AWS Global Infrastructure and its Components

Picture credit: AWS Global Infrastructure Map

Overview of AWS Global Infrastructure:

AWS Global Infrastructure is the worldwide network of data centers and networking equipment Amazon Web Services uses to deliver its cloud computing services.

The main components are:

1. Regions
2. Availability Zones (AZs)
3. Local Zones
4. Edge Locations
5. Regional Edge Caches
6. AWS Outposts

Let’s explore each of these components in detail.

1. Regions:

A Region is a geographical area that contains multiple, isolated, and physically separate Availability Zones. Each Region is designed to be completely independent of other Regions, providing fault tolerance and stability.

Key characteristics:

• Regions are spread across the globe. As of 2024, there are over 30 launched Regions worldwide
• Each Region has a unique name after their geographic location (e.g., us-east-1 for US East (N. Virginia))
• Not all AWS services are available in all Regions
• Complete data sovereignty and compliance with local laws. Data stored in a Region stays in that Region unless explicitly transferred.