An AWS sandbox that is real, guided and bill-free
Every Cloud Arena lab starts a temporary AWS account just for you. You work in the real AWS console, follow a guide beside it, get each task checked in your live account, and everything is deleted when you stop.
How the sandbox works
- Your own AWS account: temporary IAM credentials for a real account nobody else is using.
- Locked to one region: scoped permissions keep you on what the lab needs.
- On a timer: a countdown shows the session; stop early whenever you are done.
- Wiped automatically: every resource is deleted at the end. Nothing keeps running.
Why not practice on your own AWS account?
The AWS Free Tier is generous, but it is easy to step outside it while learning. A NAT gateway left running, an RDS instance you forgot, or data transfer between regions can all be billed to the card on your account. In a sandbox, those mistakes cost nothing.
What you can build in the sandbox
- IAM Users, Groups and Permissions
- IAM Roles
- VPC with Public and Private Subnets (free)
- Security Group vs NACL (free)
- Getting Started with EC2
- Build a Scalable Web Application Using ALB and Auto Scaling Group
- Getting Started with S3
- Automatic Object Replication with S3
- Getting Started with AWS RDS MySQL
- Getting Started with Amazon DynamoDB (free)
- Deploying a Containerized Application on ECS with an Application Load Balancer
- Serving Static and Dynamic Content with CloudFront
- CloudWatch Alarm to Automatically Stop Unused EC2 and Notify via SNS
- Automating EC2 Stop Using EventBridge and Systems Manager
- Secure 3-Tier App: ALB → Private Apache → Multi-AZ RDS
- IAM Instance Role: Least-Privilege S3 Access from EC2
- TLS Web App with ACM, ALB HTTPS, and Secrets Manager
- Public API Hardening with AWS WAF, ALB, and Rate-Based Rules
- KMS-Encrypted App Stack: EBS + S3 with Key Policies
- Path-Based Microservices Behind One ALB (Two Target Groups)
- Order Processing Pipeline: API → SQS → Workers → SNS Alerts
- Async Image Pipeline: S3 → EventBridge → Lambda → Output Bucket
- Route 53 Failover DR: Primary + Warm Standby Across AZs
- VPC Peering in One Region: Two VPCs, Routes, and Private Connectivity
- Serverless Checkout API: API Gateway + Lambda + DynamoDB Streams
- Host-Based Routing for Two ECS Services on One ALB
- Real-Time Clickstream Lake: Kinesis → Firehose → S3 → Athena
- S3 Data Lifecycle Project: Hot → IA → Glacier (free)
- Mixed Instances ASG: Spot + On-Demand for Cost-Aware Scale
- Right-Size & Schedule Non-Prod: ASG Scheduled Actions + Budgets
- Cut Data-Transfer Cost: VPC Endpoints + Shared NAT Design
- Shared POSIX Storage with Amazon EFS Across Two AZs
- Host your first website on Amazon S3 (free)
AWS sandbox questions
What is an AWS sandbox?
An AWS sandbox is an isolated AWS account you can experiment in without affecting anything else and without paying for mistakes. In Cloud Arena, each lab gives you a temporary AWS account with its own login, locked to one region, that is wiped automatically when you finish.
Is a Cloud Arena sandbox the real AWS console?
Yes. You sign in to the real AWS Management Console with temporary IAM credentials. It is not a simulator, so everything you click and build behaves exactly as it does at work.
Can I get an AWS bill from a sandbox?
No. Cloud Arena owns and pays for the AWS accounts. Your permissions are scoped to what the lab needs, and every resource is deleted when you stop the lab or the timer runs out, so nothing is left running and nothing is billed to you.
Why not just use the AWS Free Tier on my own account?
You can, but the Free Tier has limits that are easy to cross: a NAT gateway, a forgotten RDS instance or data transfer can all be billed, and your card is on file. A sandbox removes that risk and adds a guide and live checks of your work.
Is there a free AWS sandbox?
Yes. The Free Starter Path gives you 5 hands-on labs, each in its own real AWS sandbox, with no credit card: an S3 static website, a VPC with public and private subnets, security groups vs NACLs, DynamoDB and an S3 lifecycle project.
How long does a sandbox last?
As long as the lab: typically 30 to 120 minutes, shown on a countdown. You can stop early at any time; free labs run in a 60-minute session.