https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/ Practical AWS architecture articles by Mark Gingrass. en-us Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/aws-cloudformation-for-beginners-deploying-your-first-s3-bucket-with-yaml/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/aws-cloudformation-for-beginners-deploying-your-first-s3-bucket-with-yaml/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Infrastructure as Code One template, one CLI command, one real S3 bucket — and a first look at why Infrastructure as Code isn't as simple as it sounds https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/aws-ec2-explained-simply-the-terms-you-actually-need-to-know/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/aws-ec2-explained-simply-the-terms-you-actually-need-to-know/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon EC2 A beginner's walkthrough of AMIs, instance types, regions, security groups, and billing — using a gaming PC as the mental model https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/aws-s3-cli-basics-list-delete-and-re-download-files-like-a-pro/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/aws-s3-cli-basics-list-delete-and-re-download-files-like-a-pro/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 Four commands are all you need to manage files in the cloud from your terminal https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/aws-s3-rm-the-one-command-with-no-undo-button/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/aws-s3-rm-the-one-command-with-no-undo-button/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 A quick look at how S3 file deletion actually works from the CLI — and why I always double-check the path before I hit enter https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/before-you-follow-along-aws-cli-permissions-costs-and-credentials-done-right/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/before-you-follow-along-aws-cli-permissions-costs-and-credentials-done-right/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Identity and Access Four things I tell every viewer before we touch the terminal — because the shortcuts I take on camera aren't the ones you should take in your own account https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/before-you-start-this-aws-course-prerequisites-ai-tools-and-what-your-account-will-actually-cost/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/before-you-start-this-aws-course-prerequisites-ai-tools-and-what-your-account-will-actually-cost/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS Account Security No CS degree required — just a willingness to learn, a computer, and a small budget for AWS https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/copy-don-t-move-getting-comfortable-with-aws-s3-cp/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/copy-don-t-move-getting-comfortable-with-aws-s3-cp/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 A small command with an easy-to-miss superpower — duplicating and renaming a file in one shot https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/enabling-s3-bucket-versioning-with-a-one-line-bash-script/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/enabling-s3-bucket-versioning-with-a-one-line-bash-script/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS CLI How I automated turning on versioning for my S3 bucket using the AWS CLI's s3api command — chmod hiccup and all https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/fixing-s3-upload-permissions-the-least-privilege-way/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/fixing-s3-upload-permissions-the-least-privilege-way/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 How I moved a read-only IAM group to a working upload policy, and the two mistakes that got in the way https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/getting-started-with-aws-cloud-shell-permissions-commands-and-your-first-s3-upload-via-cli/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/getting-started-with-aws-cloud-shell-permissions-commands-and-your-first-s3-upload-via-cli/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS CLI A hands-on walkthrough of fixing an IAM permissions error, exploring the Cloud Shell environment, and using aws s3 cp to move a file into a bucket https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/giving-your-iam-users-a-view-into-billing-without-handing-out-the-keys/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/giving-your-iam-users-a-view-into-billing-without-handing-out-the-keys/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS Account Security A quick, deliberate trip into the AWS Root account to flip one setting — and why it's worth doing carefully https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-a-request-actually-flows-through-aws-a-beginner-s-mental-model/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-a-request-actually-flows-through-aws-a-beginner-s-mental-model/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS Foundations From typing a URL to seeing your data — what really happens in between https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-i-locked-down-an-iam-user-to-read-only-s3-access-and-proved-it-actually-worked/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-i-locked-down-an-iam-user-to-read-only-s3-access-and-proved-it-actually-worked/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 A practical walkthrough of tightening AWS permissions from full access to least privilege — plus the verification habit that almost went wrong https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-i-set-up-mfa-on-an-aws-iam-user-step-by-step/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-i-set-up-mfa-on-an-aws-iam-user-step-by-step/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS Account Security A walkthrough of adding an authenticator app to an IAM account, and why I don't let root or IAM users go without it https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-i-share-a-private-s3-file-without-touching-bucket-permissions/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-i-share-a-private-s3-file-without-touching-bucket-permissions/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 One AWS CLI command, one temporary link, zero cleanup https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-to-create-your-first-aws-account-without-getting-burned/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-to-create-your-first-aws-account-without-getting-burned/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS Account Security A step-by-step walkthrough for beginners, plus the two things nobody warns you about until it's too late https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-to-stop-your-ec2-server-from-changing-its-ip-address/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-to-stop-your-ec2-server-from-changing-its-ip-address/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon EC2 A hands-on walkthrough of allocating and associating an Elastic IP, plus proof that it survives a stop/restart https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-to-upload-a-file-to-s3-using-the-aws-cli/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/how-to-upload-a-file-to-s3-using-the-aws-cli/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 A no-nonsense walkthrough of the aws s3 cp command, from syntax to verification https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/incremental-photo-backups-why-my-script-only-uploads-what-s-new/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/incremental-photo-backups-why-my-script-only-uploads-what-s-new/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS Foundations A quick test with one new photo, a stale count, and a sync call that turned out to be smarter than I expected https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/launching-and-connecting-to-your-first-aws-ec2-instance/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/launching-and-connecting-to-your-first-aws-ec2-instance/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon EC2 A step-by-step walkthrough of spinning up a server, securing it, SSHing in, and cleaning up before it costs you anything https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/launching-your-first-ec2-instance-from-the-aws-console/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/launching-your-first-ec2-instance-from-the-aws-console/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon EC2 A step-by-step walkthrough of spinning up a web server on EC2 — bootstrap script, a broken first page load, and the fix that made it work https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/listing-your-s3-buckets-with-the-aws-cli-the-one-command-version/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/listing-your-s3-buckets-with-the-aws-cli-the-one-command-version/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 A quick, practical look at aws s3 ls — and why it feels so familiar if you've ever used a terminal https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/s3-doesn-t-have-a-rename-button-here-s-how-i-rename-objects-anyway/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/s3-doesn-t-have-a-rename-button-here-s-how-i-rename-objects-anyway/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 A practical walkthrough of the aws s3 mv command, plus what's actually happening behind the scenes https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/s3-doesn-t-have-folders-here-s-what-s-really-going-on/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/s3-doesn-t-have-folders-here-s-what-s-really-going-on/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 A quick AWS CLI walkthrough for listing bucket contents, and the flat-namespace trick behind S3's folder illusion https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/security-groups-vs-network-acls/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/security-groups-vs-network-acls/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Networking https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/set-up-an-aws-budget-alert-before-you-touch-anything-else/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/set-up-an-aws-budget-alert-before-you-touch-anything-else/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS Foundations A five-minute console walkthrough that can save you from a nasty surprise invoice https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/sharing-s3-photos-with-a-pre-signed-url-building-part-4-of-my-bash-scripting-series/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/sharing-s3-photos-with-a-pre-signed-url-building-part-4-of-my-bash-scripting-series/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass AWS CLI Turning a single photo name into a temporary, shareable link with the AWS CLI https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/signing-into-aws-and-setting-up-your-first-iam-user/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/signing-into-aws-and-setting-up-your-first-iam-user/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Identity and Access A walkthrough of the root login screen, the IAM vs. IAM Identity Center mix-up, and why you shouldn't live in your root account https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/stopping-and-restarting-an-ec2-instance-what-actually-happens-to-your-public-ip/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/stopping-and-restarting-an-ec2-instance-what-actually-happens-to-your-public-ip/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon EC2 A hands-on walk-through of the AWS CLI commands that reveal how EC2's lifecycle and networking really behave https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/the-restore-script-closing-out-my-aws-s3-backup-series/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/the-restore-script-closing-out-my-aws-s3-backup-series/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 Writing restorePhotos.sh, testing it against a missing folder, and the security habit I should have modeled from the start https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/what-i-actually-mean-when-i-say-welcome/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/what-i-actually-mean-when-i-say-welcome/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Course Notes The thinking behind a course that keeps changing, and why I show up on camera to say so myself https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/what-is-infrastructure-as-code-explained-with-a-city-building-analogy/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/what-is-infrastructure-as-code-explained-with-a-city-building-analogy/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Infrastructure as Code How AWS CloudFormation lets you design your cloud once and deploy it as many times as you need https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/why-i-switched-from-recursive-copy-to-aws-s3-sync-and-what-happened-when-i-messed-it-up-on-camer/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/why-i-switched-from-recursive-copy-to-aws-s3-sync-and-what-happened-when-i-messed-it-up-on-camer/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon S3 A hands-on look at how the AWS CLI's sync command decides what to transfer — including the working-directory mistake that taught me more than the demo itself https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/why-your-ec2-instance-gets-a-new-public-ip-after-a-restart/ https://solutionsarchitectassociate.com/blog/why-your-ec2-instance-gets-a-new-public-ip-after-a-restart/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT Mark Gingrass Amazon EC2 A practical look at AWS's default dynamic IP behavior, and why it eventually pushes you toward Elastic IPs