by seamlessly translating domain names into IP addresses, ensuring everyone can find what they’re looking for!

9. AWS CloudFront

CloudFront is a fantastic globally distributed content network that securely and quickly transfers various types of content to clients. This content can be anything from software and videos to software development kits! With caching at edge locations, every time someone requests the content, it’s swiftly retrieved from the nearest edge server. This not only cuts down on latency and workload but also ensures that applications are highly available for everyone.

10. AWS Elastic Beanstalk

This service makes it easy to deploy and scale your web apps and services. AWS Elastic Beanstalk makes it easy to set up, configure, scale, and provision different AWS services like Amazon S3, Amazon DynamoDB, and Amazon SimpleDB. It is like having an extra hand to help things go smoothly.

These services are a small part of what the AWS Management Console offers. Providing intuitive access to computing power, storage, databases, and security, the Console is your hub for building, deploying, and managing cloud-based solutions.

Conclusion

The AWS Management Console is where you can control everything about Amazon Web Services. We talked about how AWS Glue and other basic services make it easier to work with your data by giving you powerful tools and clear parts. We also learned that the Console makes it easier to use well-known services like S3, EC2, and RDS. You can easily build, deploy, and manage your cloud resources with this simple web interface that gives you direct access to AWS’s power..Learn more about AWS with the AWS Training and Certification.

FAQs

1. What is a management console used for?

You can use the AWS Management Console, which is a web-based interface, to get to, manage, and keep an eye on AWS cloud services and resources.

2. Where is the navigation pane in AWS?

Usually, the navigation pane is on the left side of each AWS service console in the AWS Management Console.

3. What is the role of the AWS management console and the AWS CLI in managing cloud services?

The Console has a graphical, easy-to-use interface for manual management, while the CLI has text-based commands for automation and scripting.

4. What are the five items from the navigation pane?

Common items in the top navigation bar include:

• Services Menu
• Search Bar
• Account Dropdown
• Region Selector
• AWS CloudShell

5. How to use the AWS console?

Use a web browser to sign in. After that, you can go to services through the search bar or services menu, manage resources, keep an eye on usage, and change settings.

This pretty much brings us to the end of this blog on AWS Console. In case if you wish to gain expertise in this subject, Edureka has come up with a curriculum which covers exactly, what you would need to crack the Solution Architect Exam! You can join AWS Master Program and become the master.

Also, If you wish to take your knowledge to the next level, and take a structured approach in the form of training, then this AWS DevOps Course by Edureka is specially catered to meet your needs.

In case of any queries related to this blog, please feel free to put question in the comments section below and we would be more than happy to reply to you the earliest.