Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| English name | Amazon Athena |
| Full name | Amazon Athena |
| Chinese description | S3 无服务器 SQL 查询 |
| Japanese description | S3 サーバーレス SQL |
| Exam frequency | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Often confused with | Redshift / EMR |
In one sentence
Run standard SQL directly against data in S3 without managing servers.
Key points
- Athena reads S3 data and commonly uses Glue Data Catalog for table definitions and schemas.
- Cost follows bytes scanned; partitions, compression, and columnar formats such as Parquet or ORC improve cost and speed.
- Athena is a query service, not a data warehouse that stores the data.
Exam focus
- Serverless SQL, direct S3 queries, and ad hoc analysis point to Athena.
- Compare Redshift for frequent complex BI and sustained warehouse workloads.
Common pitfalls
- Do not choose by product name alone; confirm data type, latency, control, operations, and cost constraints.
Remember
S3 stores it, Glue describes it, Athena queries it with SQL.