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AWS Launch Wizard is a guided deployment service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that simplifies the process of setting up and deploying various third-party and enterprise applications on AWS infrastructure. Instead of manually selecting individual resources like EC2 instances, EBS volumes, and networking settings, users answer a series of questions about their application's requirements, such as performance, number of nodes, and connectivity.

Launch Wizard then recommends and provisions the appropriate combination of resources to meet those requirements.

The service was created to address the complexity and time-consuming nature of deploying enterprise applications like Microsoft SQL Server, SAP HANA, SAP NetWeaver, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP BW/4HANA on AWS. Traditionally, deploying these applications required deep expertise in application-specific configurations, such as choosing instance families, sizing EBS volumes, configuring networking, setting up Availability Zones, and managing Active Directory or database-specific requirements.

AWS Launch Wizard streamlines this process by providing a user-friendly interface that generates recommendations and estimates costs, reducing deployment time from weeks to hours.

The workflow of AWS Launch Wizard involves five main steps: choosing the application, entering requirements (performance, node count, connectivity, and sizing), reviewing recommended resources and cost estimates, adjusting configurations if necessary, and finally approving the deployment. Under the hood, Launch Wizard creates and runs infrastructure-as-code using AWS CloudFormation templates, which are reusable and ensure consistency in deployments.

This approach allows for trackable and repeatable deployments, making it an ideal tool for educational institutions and students exploring cloud computing and infrastructure management.

In a college setting, AWS Launch Wizard can be particularly useful for courses or electives that focus on cloud computing, systems architecture, or enterprise systems. For example, a Cloud Computing or Systems course could use Launch Wizard to stand up a Microsoft SQL Server instance for lab exercises, allowing students to compare automatically recommended instance types against manual selections.

Similarly, an Enterprise Systems or ERP elective could utilize Launch Wizard's SAP deployment patterns to expose students to real-world SAP deployments on AWS without requiring them to master SAP sizing rules from scratch. Additionally, a Cloud Computing lab could use Launch Wizard's cost estimation feature as a teaching tool to demonstrate the impact of sizing choices on projected costs, reinforcing the importance of infrastructure decision-making in cloud environments.

Overall, AWS Launch Wizard serves as a valuable educational resource for students and educators looking to gain hands-on experience with AWS infrastructure and application deployment.