RDS

RDS is an acronym used in information technology and other fields. The two most widely referenced meanings in computing are Amazon Relational Database Service and Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is a managed database service by Amazon Web Services that simplifies provisioning, operation, and scaling of relational databases in the cloud. It supports engines such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, SQL Server, and Aurora. RDS automates backups, patching, and recovery, and offers high availability with Multi-AZ deployments and read replicas to scale queries. Security features include Virtual Private Cloud isolation, encryption at rest and in transit, and IAM-based access control. Typical use cases include web and mobile backends, SaaS applications, and analytics workloads. Pricing is based on instance type, storage, and I/O, with options that affect performance and availability. Limitations include vendor lock-in and potential cross-region latency. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS), formerly Terminal Services, is a set of components for delivering remote desktops and applications from Windows Server. It allows users to access full desktops or individual apps from various devices. Core components include Remote Desktop Session Host, Connection Broker, Gateway, and Web Access. RDS can be deployed on premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid configurations. Licensing is typically per-user or per-device with CALs. Features include session-based desktops, virtual desktop infrastructure support, load balancing, and security via gateway services and network-level authentication. Administrators scale capacity by adding session hosts, configuring load balancing, and implementing backups and disaster recovery strategies. Because RDS has multiple meanings, it is important to determine the context to understand which service or concept is being discussed.