🗄️
Storage
Mnemonic
“Some Engineers Enjoy Glacier Backups”
What each word stands for
S
S3
Amazon S3
E
EBS
Amazon EBS
E
EFS
Amazon EFS
G
Glacier
Amazon S3 Glacier
B
Backup
AWS Backup
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Object storage, lifecycle rules, durable internet-scale storage → S3. Persistent block storage attached to a single EC2 instance → EBS. Shared file storage across multiple EC2 instances (NFS) → EFS. Long-term archival, retrieval in minutes or hours → Glacier. Centrally protect data across AWS services with one policy → AWS Backup.
Real-world memory hook
S3 is the warehouse, EBS is the hard drive, EFS is the shared folder, Glacier is the archive box in the basement, Backup is the insurance policy that covers everything.
💻
Compute
Mnemonic
“Every Lambda Container Eventually Scales Fast”
What each word stands for
E
EC2
Amazon EC2
L
Lambda
AWS Lambda
C
ECS
Amazon ECS
E
EKS
Amazon EKS
S
Auto Scaling
EC2 Auto Scaling
F
Fargate
AWS Fargate
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Full OS control, persistent server, specific instance type → EC2. Event-driven, no server management, pay-per-invocation → Lambda. Container orchestration managed by AWS → ECS. Kubernetes on AWS → EKS. Automatically adjust capacity based on demand → Auto Scaling. Run containers without managing EC2 nodes → Fargate.
Real-world memory hook
EC2 is a rented computer, Lambda is a function you call once, ECS is AWS's container manager, EKS is Kubernetes without the install pain, Auto Scaling adjusts the fleet size overnight, Fargate removes the servers from containers entirely.
🗃️
Database
Mnemonic
“Real Architects Design Elastic Reports”
What each word stands for
R
RDS
Amazon RDS
A
Aurora
Amazon Aurora
D
DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB
E
ElastiCache
Amazon ElastiCache
R
Redshift
Amazon Redshift
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Relational SQL, managed service → RDS. MySQL or PostgreSQL with 5× performance, multi-AZ by default → Aurora. NoSQL, single-digit millisecond, key-value or document → DynamoDB. In-memory cache to reduce database load → ElastiCache. Analytics queries on petabytes, data warehouse → Redshift.
Real-world memory hook
RDS is the standard relational DB, Aurora is RDS on steroids, DynamoDB is the key-value speed demon, ElastiCache is the express lane in front of your database, Redshift is the analytics warehouse where finance runs reports.
🌐
Networking
Mnemonic
“Very Reliable Networks Connect Directly”
What each word stands for
V
VPC
Amazon VPC
R
Route 53
Amazon Route 53
N
NAT Gateway
NAT Gateway
C
CloudFront
Amazon CloudFront
D
Direct Connect
AWS Direct Connect
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Isolated private network in AWS → VPC. DNS resolution and routing policies → Route 53. Private subnet instances need outbound internet access → NAT Gateway. Global CDN, low-latency content delivery → CloudFront. Dedicated private line to AWS (not over the internet) → Direct Connect.
Real-world memory hook
VPC is your private data center in the cloud, Route 53 is the phone book, NAT Gateway lets private servers call out without exposing themselves, CloudFront delivers content from the nearest edge location, Direct Connect is the private highway bypassing the public internet.
🔐
Security
Mnemonic
“Keys Keep Secrets Guarded With Shields”
What each word stands for
K
KMS
AWS KMS
K
CloudHSM
AWS CloudHSM
S
Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager
G
GuardDuty
Amazon GuardDuty
W
WAF
AWS WAF
S
Shield
AWS Shield
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Encryption key management, envelope encryption → KMS. Hardware security module, FIPS 140-2 Level 3 compliance → CloudHSM. Store, rotate, and retrieve database credentials programmatically → Secrets Manager. Intelligent threat detection using ML on VPC Flow Logs, CloudTrail, DNS → GuardDuty. Block HTTP attacks, SQL injection, XSS at the edge → WAF. DDoS protection (Standard = free, Advanced = paid SLA) → Shield.
Real-world memory hook
KMS manages your encryption keys, CloudHSM is the tamper-proof key vault, Secrets Manager stores your passwords and rotates them automatically, GuardDuty watches for intruders in the logs, WAF is the bouncer at the door, Shield absorbs DDoS floods.
🔑
IAM
Mnemonic
“Users Prefer Roles, Policies, Federation”
What each word stands for
U
Users
IAM Users
P
Policies
IAM Policies
R
Roles
IAM Roles
P
STS
AWS STS
F
Identity Center
IAM Identity Center
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Long-term human credentials → IAM User (avoid for applications). Temporary access for AWS services, EC2 instances, Lambda → IAM Role. Define what actions are permitted on which resources → IAM Policy. Generate short-lived temporary credentials via API → STS AssumeRole. Single sign-on across multiple AWS accounts → IAM Identity Center.
Real-world memory hook
Users have permanent ID cards, Roles are visitor passes with expiry times, Policies are the rulebook everyone must follow, STS prints temporary badges at the front desk, Identity Center is the company SSO portal that grants access to all the systems.
⚡
Serverless
Mnemonic
“Lambda APIs Send Simple Events, Steps Follow”
What each word stands for
L
Lambda
AWS Lambda
A
API Gateway
Amazon API Gateway
S
SQS
Amazon SQS
S
SNS
Amazon SNS
E
EventBridge
Amazon EventBridge
S
Step Functions
AWS Step Functions
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Run code without servers, pay per invocation → Lambda. Managed HTTP/REST/WebSocket API in front of Lambda → API Gateway. Decouple services with a reliable queue (pull-based) → SQS. Fan-out notifications to multiple subscribers (push-based) → SNS. Route events between AWS services on a schedule or trigger → EventBridge. Orchestrate multi-step workflows with error handling and retry → Step Functions.
Real-world memory hook
Lambda runs your code, API Gateway is the front door, SQS is the waiting room queue, SNS is the megaphone broadcasting to everyone, EventBridge is the event bus routing traffic, Step Functions draws the flowchart and executes each box.
🐳
Containers
Mnemonic
“Elastic Kubernetes Containers Run Fast”
What each word stands for
E
ECS
Amazon ECS
K
EKS
Amazon EKS
C
ECR
Amazon ECR
R
App Runner
AWS App Runner
F
Fargate
AWS Fargate
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
AWS-native container orchestration → ECS. Kubernetes on AWS, you control cluster config → EKS. Store, manage, and scan container images → ECR. Deploy web apps from source or container with zero infrastructure → App Runner. Run containers without managing EC2 nodes (works with ECS or EKS) → Fargate.
Real-world memory hook
ECS is AWS's own container manager, EKS is Kubernetes without the installation pain, ECR is Docker Hub inside AWS, App Runner is the simplest way to deploy a containerized web app, Fargate removes the EC2 nodes from the container equation entirely.
🛡️
Disaster Recovery
Mnemonic
“Backup Regions Route Active Recovery”
What each word stands for
B
AWS Backup
AWS Backup
R
S3 CRR
S3 Cross-Region Replication
R
Route 53
Amazon Route 53
A
Auto Scaling
EC2 Auto Scaling
R
Elastic DR
AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Cheapest DR, highest RTO/RPO → Backup & Restore. Small always-on core, scale on failover → Pilot Light. Scaled-down production always running → Warm Standby. Zero downtime, traffic in both regions simultaneously → Multi-Site Active-Active. Keywords: RTO (how fast you recover), RPO (how much data loss is acceptable).
Real-world memory hook
Backup & Restore is the cold spare in a box, Pilot Light is the engine idling at minimum, Warm Standby is a car warmed up in the driveway ready to go, Multi-Site Active-Active is two cars driving simultaneously on parallel roads.
💰
Cost Optimization
Mnemonic
“Costs Need Budgets, Reports, Savings”
What each word stands for
C
Cost Explorer
AWS Cost Explorer
N
Compute Optimizer
AWS Compute Optimizer
B
Budgets
AWS Budgets
R
CUR
Cost & Usage Reports
S
Savings Plans
AWS Savings Plans
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Visualize and forecast past spend → Cost Explorer. Alert when spend exceeds threshold → Budgets. Raw usage data for BI tools → Cost & Usage Reports (CUR). Commit to consistent usage for up to 72% savings → Savings Plans. Right-size over-provisioned EC2, Lambda, EBS → Compute Optimizer. Long-term commitment to a specific instance family → Reserved Instances.
Real-world memory hook
Cost Explorer is the spending dashboard, Budgets is the alarm that fires when you overspend, CUR is the full receipt, Savings Plans is the subscription discount, Compute Optimizer is the advisor telling you which instances are too big.
🏛️
Governance
Mnemonic
“Organizations Control Policies, Accounts, Access”
What each word stands for
O
Organizations
AWS Organizations
C
Control Tower
AWS Control Tower
P
SCPs
Service Control Policies
A
OUs
Organizational Units
A
Identity Center
IAM Identity Center
Exam trigger
When you see this → think that
Manage billing and policies across multiple accounts → Organizations. Deploy a well-architected multi-account landing zone → Control Tower. Restrict what AWS services accounts in an OU can use → SCPs. Group accounts by business unit or environment → OUs. Centralized SSO and permissions across all accounts → IAM Identity Center. Share VPCs, Resolver rules, and License Manager configs across accounts → RAM.
Real-world memory hook
Organizations is the parent company structure, OUs are the departments, Control Tower is the HR policy framework, SCPs are company rules no employee can override, IAM Identity Center is the employee badge that works in every building.