What it is: A virtual server (compute instance) you run in AWS.

What it’s for:

• Run web apps, APIs, background jobs, custom software.
• Full control over OS and runtime (like a VPS, but scalable).

Key ideas:

• You choose:
  • Instance Type (CPU/RAM/network)
  • AMI (OS image)
  • Network placement (VPC/subnet, security groups)
  • Storage (EBS volumes)
• Access is typically via SSH (Linux) or RDP (Windows).

Exam cues:

• “need full OS control” → EC2.
• “lift-and-shift a traditional server app” → EC2.

Hard words (English + IPA + Vietnamese meaning):

• *elastic* /ɪˈlæstɪk/: co giãn
• *compute* /kəmˈpjuːt/: tính toán
• *instance* /ˈɪnstəns/: máy ảo (phiên bản chạy)
• *runtime* /ˈrʌnˌtaɪm/: môi trường chạy