Amazon Announces AWS Managed Services
Despite all the news that erupted from AWS re:Invent 2016 at the beginning of this month, Amazon didn’t reveal all their cards at once. Instead, the tech juggernaut waited until this past Monday, December 12 to announce AWS Managed Services.
Below, we’ll give you some insight about their latest service and how it can help to alleviate the burden of IT operations that your staff often undergoes.
What is AWS Managed Services?
Amazon understands that under normal conditions, a business’s IT workers must constantly perform maintenance to ensure smooth operations. “Grunt work” such as patching software, hardware setup, and monitoring to prevent security threats pile up in a hurry.
These are unenviable tasks, and Amazon has been investigating ways to leverage the AWS Cloud to ease these requirements and help businesses save money in the process, too.
The result of their research and diligent work? AWS Managed Services.
AWS Managed Services is all about affording Amazon’s cloud customers the ability to offload the most mundane corporate infrastructure management tasks via the implementation of automation technologies, machine learning, and the fervent efforts of some of Amazon’s own staff.
Tailored specifically for Global 2000 and Fortune 1000 businesses, AWS Managed Services builds on the existing AWS infrastructure to simplify management, migration, and deployment thanks to the ability to view, create, approve and manage service requests, RFCs, and incident reports.
Managed Services can connect to your existing service management systems via command-line tools and the AWS MS API, as well as through the AWS Management Console.
AWS Managed Services Feature List Overview
Here’s a brief explanation of the benefits of AWS Managed Services:
Patch Management: AWS Managed Services offers security update and patch support for infrastructure applications (SSH, Apache, ISS, RDP, et cetera) and operating systems (Windows and Linux).
Incident Monitoring and Resolution: Amazon’s new service leans on CloudWatch alarms to check for flawed updates and security issues to prevent damage to running applications. When flagged, incidents are resolved either automatically or through the intervention of AWS engineers. Managed Services even improves over time in this respect by archiving false positives and examining aggregated data to enhance systems and processes.
Change Control: Scripted or manual RFCs (Request for Change) are required for changes. Managed Services ensures that any changes are only applied to specific stacks in a non-overlapping fashion; additionally, incoming manual requests are always put on hold until vetted and approved.
Security and Access Management: Third party apps from the AWS Marketplace, including Trend Micro Deep Security, are used to check for malware and viruses. Time-limited production systems access is capably managed, and EC2 Security Groups are utilized.
Provisioning: Predefined stacks are included with sensible defaults that may be overridden whenever stack provisioning occurs.
Reporting: The Cloud Service Advisor leverages tools such as AWS Trusted Advisor to deliver financial and management reports. Managed Services also offers up CloudWatch and CloudTrail logs.
Backups and Restoration: Depending upon desired, specified frequency, every stack is fully backed up, and failed infrastructure is saved thanks to leveraging a run book.
Pricing and Availability
AWS Managed Services is available today across the following regions: US East (Northern Virginia), US West (Oregon), EU (Ireland), and Asia Pacific (Sydney). Further regions are planned to be announced in the coming weeks and months.
Pricing varies on AWS usage. Amazon advises contacting your AWS sales representative to learn more. You may also wish to inquire regarding their new Managed Services training programs, AWS MS Business Essentials and AWS MS Technical Essentials.
We’ll continue to keep you updates of Managed Services and any continued AWS announcements in the coming weeks.
