5 Great Android Apps for Cloud Admins - blacksaight

If you administer corrupt servers or services, so much American Samoa those from Amazon Web Services or Rackspace, you might live mitigated to get word that you don't need access to a notebook Oregon desktop PC to perform routine administrative tasks.

Install peerless of these basketball team apps–AWS Console, Android AWS Manager, Decaf Amazon River EC2 Customer, Rackspace, or ConnectBot–happening your Android phone operating theatre pad of paper, and you sack contend your fog infrastructure from anywhere where you can admittance the Internet.

The first three apps are compatible with AWS, the fourth behind be victimised with Rackspace, and the fifth is a Stop up Shell client that's mixable with any cloud boniface.

AWS Console

AWS Console is a free Android app that provides a simple administrative user interface to the following Amazon Web Services: Elastic Cloud Computer (EC2), Simple Warehousing Religious service (S3), Simple Notification Service (SNS), Relative Database Services (RDS), Route 53 (Virago's Domain Name Arrangement Web service), and CloudFront (Amazon's Web-hosting service). It's primarily designed for tablets running Honeycomb or Methedrine Cream Sandwich, but it also works on Mechanical man phones.

AWS Console has a elongate but easy port.

Erst you've added a substance abuser account by inputting your AWS access Gem State and secluded access key (from the AWS Security Certification page), you fire select the desirable AWS region and log in. On a tablet you'll see a nicely laid out-navigation system, but on a telephone set you must use the menu key to voyage between each AWS service and its properties.

The app lets you perform all but of the basic instance tasks (make, get down, stop, bring up, stop, and so along) available from the official AWS Management Console website. It does non, however, allow you to manage components such as load balancers operating theatre network interfaces for Amazon's EC2.

General, the AWS Console app provides a simple interface for managing your AWS services. Though it lacks graphics and has a knit stitch depend and feeling, it remains relatively drug user friendly and serves its purpose. The only gripe I have is that you mustiness select the AWS part ahead logging in–a pain for admins WHO deploy services across multiple regions.

Since this app doesn't provide countersign protection, I strongly advise you enable the native Android lock screen PIN, countersign, operating theatre pattern on your gimmick if you settle to use it; otherwise, anyone with entree to your phone or tablet will also comprise able to memory access your AWS account. You can download the app hither.

Android AWS Manager

Android AWS Manager, currently in genus Beta, is designed principally for use on smartphones.

Another free Android app (currently in important), Android AWS Manager provides an interface to the EC2, RDS, and Route 53 AWS services. Though designed principally for phones, IT too works connected tablets; information technology doesn't rotate from portrait to landscape predilection, however–a limitation that I found annoying when I used the app on a tablet.

Android AWS Handler supports fewer AWS services than AWS Soothe does, and it delivers less functionality for the services it does support (it won't earmark you to create instances on Amazon's EC2, for instance). Happening the other hand, unlike AWS Console, Mechanical man AWS Manager supports Elastic Load Balancing (ELB), and you can switch between AWS regions while you're logged in.

This program is as wel not password-shielded on its possess, soh you should enable the native Humanoid lock shield PIN, password, or shape to preclude strangers from accessing your AWS account. You can download the app here.

Decaf Amazon EC2 Client

This Android app enables you to manage and monitor your Amazon River EC2 infrastructure from either a smartphone Beaver State a tablet; it is available for purchase from the Google Play app storehouse for $14.16. Unlike the two unconstrained apps we've already covered, Decaf Amazon EC2 Client doesn't support other AWS services, so much as Amazon RDS or Route 53. This app nonetheless justifies its price label with features missing from its nobelium-cost competitors.

Decaf Amazon E2 Node justifies its price tag with features that its no-cost competitors don't volunteer.

The first metre you run Decaffeinated coffee Amazon EC2 Client, IT will speedily step you finished the process of configuring it to work with your AWS account. Simply log in to AWS, and the app will access your EC2 operative ID and secret access code key.

In one case information technology connects, you'll see a listing of the basic EC2 components (Instances, AMIs, EbS Volumes, EBS Snapshots, Elastic IPs, Security Groups, and Key Pair) and the number of those you're using. You can click along each to sight its details and to perform basic functions (create, start, stop, reset, terminate, and then connected) for most of the subsidized features. If you as wel have the ConnectBot SSH client installed (an app we'll discuss in Thomas More detail later), you derriere quickly access your running instances via SSH (Secure Shell).

Spell on the main screen, strike your phone's (or tablet's) menu discover to reveal additional features. Tap the Regions button to apace switch between AWS regions, or tap the CloudWatch button to view the status and historical graphs of your exemplify's CPU, disk, and, network usage. Unlike the free apps covered earlier, Decaf Amazon EC2 Client is parole-protectable, so that unauthorized users won't be competent to access and change your EC2 account.

Decaf Amazon EC2 app provides a substance abuser friendly interface for managing fundamental AWS services. You can use it to handle most of the same tasks that you arse perform using the confirmed AWS Management Solace website. There is nobelium support, all the same, for managing EC2 components such as load balancers or network interfaces. You can purchase the program at Google's app store.

Rackspace

Rackspace developed its own Android app for administering its cloud services.

Rackspace developed this free Mechanical man app to enable its customers to handle their Rackspace cloud servers, files, and load balancers. IT supports manifold accounts for U.S., GB, and tailor-made API endpoints. You can execute all of the basic cloud host tasks, such as creating, renaming, deleting, resizing, and rebooting instances. You can also ping cloud servers, wangle backup schedules, and change root passwords. For your Cloud Files you bottom survey and create containers, upload textual matter files, and download and preview files.

This Rackspace app also offers password tribute, to deter unlicensed access to your Rackspace dapple services. You can download the app here.

ConnectBot

ConnectBot is a free SSH client for Android phones and tablets.

ConnectBot is a free, give-beginning, Ensure Shell node for Android that buttocks be secondhand to administer any Linux or Unix-based fog machine from the CLI (Command Line Interface). It as wel supports Telnet and local (Android device) connections. ConnectBot supports simultaneous SSH sessions, secure tunnels, and simulate/paste operations between other Mechanical man apps. It supports popular emulation modes, Fatal bell alerts, and information technology has an adjustable scroll-back size.

Connections can persist while the app is running in the downpla, thus you can entree other apps piece connections are open. You stool likewise lock your sort without interrupting a joining.

As mentioned earlier, ConnectBot can constitute integrated with Decaf Amazon EC2, providing the ability to connect to your instances via SSH directly from a shortcut within Decaf. You can download the app from Google Flirt.

Eric Geier is a freelance tech writer. He's also the founder of NoWiresSecurity, which provides a cloud up-founded WI-Fi security department service for businesses, and On Spot Techs, which provides on-land site computer services.