AWS web app development, we make apps, portals and SaaS products that achieve scale using the Amazon Web Services environment and tools.

You probably know Amazon for their online shop or their Prime movies, but you might not know that they also provide cloud computing services. Amazon has modelled these services on those they used when creating their online retail website (and they definitely did that right). From infrastructure as a service (IaaS) to software as a service (SaaS), they have a whole range of tools that we can utilise to build advanced, robust web applications for your business.

Frequently Asked Questions About AWS Development

What is Amazon Web Services (AWS) and how can it benefit my business?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud computing platform provided by Amazon that offers scalable and (sometimes) cost-effective cloud computing solutions.

AWS can benefit your business by reducing IT costs, providing a flexible and scalable environment to grow, and offering a wide range of services that can be tailored to meet specific needs, from hosting simple websites to complex machine learning applications.

Is using AWS always cheaper than hosting on dedicated hardware?

The cost-effectiveness of using AWS compared to dedicated hardware can vary depending on your business's specific needs and usage patterns. AWS provides a flexible infrastructure, which can be more cost-efficient for businesses that require scalability and high availability without the need to invest heavily in physical hardware. For instance, Amazon S3 allows us to store large volumes of files in the cloud, eliminating the need for manual server provisioning and management. This abstraction, where AWS handles the complexity, means we can focus on uploading files without worrying about their distribution across servers.

While this can sometimes be more expensive on a per-file basis, it often turns out to be cheaper when considering the full management costs. However, in scenarios where there are exceptionally high numbers of requests from remote devices, using AWS, such as its Internet of Things (IoT) service, can be significantly more expensive than setting up bespoke services. For low-volume applications, this cost may be negligible.

It is crucial to balance implementation costs against management costs to determine the most commercially viable option. Although AWS often promotes the extensive use of their services for "well-architected" apps, this isn't always the most cost-effective approach for every scenario.

What are the different AWS services that Scorchsoft uses for web application development?

Scorchsoft uses a variety of AWS services to develop robust web applications. These include EC2 for scalable computing capacity, S3 for data storage and retrieval, RDS for managed relational databases, CloudFront for content delivery network services, DynamoDB for NoSQL database storage, and Lambda for running code in response to events, to name a few. Each service is chosen based on its ability to optimize the performance and efficiency of your web applications.

How can AWS help me scale my business operations?

AWS provides a scalable infrastructure that can adjust to the changing demands of your business. Whether you need to increase computing power, storage, or bandwidth, AWS services can be scaled up or down easily. This flexibility allows you to handle increased traffic or data loads without the need for significant upfront investment in physical hardware.

What database services does AWS offer, such as RDS and DynamoDB, and how do they differ?

AWS offers several database services including Amazon RDS and DynamoDB. Amazon RDS is a managed relational database service that supports multiple database engines such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle, making it easy to set up, operate, and scale a relational database.

DynamoDB is a fast and flexible NoSQL database service for applications that need consistent, single-digit millisecond latency at any scale. It is a fully managed cloud database and supports both document and key-value store models.

The database technology most appropriate for your project will depend on several key factors specific to your app, such as the amount of data stored, frequency of read/write operations on the database, and whether your system is configured in a monolithic architecture, or as a suite of interconnected services or micro-services.

What is EC2 and how does it simplify the process of setting up servers?

Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) simplifies the process of setting up servers by providing scalable virtual private servers in the cloud. It allows you to host and run applications and workloads on virtual machines, manage storage, networking, and security configurations, and scale up or down based on requirements, all without the need to invest in physical hardware.

Can you describe a typical workflow for developing a web app using AWS?

A typical workflow for developing a web app using AWS involves several steps: initially setting up the computing environment using EC2, configuring storage solutions with services like S3, setting up databases with RDS or DynamoDB, and implementing on-demand application logic with services like AWS Lambda. The application content can then be optimized for delivery using AWS CloudFront and continuously monitored and managed using AWS management tools.

How should I decide on the complexity of my AWS configuration based on need (monolithic vs. microservices vs. distributed services)?

The decision between using a monolithic, microservices, or distributed services architecture on AWS should be based on your application's requirements and future scalability needs. Monolithic architectures are suitable for simpler, less scalable applications. 

Microservices are ideal for complex applications requiring high scalability and flexibility, allowing independent scaling and development of different parts of the application. Distributed services are best for highly scalable applications that require robust disaster recovery systems and are spread across multiple geographic locations. Each architecture has its merits and can be selected based on the specific needs and goals of your business.

The more complex your hosting infrastructure, the more it will cost to set up and manage, so it's important to pick a structure that serves your needs but also balances your budgets.