AWS IoT Core
IoT device connection gateway
Lets billions of devices connect securely to AWS via MQTT, HTTPS, or WebSocket; includes a message broker, Device Shadow to store device state, and a Rules Engine to route data to Lambda, DynamoDB, S3, Kinesis…
- Cost$ Low
- Difficulty●●●●●
- Costs money when idle?No
- Serverless
- In examsCLF · SAA
Think of it asLike a central switchboard: every sensor calls in, and the switchboard verifies it and routes the message to the right place.
When to use it
✓ Use it when
You need to securely ingest data from and control many IoT devices at scale.
✗ Avoid it when
Only a few servers sending events, not devices → SQS / EventBridge.
Common uses
- Collect sensor data from factories and farms
- Control smart home devices from an app
- Route telemetry to S3/DynamoDB via the Rules Engine
What does it cost?
- Pricing model: Billed by device connection minutes, number of messages, number of Device Shadow/registry operations, and number of rule triggers.
⚠️ Cost traps
Devices sending frequent messages (every second) multiplied by large numbers make message costs climb fast; batch data before sending.
