This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ashwin Raiyani
What happens when a room full of curious learners’ minds dives into the vast world of AWS? You get a lively session that blends cloud economics, global infrastructure, and a healthy dose of hands-on discovery.
This 2-hour expert session was specially crafted for learners’ — aligning with AWS Cloud Practitioner essentials — and covered:
AWS Cloud Economics & Billing
AWS Global Infrastructure Overview
Hands-on Demos using the Free Tier
Why It Mattered
In today’s cloud-powered world, understanding how services are billed and where your data resides is essential for every future cloud user.
Our aim:
To empower learners with real-world skills in:
- AWS pricing models
- Cost estimation and budgeting
- Global service deployment strategies
Session 1: Understanding Cloud Costs with Analogies
We started with a simple analogy:
“Using AWS is like renting a laptop, a locker, and a courier — you pay for how long you use it (Compute), how much you store (Storage), and how far you send it (Outbound Data Transfer).”
Hands-On Demo: AWS Pricing Calculator & Budgets
- Created a monthly budget (₹500 / $6)
- Set actual (80%) and forecasted (90%) alerts
- Simulated usage spikes to understand early warnings
Bonus Insight:
Forecasted alerts trigger before the budget is crossed — a smart way to avoid surprise bills.
Session 2: Exploring AWS Global Infrastructure
We visualised AWS’s worldwide backbone using:
-
Regions
-
Availability Zones
-
Edge Locations
Hands-On Demo: Global Map & Latency Testing
- Explored infrastructure.aws
- Measured ping latency from different regions via CloudPing.info
- Discussed real-world applications like game hosting and CDN performance
What Students Took Away
| Skill |
 Outcome |
|---|---|
| AWS Console Navigation | Confidence & familiarity |
| Budgeting | Cost visibility & alerting |
| Infrastructure Concepts | Region-aware thinking |
| Free Tier Exploration | Risk-free experimentation |
“I never thought billing and latency could be this hands-on and fun!” — Student feedback
Try It Yourself!
Want to try this on your own or in your classroom?
Here’s what we used:
- AWS Free Tier account
- AWS Pricing Calculator
- Budgets Dashboard
- AWS Global Infrastructure Map
- CloudPing.info
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t just another theory session. It was about doing, understanding, and connecting concepts with curiosity. Whether you’re prepping for AWS Cloud Practitioner or just curious about cloud, remember:
Clarity in cloud starts with hands-on exploration.
Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or drop your questions in the comments.
#aws #cloudcomputing #devops #learners #learningbydoing
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ashwin Raiyani