๐Ÿ’ผ Amazon Q Business

1. What is Amazon Q Business?

  • A fully managed generative AI assistant for enterprises.
  • Works based on a companyโ€™s internal knowledge and data.
  • Key capabilities:
    • Q&A based on company documents
    • Summarization & content generation
    • Automating routine tasks (e.g., time-off requests, meeting invites)
    • Integration with external systems for real actions
  • Runs on Amazon Bedrock, but users cannot choose the underlying Foundation Model (FM).

๐Ÿ‘‰ Exam Tip: Remember that Q Business runs on Bedrock but you cannot select the FM.

2. Key Components

๐Ÿ”น Data Connectors (Managed RAG)

  • Connects to 40+ enterprise data sources
  • AWS Services: S3, RDS, Aurora, WorkDocs
  • External Services: Microsoft 365, Google Drive, Gmail, Slack, Salesforce, SharePoint, etc.
  • Automatically indexes and retrieves documents.

๐Ÿ”น Plugins

  • Allow interaction with external applications.
  • Examples: Jira, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Salesforce.
  • Custom Plugins: Connect to any 3rd-party application via APIs.
  • Example: โ€œCreate a new Jira issueโ€ โ†’ Q Business calls Jira API and creates the ticket.

3. IAM Identity Center Integration

  • User authentication is managed through IAM Identity Center.
  • Users only see documents they are authorized to access.
  • Supports external Identity Providers (IdPs): Google Login, Microsoft Active Directory, etc.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Exam Tip: Q Business authentication is always through IAM Identity Center.

4. Admin Controls (Guardrails)

  • Works like Guardrails in Bedrock.
  • Capabilities:
    • Block specific words or topics
    • Restrict responses to internal documents only (disable external LLM knowledge)
    • Rules can be applied globally or at topic-level.

5. Amazon Q Apps

  • Create GenAI-powered apps without coding using natural language.
  • Leverages internal company data + plugins.
  • Example: Build a Jira ticket automation app or a document search chatbot.

6. Example Use Cases

  • โ€œSummarize the April 12th team meetingโ€ โ†’ Answered from meeting notes.
  • โ€œWhat is the out-of-pocket maximum in our health plan?โ€ โ†’ Retrieved from PDF.
  • โ€œGenerate a new job posting for a Product Managerโ€ โ†’ Drafted using internal HR policies.

7. Exam Key Points

  • Amazon Q Business = enterprise-focused GenAI assistant.
  • FM cannot be selected (unlike Bedrock).
  • IAM Identity Center = core for access control.
  • Data Connectors vs Plugins:
    • Connectors = data retrieval (RAG).
    • Plugins = perform real tasks (API calls, ticket creation).
  • Admin Controls = Guardrails โ†’ block terms, restrict sources.
  • Can connect up to ~50 data sources.
  • Pricing consideration: Q Business Light/Pro plans exist (important in practice, not in exams).

๐Ÿ“Œ One-Line Summary

Amazon Q Business = An enterprise GenAI assistant with Data Connectors (RAG), Plugins (actions), IAM Identity Center (auth), and Guardrails (admin controls) as core exam concepts.

๐Ÿ“Š Amazon Q Business โ€“ Exam Cheat Sheet

Category Description Exam Point
Service Concept Enterprise GenAI assistant based on company data Runs on Bedrock, FM not selectable
Core Functions Q&A, summarization, content creation, automation Beyond QA โ†’ executes tasks
Data Connectors 40+ data sources (S3, RDS, Aurora, M365, GDrive, Slack, Salesforce, SharePoint) RAG (retrieval-based answers)
Plugins Interact with external apps (Jira, ServiceNow, Salesforce) Execute real actions (tickets, API calls)
Custom Plugins Connect with any 3rd-party app via API Exam: โ€œ3rd Party App integrationโ€ โ†’ Custom Plugin
IAM Identity Center User authentication & access control Users only see authorized documents
External IdP Google Login, Microsoft AD AWS supports external IdPs
Admin Controls (Guardrails) Block topics, restrict to internal docs Same as Guardrails, Global/Topic scope
Amazon Q Apps No-code GenAI apps Combine internal data + Plugins
Data Sources Up to ~50 per application May appear in exams
Security IAM + Guardrails = access control Exam: โ€œHow is access controlled?โ€ โ†’ IAM + Guardrails
Pricing Light/Pro plans, anonymous access costly Important for real use, less for exam

โœ… Common Exam Questions

Q1. Difference between Amazon Bedrock and Q Business?

  • Bedrock = Direct FM usage, choose models.
  • Q Business = Enterprise AI assistant, FM not selectable.

Q2. Data Connectors vs Plugins?

  • Connectors = retrieval (RAG).
  • Plugins = perform tasks (API, Jira, ServiceNow).

Q3. How does Q Business manage security & access?

  • IAM Identity Center + Guardrails.

Q4. What are Amazon Q Apps?

  • No-code GenAI apps built with internal data + Plugins.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Final Note: In AWS exams, focus on FM not selectable, IAM Identity Center, Data Connectors vs Plugins, and Guardrails.