4 Reasons to Host TYPO3 on AWS

Thanks to Sebastian from root360 for sharing!

As a result of digitalization, there is an increasing demand for AWS and cloud storage possibilities. As an AWS Advanced Partner, we are often asked about AWS benefits and the advantages of running TYPO3 in the AWS Cloud. 

All AWS services comply with a very simple principle: IT resources are provided to users as an on-demand service and billed pursuant to a pay-as-you-go principle. AWS services are accessible in 24 regions worldwide. Concretely, the customers themselves may determine which data centre to use. German corporations mostly rely on the data centre in Frankfurt, Germany and/or Dublin, Ireland. 

Reasons for migrating to the cloud vary from one business to another and the benefits AWS provides may differ depending on each firm’s requirements and profile. Below, I will discuss the benefits that AWS generally offers its users and the role it plays for organizations which use TYPO3: security, performance, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.

Server failures are a worst-case scenario for many corporations, particularly as online channels gain importance for marketing and public image branding. Public cloud solutions can significantly reduce this risk. In compliance with their SLA (Service Level Agreement), AWS guarantees an average of 99.9% system availability. If you redundantly build your components, such as web servers or databases in two different AWS Availability Zones, availability continues to increase. In case of system failure, the traffic is being routed to the healthy web server. In the event that you also have a competent Managed Service Provider at your side who monitors the infrastructure 24/7, cloud security is hardly something you need to be concerned about.

AWS standards are in accordance with over 30 independently validated security accreditations and strictly maintains regulatory compliance. In addition, AWS has further expanded and optimized its range of IT security solutions. Customers may choose from a range of application possibilities: from defence against DDoS attacks by using the AWS Shield and AWS WAF to the analysis of application weaknesses by using AWS Inspector.

In regard to the scope of AWS's infrastructure, performance may be enhanced by vertical and horizontal scalability as well as caching support services such as AWS ElastiCache or AWS Cloudfront. Furthermore, latency may be minimised by hosting in the customer's region.  More details will be covered in a future guest article.

In the final analysis, AWS flexibility is the key reason for migrating to the cloud. Cloud-based infrastructure may be immediately set up and be commissioned for work considerably shortening the time-to-market.

Optimal resource utilization and agility may also be achieved through Docker or Kubernetes. AWS provides its own services for this purpose, including a registry service wherein you can store your own Docker images. This can also be easily achieved with the AutoScaling option. In addition, AWS's scope of services offers the possibility of responding to any future scenario as quickly as possible.

AWS resource allocation must be managed most delicately. As such, the standard on-demand billing model accurately estimates costs by the second. This way costs are considerably scaled, becoming more cost-effective and accessible for development purposes. If the demand curve for required resources is a known factor, saving will also be possible (AWS Reserved Instances). Since AWS provides on-demand services, the speed of provisioning a hosting infrastructure may be greatly increased resulting in lowered processing costs.

Based on our experience security, performance, enhanced flexibility, and cost-efficiency are the key reasons for using AWS. My own personal observation, I would point out that cloud solutions have long ceased to be an issue for major corporations in the entrepreneurial sector. Modern cloud technology has also become increasingly important for medium-sized businesses. The primary hurdle is often lack of know-how: both in navigating through the extensive AWS service portfolio and in maintaining and servicing hosting infrastructure. At this level, a managed service provider like root360 can effectively remedy this situation.