In this episode, we provide an overview of Amazon Aurora, a relational database solution on AWS. We discuss its unique capabilities like distinct storage architecture for better performance and faster recovery. We cover concepts like Aurora clusters, reader and writer instances, endpoints, and global databases. We also compare the serverless versions V1 and V2, noting that V2 is more enterprise-ready while V1 scales to zero. We touch on billing and additional features like the data API, RDS...

In this episode, we discuss 5 different ways to extend CloudFormation capabilities beyond what it natively supports. We started with a quick recap of what CloudFormation is and why we might need to extend it. We then covered using custom scripts and templating engines, which can be effective but require extra maintenance. We recommended relying instead on tools like Serverless Framework, SAM, and CDK which generate CloudFormation templates but provide abstractions and syntax improvements....

In this episode, we discuss best practices for working with AWS Lambda. We cover how Lambda functions work under the hood, including cold starts and warm starts. We then explore different invocation types - synchronous, asynchronous, and event-based. For each, we share tips on performance, cost optimization, and monitoring. Other topics include function structure, logging, instrumentation, and security. Throughout the episode, we aim to provide a solid mental model for serverless development...

In this episode, we provide commentary and analysis on the 2024 AWS Community Survey results. We go through the key findings for each area including infrastructure as code, CI/CD, serverless, containers, NoSQL databases, event services, and AI/ML. While recognizing potential biases, we aim to extract insights from the data and share our perspectives based on experience. Overall, we see increased adoption across many services, though some pain points remain around developer experience. We hope...

In this episode, we provide an introductory overview of AWS's best practices for managing infrastructure using multiple accounts under an organization. We discuss the advantages of this approach and how to get started creating your own multi-account environment, or "landing zone". 💰 SPONSORS 💰 AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem, an AWS Partner that does CLOUD stuff well, including helping you set up your AWS organisation! If that’s something you are looking for, go to...

In this episode, we provide an overview of Amazon EBS, which stands for Elastic Block Storage. We explain what block storage is and how EBS provides highly available and high-performance storage volumes that can be attached to EC2 instances. We discuss the various EBS volume types, including GP3, GP2, provisioned IOPS, and HDD volumes, and explain how they differ in performance characteristics like IOPS and throughput. We go over important concepts like IOPS, throughput, and volume types so...

In this episode, we discuss AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM) and how it can be used to securely share AWS resources like VPC subnets, databases, and SSM parameters across accounts. We explain the benefits of using RAM over other options like resource policies and assumed roles. Some key topics covered include how to get started with RAM, how it works from the resource owner and resource participant side, and common use cases like sharing VPC subnets, Aurora databases, and SSM...

In this episode, we discuss Permission Boundary policies in AWS IAM. A permissions boundary is an advanced feature in which you set the maximum permissions that an identity-based policy can grant to an IAM entity. When you set a permissions boundary for an entity, the entity can perform only the actions allowed by its identity-based policies and its permissions boundaries. In this episode, we discuss this concept a bit more in detail and we show how it can be used to give freedom to...

In this episode, we discuss the new experimental AWS Lambda LLRT Low Latency runtime for JavaScript. We provide an overview of what a Lambda runtime is and how LLRT aims to optimize cold starts and performance compared to existing runtimes like Node.js. We outline the benefits of LLRT but also highlight concerns around its experimental status, lack of parity with Node.js, and reliance on dependencies like QuickJS. Overall, LLRT shows promise but needs more stability, support, and real-world...

In this episode, we discuss what to do if you accidentally leak your AWS credentials during a live stream. We explain the difference between temporary credentials and long-lived credentials, and how to revoke each type. For temporary credentials, we recommend using the AWS console to revoke sessions or creating an IAM policy to deny access. For long-lived credentials, you must deactivate and rotate the credentials. We also touch on using tools like HashiCorp Vault to manage credentials...

In this episode, we provide a friendly introduction to Service Control Policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations. We explain what SCPs are, how they work, common use cases, and tips for troubleshooting access-denied errors related to SCPs. We cover how SCPs differ from identity-based and resource-based policies, and how SCPs can be used to set boundaries on maximum permissions in AWS accounts across an organization. 💰 SPONSORS 💰 AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an AWS Partner with plenty...

In this episode, we discuss how we work as a cloud consulting company, including our principles, engagement process, sprint methodology, and focus on agile development to deliver successful projects. We aim to be trusted partners, not just vendors, and enable our customers' business goals. By the end of this episode, you will know what working with a cloud consulting company like fourTheorem could look like and you might learn some strategies to make cloud projects a success! We will also...

In this episode, we discuss using AWS Lambda for machine learning inference. We cover the tradeoffs between GPUs and CPUs for ML, tools like ggml and llama.cpp for running models on CPUs, and share examples where we've experimented with Lambda for ML like podcast transcription, medical imaging, and natural language processing. While Lambda ML is still quite experimental, it can be a viable option for certain use cases. 💰 SPONSORS 💰 AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem, an Advanced...

This episode of the AWS Bites Podcast provides an overview of the AWS Project Development Kit (PDK), an open-source tool to help bootstrap and maintain cloud projects. We discuss what PDK is, how it can help generate boilerplate code and infrastructure, keep configuration consistent across projects, and some pros and cons of using a tool like this versus doing it manually. Is PDK something you should use for your cloud projects? Let's find out! 💰 SPONSORS 💰 AWS Bites is brought to you by...

In this episode, we discuss how you can use Python for data science workloads on AWS Lambda. We cover the pros and cons of using Lambda for these workloads compared to other AWS services. We benchmark cold start times and performance for different Lambda deployment options like zip packages, layers, and container images. The results show container images can provide faster cold starts than zip packages once the caches are warmed up. We summarize the optimizations AWS has made to enable...

In this episode, we share expert opinions from AWS community leaders on their favorite announcements from re:Invent 2023, advice for those starting their cloud journey, predictions for the future of serverless, whether to go multi-cloud or not, and how AI will impact developers. Our guests provide insightful perspectives on getting hands-on experience, leveraging the AWS community, thinking through architectural decisions, and more. AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem, an Advanced AWS...

Luciano and Eoin chat about Luciano's experience attending AWS re:Invent 2023 in Las Vegas for the first time. They talk about the massive scale of the event, logistical challenges getting around between venues, highlights from the keynotes and announcements, and tips for networking and getting the most out of re:Invent. Luciano shares his perspective on the AI focus, meeting people in real life after connecting online, rookie mistakes to avoid, and why re:Invent is worth the investment for...

In this episode, we discuss integration testing event-driven systems and explore AWS's new Integration Application Test Kit (IATK). We cover the challenges of testing events and common approaches like logging, end-to-end testing, and using temporary queues. We then introduce IATK, walk through how to use it for EventBridge testing, and share our experience trying out the X-Ray trace validation. We found IATK promising but still rough around the edges, though overall a useful addition to help...

In this episode, we celebrate AWS Lambda's 9th birthday by taking a deep dive into Lambda runtimes. We discuss how Lambda works, compare official runtimes vs. custom runtimes, and explain when and why building a custom runtime might be worth the effort. We talk through how custom runtimes work, options for deploying them, and potential use cases where they could be beneficial over standard runtimes. 💰 SPONSORS 💰 AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem, an Advanced AWS Partner. If you are...

In this episode, we discuss how we automated generating YouTube descriptions, chapters and tags for our podcast using Amazon's new GenAI tool: Bedrock. We provide an overview of Bedrock's features and how we built an integration to summarize podcast transcripts and extract relevant metadata using the Anthropic Claude model. We share the prompt engineering required to instruct the AI, and details on our serverless architecture using Step Functions, Lambda, and EventBridge. We also discussed...

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Jeremy Daly, CEO of Ampt and a leader in the AWS and serverless community. We discuss Jeremy's journey into AWS and serverless, the prolific open source work and content he creates, the evolution of serverless over the years, common myths about serverless, and, finally, the story behind building Ampt to improve the developer experience. Jeremy provides his perspective on the state of serverless and predictions for the future and it also...

Today we embark on a fascinating journey into the world of AWS Lambda functions and how to make them accessible to the public. In a recent use case, involving the creation of a public Lambda function for AWS users, we asked ourselves some interesting questions. How can you securely, cost-effectively, and conveniently publish AWS resources, especially Lambda functions, for others to use? And... can we possibly make some money out of this? Join us as we explore various options and share our...

Greetings, my fellow innovators, and welcome to this illuminating episode of AWS Bites! In this edition, we embark on a journey into the realms of Ampt, a groundbreaking solution that simplifies the intricate landscape of AWS application development, allowing you to direct your focus toward the very essence of your applications, unhindered by the burdens of infrastructure management. As your guides through this remarkable odyssey, hosts Luciano and Eoin delve into the ingenious facets of...

In this thrilling episode of AWS Bites Podcast, we delve into the murky world of cloud computing and discuss the most haunting fears that deter businesses from adopting Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this gritty discussion reminiscent of a noir novel, they reveal the sinister concerns of cost, complexity, security, and vendor lock-in that keep organizations in the dark. If you're in the cloud consulting business or facing internal resistance to moving your projects to AWS, this episode is...