Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Amazon Web Services (AWS) logo

AWS is an industry-leading provider of cloud-based solutions including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) compute, storage, database, web, cloud functions and fully-managed services.  

Features/Benefits

  • Access your data from anywhere
  • Infrastructure as a Service (cloud-based, on-demand, and scalable computer networking services)
  • Scalable storage to fit your needs
  • Pay only for what you use (pay-as-you-go pricing model)
  • Access to AWS and third-party applications and services (e.g., numerical and data analysis, databases, high-performance computing); run applications 

Who is Eligible for AWS?

All active faculty and staff are eligible for AWS. (Note: Security review and GMS work tags are required before access to AWS can be provided.)

What is AWS Best Suited For?

AWS is best suited for high performance or specialized services, such as the storing and sharing of large volumes of data.  


Notes: 

  • GU recommends Google Cloud Platform (GCP) as our premiere cloud-based platform over AWS. GCP offers many of the same features as AWS and is fully supported. 

    The advantages of GCP are:
    • Greater discount (contact UIS for details on cost)
    • Better support (we have a dedicated Google Support Engineer)
    • Faster provisioning
    • More intuitive technical and project controls
  • For storing low-risk academic and administrative files, we recommend using Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. 
  • For storing video files, we recommend using Panopto.

Data Security Considerations

AWS can be used to store and share all data types and data classifications as defined by the University Information Security Organization (UISO). Personal files are not allowed to be stored in AWS. 

How to Get AWS

Contact the Georgetown Service Center by going to help.georgetown.edu to schedule a consultation on custom cloud storage and computing solutions.

Getting Started with AWS

UIS recommends reviewing the AWS documentation available online, and then reaching out to the Georgetown Service Center with questions or to schedule an appointment.

Getting Help/Additional Resources

For assistance and questions, contact the Georgetown Service Center by going to help.georgetown.edu.