Love AWS Fargate, but occasionally hit the “I need more control” wall (GPUs, storage, network bandwidth, instance sizing)? In this episode of AWS Bites, Eoin and Luciano put the brand-new Amazon ECS Managed Instances (ECS MI) under the microscope as the “middle path” between Fargate simplicity and ECS on EC2 flexibility. We unpack what ECS MI actually is and where it fits in the ECS spectrum, especially how it changes the way you think about clusters and capacity providers. From there we get practical: we talk through the pricing model (EC2 pricing with an additional ECS MI fee that can be a bit counterintuitive if you rely heavily on Reserved Instances or Savings Plans), and we share what it feels like to finally get GPU support in an experience that’s much closer to Fargate than to “full EC2 fleet management”. To make it real, we walk through what we built: a GPU-enabled worker that transcribes podcast audio using OpenAI Whisper, including the end-to-end setup in CDK (roles, capacity provider wiring, task definitions, and service configuration). Along the way we call out the rough edges we ran into, like configuration options that look like they might enable Spot-style behavior, and the operational realities you should expect, such as tasks taking roughly 3–4 minutes to start when ECS needs to provision fresh capacity. We close by mapping out the workloads where ECS MI shines (queue-driven GPU jobs, HPC-ish compute, tighter storage/network control) and the scenarios where it’s probably the wrong choice, like when you need custom AMIs, SSH access, or stricter isolation guarantees.In this episode, we mentioned the following resources: Amazon ECS Managed Instances: https://aws.amazon.com/ecs/managed-instances/ ECS Managed Instances documentation: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonECS/latest/developerguide/ManagedInstances.html Amazon Bottlerocket (what it is): https://aws.amazon.com/bottlerocket/ Our CDK ECS MI template: https://github.com/fourTheorem/cdk-ecs-mi-template Ep 42. How do you containerise and run your API with Fargate?: https://awsbites.com/42-how-do-you-containerise-and-run-your-api-with-fargate/ Ep 72. How do you save cost with ECS?: https://awsbites.com/72-how-do-you-save-cost-with-ecs/ Ep 10. Lambda or Fargate for containers?: https://awsbites.com/10-lambda-or-fargate-for-containers/ Ep 38. How do you choose the right compute service on AWS?: https://awsbites.com/38-how-do-you-choose-the-right-compute-service-on-aws/ Ep 143. Is App Runner better than Fargate?: https://awsbites.com/143-is-app-runner-better-than-fargate/ Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
149. Headless CMS on AWS (00:33:29)
We dive deep into Strapi, an open-source headless CMS that's changing how we approach content management and CRUD applications. In this episode, we explore how Strapi separates content from presentation, allowing marketing teams to manage content independently while developers maintain full control over the frontend experience. We discuss the powerful features that caught our attention, including the visual content type builder, dynamic zones, components, and the innovative blocks editor that stores content as JSON rather than HTML. We also cover practical aspects like local development workflows, data synchronization between environments, and deployment strategies on AWS. While we highlight some rough edges around documentation and minor bugs, we share our overall positive experience and provide insights into when Strapi might be the right choice for your next project.In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Strapi CMS: https://strapi.io/Strapi on GitHub: https://github.com/strapi/strapiStrapi Docs: https://docs.strapi.io/Strapi S3 Provider: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@strapi/provider-upload-aws-s3Strapi installation and pre-requisites: https://docs.strapi.io/cms/installation/cliThe React Block Content renderer: https://github.com/strapi/blocks-react-rendererContentful: https://www.contentful.com/Storyblok: https://www.storyblok.com/Sanity: https://www.sanity.io/HyGraph: https://hygraph.com/Byline CMS: https://bylinecms.app/Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
148. Lambda and Java with Mark Sailes (00:46:31)
What if “Java is too old for serverless” is the myth holding your team back in 2025?We put it to the test with Mark Sailes (ex-AWS, Java-on-Lambda expert). In this AWS Bites episode we get specific: when Java is the right call for Lambda and when it isn’t, how to hit real latency targets, and the exact levers that matter in production—SnapStart, provisioned concurrency, smart JVM/GC settings, and whether GraalVM is worth it. We compare vanilla Java, Micronaut, Quarkus, and Spring Boot for startup and memory, share realistic p95/p99 expectations, and outline fast feedback loops with Testcontainers and LocalStack.If Java on Lambda sounds risky, this might change your mind. Stick around for Mark’s tuning checklist and our verdict on when to bet on Java vs pick another runtime.Big shoutout to fourTheorem for powering yet another episode of AWS Bites. At fourTheorem, we believe the cloud should be simple, scalable, and cost-effective, and we help teams do just that. Whether you’re diving into containers, stepping into event-driven architecture, or scaling a global SaaS platform on AWS, or trying to keep cloud spend under control our team has your back. Visit https://fourTheorem.com to see how we can help you build faster, better, and with more confidence using AWS cloud!In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Mark Sailes's website and books: https://www.sailes.co.uk/booksMark's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@javainthecloudRunning Java effectively on serverless (ServerlessLand): https://serverlessland.com/content/service/lambda/guides/effectively-running-java-on-serverless/1-introductionLambda execution visualizer: https://lambda-sim.sailes.co.uk/Lambda SnapStart for Java simulator: https://www.sailes.co.uk/learn/lambda-snapstartPenna logging library for Java: https://github.com/hkupty/pennaTestcontainers for Java: https://java.testcontainers.org/Localstack: https://docs.localstack.cloud/aws/Micronaut: https://micronaut.io/Quarkus: https://quarkus.io/GraalVM: https://www.graalvm.org/AWS response to the Log4j issue: https://aws.amazon.com/security/security-bulletins/AWS-2021-005/Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
147. Spec coding with Kiro (00:38:50)
What if AWS built an IDE to rival your favorite editor? Turns out they did!In this episode of AWS Bites, we dive into Kiro, an AI centric fork of VS Code that tries to turn an empty repo and a loose idea into working software. Kiro imports your VS Code world, then guides you through requirements, design, and a clear task plan before an agent gets to work. We share what clicked, what tripped us up, and how Kiro’s spec driven approach compares to Cursor or Claude Code. We also cover status, limits, pricing, and what this could become if AWS leans in with deep cloud integration. Stick around for our take on whether you should switch or wait.Big shoutout to fourTheorem for powering yet another episode of AWS Bites. At fourTheorem, we believe the cloud should be simple, scalable, and cost-effective, and we help teams do just that. Whether you’re diving into containers, stepping into event-driven architecture, or scaling a global SaaS platform on AWS, or trying to keep cloud spend under control our team has your back. Visit https://fourTheorem.com to see how we can help you build faster, better, and with more confidence using AWS cloud!In this episode, we mentioned the following resources: Kiro website: https://kiro.dev/ Kiro docs on Agent Hooks: https://kiro.dev/docs/hooks/ Kiro docs on Steering: https://kiro.dev/docs/steering/ Kiro pricing plans blog: https://kiro.dev/blog/pricing-plans-are-live/ Cargo Lambda: https://www.cargo-lambda.info/ Episode 64: how do you write Lambda functions in Rust?: https://awsbites.com/64-how-do-you-write-lambda-functions-in-rust/ Kiro GitHub issue: https://github.com/kirodotdev/Kiro/issues/2004 Amazon Q developer CLI: https://github.com/aws/amazon-q-developer-cli Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
146. The AWS Product Lifecycle page (00:15:49)
What if AWS had its own version of Killed by Google? Well… turns out it kind of does.In this episode of AWS Bites, we explore the AWS Product Lifecycle page, the official place where AWS quietly lists products and services that are being deprecated, shut down, or closed to new customers. If you rely on AWS in production, this is a page you’ll want to bookmark.We walk through what’s on the list today, from Amazon Pinpoint to IoT Analytics and beyond, and we even throw in some predictions of what might be next to hit the chopping block. App Runner vs Beanstalk? API Gateway REST vs HTTP? Let the speculation begin!Big shoutout to fourTheorem for powering yet another episode of AWS Bites. At fourTheorem, we believe the cloud should be simple, scalable, and cost-effective, and we help teams do just that. Whether you’re diving into containers, stepping into event-driven architecture, or scaling a global SaaS platform on AWS, or trying to keep cloud spend under control our team has your back. Visit https://fourTheorem.com to see how we can help you build faster, better, and with more confidence using AWS cloud!In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:AWS Product Lifecycle Page: https://aws.amazon.com/products/lifecycle/AWS Blog – Introducing the AWS Product Lifecycle Page: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/introducing-the-aws-product-lifecycle-page-and-aws-service-availability-updates/AWS Bites Episode 98 – Amazon Pinpoint Quota Changes: https://awsbites.com/98AWS Bites Episode 74 – API Gateway REST vs HTTP: https://awsbites.com/74AWS Bites Episode 76 – AWS Copilot: https://awsbites.com/76AWS Bites Episode 143 – Is App Runner Better than Fargate?: https://awsbites.com/143API Gateway Routing Rules: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/compute/dynamically-routing-requests-with-amazon-api-gateway-routing-rules/Alexa+ and the future of generative AI at Amazon: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/new-alexa-generative-artificial-intelligenceDo you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
145. We Tried Amazon DSQL So You Don’t Have To (But You Might Want To) (00:28:34)
Amazon Aurora DSQL promises to bring a truly serverless experience to SQL databases. But does it actually deliver? In this episode of AWS Bites, we put Aurora DSQL to the test. We explore what makes it exciting, how it compares to traditional Aurora Serverless, and where it falls short. You’ll hear what changed since our last Aurora deep dive, and why DSQL might be the PostgreSQL-compatible serverless database you’ve been waiting for.Big shoutout to fourTheorem for powering yet another episode of AWS Bites. At fourTheorem, we believe the cloud should be simple, scalable, and cost-effective, and we help teams do just that. Whether you’re diving into containers, stepping into event-driven architecture, or scaling a global SaaS platform on AWS, or trying to keep cloud spend under control our team has your back. Visit https://fourTheorem.com to see how we can help you build faster, better, and with more confidence using AWS cloud!In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:AWS Blog – Amazon Aurora DSQL is Now Generally Available: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-aurora-dsql-is-now-generally-available/AWS Blog – Introducing Amazon Aurora DSQL: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/database/introducing-amazon-aurora-dsql/Aurora DSQL Deep Dive by Amazon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCdAngjKZY4DSQL Example Application by fourTheorem: https://github.com/fourTheorem/dsql-example/PlanetScale Docs – Why Does PlanetScale Not Recommend Constraints: https://planetscale.com/docs/vitess/operating-without-foreign-key-constraints#why-does-planetscale-not-recommend-constraints-Marc Bowes – How to Spend a Dollar with DSQL: https://marc-bowes.com/dsql-how-to-spend-a-dollar.htmlAlessandro Volpicella – Amazon DSQL Pricing Guide: https://awsfundamentals.com/blog/amazon-dsql-pricing-guideBinaryHeap Blog – First Look at DSQL (The Naughty List): https://binaryheap.com/first-look-dsql/AWS Bites – Aurora Deep Dive (Episode 122): https://awsbites.com/122Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
144. Lambda Billing Changes, Cold Start Costs, and Log Savings: What You Need to Know (00:13:22)
Cost is always top of mind when building in the cloud, and recently AWS has introduced some changes worth paying attention to. In this episode of AWS Bites, we explore a shift that caught many by surprise: the “free” INIT phase for Lambda’s managed runtimes is going away. That cold start time that used to fly under the billing radar? It's now part of the cost. We dig into what this means for your workloads, who might feel the impact, and whether this gives languages like Rust and Go an extra edge. But it’s not all bad news. AWS has also rolled out new pricing tiers for CloudWatch Logs, making it cheaper for high-volume accounts. On top of that, there are new options to send logs directly to S3 or Firehose, helping simplify pipelines and reduce costs. We close with a few tips to help you keep your Lambda and logging spend under control. If you're building on AWS and care about efficiency, this is one you won't want to miss.Big shoutout to fourTheorem for powering yet another episode of AWS Bites. At fourTheorem, we believe the cloud should be simple, scalable, and cost-effective, and we help teams do just that. Whether you’re diving into containers, stepping into event-driven architecture, or scaling a global SaaS platform on AWS, or trying to keep cloud spend under control our team has your back. Visit https://fourTheorem.com to see how we can help you build faster, better, and with more confidence using AWS cloud!In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:AWS Blog – Tiered Pricing for AWS Lambda: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/compute/introducing-tiered-pricing-for-aws-lambda/Luc van Donkersgoed – When is the Lambda INIT phase free and when is it billed?: https://lucvandonkersgoed.com/2022/04/09/when-is-the-lambda-init-phase-free-and-when-is-it-billed/AWS Bites – Explaining Lambda Runtimes (Episode 104): https://awsbites.com/104-explaining-lambda-runtimes/AWS Blog – Standardized Billing for Lambda INIT Phase: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/compute/aws-lambda-standardizes-billing-for-init-phase/Lambda Cold Start Benchmarks by Maxim David: https://maxday.github.io/lambda-perf/Duckbill Group Blog – Lambda Logs Just Got Cheaper: https://www.duckbillgroup.com/blog/lambda-logs-just-got-cheaper/AWS Bites – Becoming a Logs Ninja with CloudWatch (Episode 35): https://awsbites.com/35-how-can-you-become-a-logs-ninja-with-cloudwatchDo you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
143. Is App Runner better than Fargate? (00:42:09)
Picture this. You’ve got a web app built with Rust and Solid.js. It started life running on a dusty on-prem server, but now it's time to move it to the cloud. The clock is ticking. You could take the well-worn AWS path: set up a VPC, configure subnets, attach an ALB, define IAM roles, and deploy with Fargate. Or you could try something different. In this episode of AWS Bites, we share the real story of migrating a monolithic containerized app to AWS App Runner. It promises to take your code, build it, deploy it, and scale it with minimal effort. But does it really deliver? We compare App Runner with Fargate based on hands-on experience. You’ll learn where App Runner shines, where it gets in the way, and how we handled everything from custom domains to background job processing. You’ll also hear when we would still choose Fargate, and why. If you've ever hoped for a Heroku-like experience on AWS, or you want to simplify your container deployments without giving up too much control, this episode is for you.AWS Bites is brought to you in association with fourTheorem. At fourTheorem, we believe serverless should be simple, scalable, and cost-effective — and we help teams do just that. Whether you’re diving into containers, stepping into event-driven architecture, or scaling a global SaaS platform on AWS, our team has your back. Visit https://fourTheorem.com to see how we can help you build faster, better, and with more confidence using AWS cloud!In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Last Week in AWS: The 17 Ways to Run Containers on AWS: https://www.lastweekinaws.com/blog/the-17-ways-to-run-containers-on-aws/GitHub Issue - App Runner scale to zero discussion: https://github.com/aws/apprunner-roadmap/issues/9Custom Domain with CloudFormation (Mark van Holsteijn, Xebia): https://xebia.com/blog/configure-custom-domain-for-aws-apprunner-service-using-cloudformation/AWS Docs - App Runner hosted zone IDs: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest/gr/apprunner.htmlDo you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
142. Escape from S3 (00:30:44)
We discuss common use cases and challenges for copying data between S3 buckets and S3-compatible object storage services. We share our experience building an open source Node.js CLI tool called S3-Migrate to efficiently migrate data with separate source and destination credentials. We cover performance considerations like streaming, chunk sizes, concurrency and parallelism.AWS Bites is brought to you in association with fourTheorem. If you need a friendly partner to support you and work with you to de-risk any AWS migration or development project, check them out at fourtheorem.comIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources:s3-migrate CLI tool: https://github.com/lmammino/s3-migrateDigitalOcean Spaces Object Storage: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/spaces/Cloudflare R2: https://www.cloudflare.com/en-gb/developer-platform/products/r2/Backblaze B2: https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-storageWasabi Cloud Storage: https://wasabi.com/Linode / Akamai Object Storage: https://www.linode.com/products/object-storage/MinIO (Self-hosted S3-compatible storage): https://min.io/Basecamp / Hey’s move away from S3: https://world.hey.com/dhh/it-s-five-grand-a-day-to-miss-our-s3-exit-b8293563AWS re:Post - How to move objects between S3 buckets: https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/move-objects-s3-bucketAWS Labs - Utility for S3 Migration: https://github.com/awslabs/utility-for-s3-migrations3s3mirror (Java-based tool): https://github.com/cobbzilla/s3s3mirrorrclone S3 Support: https://rclone.org/s3/knox-copy (Ruby-based, deprecated): https://github.com/goodeggs/knox-copyFlexify.io (paid cloud migration service): https://flexify.io/Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
141. Step Functions with JSONata and Variables (00:15:43)
In this episode, we provide an overview of AWS Step Functions and dive deep into the powerful new JSONata and variables features. We explain how JSONata allows complex JSON transformations without custom Lambda functions, enabling more serverless workflows. The variables feature also helps avoid the previous 256KB state size limit. We share examples from real projects showing how these features simplify workflows, reduce costs and enable new use cases.AWS Bites is brought to you in association with fourTheorem. If you need a friendly partner to support you and work with you to de-risk any AWS migration or development project, check them out at fourtheorem.comIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources:JSONata and variables official launch post: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/compute/simplifying-developer-experience-with-variables-and-jsonata-in-aws-step-functions/JSONata exerciser: https://try.jsonata.org/Stedi JSONata playground: https://www.stedi.com/jsonata/playgroundEpisode 103: Building GenAI Features with Bedrock https://awsbites.com/103-building-genai-features-with-bedrock/Episode 63: How to automate transcripts with Amazon Transcribe and OpenAI Whisper https://awsbites.com/63-how-to-automate-transcripts-with-amazon-transcribe-and-openai-whisper/ Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
140. DuckDB Meets AWS: A Match Made in Cloud (00:17:38)
In this episode, we explore DuckDB, an open-source analytical database known for its speed and simplicity. Discover how DuckDB stands out in various applications and compare it to other tools like SQLite, Athena, Pandas, and Polars. We also demonstrate integrating DuckDB with AWS Lambda and Step Functions for serverless analytics.AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem. If you are looking for a partner to architect, develop and modernise on AWS, give fourTheorem a call. Check out fourtheorem.comIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources: Our `duck-query-lambda`, A Lambda runtime for DuckDB queries: https://github.com/fourTheorem/duck-query-lambda DuckDB's official website: https://duckdb.org/ LibSQL: https://github.com/tursodatabase/libsql Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn:- https://twitter.com/eoins | https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/- https://twitter.com/loige | https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
139. Building Great APIs with Powertools (00:24:32)
In this episode, we discuss using AWS Lambda Powertools for Python to build serverless REST APIs with AWS Lambda. We cover the benefits of using Powertools for routing, validation, OpenAPI support, and more. Powertools provides an excellent framework for building APIs while maintaining Lambda best practices.In this episode, we mentioned the following resources: AWS Bites 41. How can Middy make writing Lambda functions easier? - https://awsbites.com/41-how-can-middy-make-writing-lambda-functions-easier AWS Bites 120. Lambda Best Practices - https://awsbites.com/120-lambda-best-practices/ REST API - Powertools for AWS Lambda (Python) - https://docs.powertools.aws.dev/lambda/python/latest/core/event_handler/api_gateway/ Hono - https://hono.dev/ Fastify - https://fastify.dev/ Axum - https://github.com/tokio-rs/axum FastAPI - https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?Leave a comment here or connect with us on BlueSky or LinkedIn: https://bsky.app/profile/eoin.sh | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoins/ https://bsky.app/profile/loige.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianomammino/
138. How Do You Become A Cloud Architect? (00:39:02)
Ready to take your tech career to the cloud and build those awe-inspiring systems you see? Then you're in the right place. This episode of AWS Bites is your blueprint for becoming a successful cloud architect. We're not just going to talk about it; we'll show you what worked for us, sharing the critical skills you need, and a practical path to build your expertise. Whether you're a beginner or looking to take the next step, join us as we equip you with the knowledge and tools to make your mark as a cloud architect!
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
Google Cloud Architecture Definition: https://cloud.google.com/learn/what-is-cloud-architecture
Market data about the Cloud Professional Services market: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/cloud-professional-services-market
EP 91 - Our Journeys into Software and AWS: https://awsbites.com/91-our-journeys-into-software-and-aws/
AWS Well-Architected Framework: https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/well-architected/
EP 68 - Are you well architected?: https://awsbites.com/68-are-you-well-architected/
Cloud Design Patterns: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/
The art of scalability (book): https://www.amazon.com/Art-Scalability-Architecture-Organizations-Enterprise/dp/0134032802
Enterprise integration patterns (book): https://www.amazon.com/Enterprise-Integration-Patterns-Designing-Deploying/dp/0321200683/
Designing Data-Intensive Applications (book): https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Data-Intensive-Applications-Reliable-Maintainable/dp/1449373321
AWS Networking Essentials (free guide): https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/aws-networking-essentials/
Docker Curriculum (free): https://docker-curriculum.com/
How Linux works (book): https://www.amazon.com/How-Linux-Works-Brian-Ward/dp/1718500408/
Exercism coding challenges: https://exercism.org/
The tangled web (book): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tangled-Web-Securing-Modern-Applications/dp/1593273886
Low Level YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lowlevellearning
AWS - Best Practices for Security, Identity, & Compliance: https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/security-identity-compliance/
Supercommunicators (book): https://www.amazon.com/Supercommunicators-Unlock-Secret-Language-Connection/dp/0593862066/
An Elegant Puzzle (book): https://www.amazon.com/Elegant-Puzzle-Systems-Engineering-Management/dp/1732265186/
Staff Engineer (book): https://www.amazon.com/Staff-Engineer-Leadership-beyond-management/dp/1736417916/
EP 58 - What can kitties teach us about AWS: https://awsbites.com/58-what-can-kitties-teach-us-about-aws/
AWS User Groups: https://aws.amazon.com/developer/community/usergroups/
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
137. Transit Gateway Explained (00:18:37)
In this episode, David Lynam provides an overview of AWS Transit Gateway, which aims to simplify complex network connectivity between VPCs, VPNs, and on-premises networks. We discuss the limitations of using VPC peering and the benefits Transit Gateway provides through its hub-and-spoke model. The main components of Transit Gateway are explained, including attachments, route tables, associations, and route propagation. We go through some example use cases like sharing Transit Gateways across accounts, network isolation for compliance, routing traffic through security services, and bandwidth/scaling capabilities.
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
- How Amazon VPC Transit Gateways work
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
136. 20 Amazing New AWS Features (00:17:39)
In this pre-re:Invent 2024 episode, Luciano and Eoin discuss some of their favorite recent AWS announcements, including improvements to AWS Step Functions, Lambda runtime updates, DynamoDB price reductions, ALB header injection, Cognito enhancements, VPC public access blocking, and more. They share their thoughts on the implications of these new capabilities and look forward to seeing what else is announced at the conference. Overall, it's an exciting time for AWS developers with many new features to explore. Very important: no focus on GenAI in this episode :)
AWS Bites is brought to you, as always, by fourTheorem! Sometimes, AWS is overwhelming and you might need someone to provide clear guidance in the fog of cloud offerings. That someone is fourTheorem. Check them out at fourtheorem.com
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
The repo containing the code of the AWS Bites website: https://github.com/awsbites/aws-bites-site
Orama Search: https://orama.com/
JSONata in AWS Step Functions: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/compute/simplifying-developer-experience-with-variables-and-jsonata-in-aws-step-functions/
EC2 Auto Scaling improvements: https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2024/11/amazon-ec2-auto-scaling-highly-responsive-scaling-policies/
Node.js 22 is available for Lambda: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/compute/node-js-22-runtime-now-available-in-aws-lambda/
Python 3.13 runtime: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/compute/python-3-13-runtime-now-available-in-aws-lambda/
Aurora Serverless V2 now scales to 0: https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2024/11/amazon-aurora-serverless-v2-scaling-zero-capacity/
Episode 95 covering Mountpoint for S3: https://awsbites.com/95-mounting-s3-as-a-filesystem/
One Zone caching for Mountpoint for S3: https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2024/11/mountpoint-amazon-s3-high-performance-shared-cache/
Appending to S3 objects: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/directory-buckets-objects-append.html
1 million S3 Buckets per account: https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2024/11/amazon-s3-up-1-million-buckets-per-aws-account/
DynamoDB cost reduction: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/database/new-amazon-dynamodb-lowers-pricing-for-on-demand-throughput-and-global-tables/
ALB Headers: https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2024/11/aws-application-load-balancer-header-modification-enhanced-traffic-control-security/
Cognito Managed Login: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/improve-your-app-authentication-workflow-with-new-amazon-cognito-features/
Cognito Passwordless Authentication: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/improve-your-app-authentication-workflow-with-new-amazon-cognito-features/
VPC Block Public Access: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery/vpc-block-public-access/
Episode 88 where we talk about VPC Lattice: https://awsbites.com/88-what-is-vpc-lattice/
Direct integration between Lattice and ECS: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/streamline-container-application-networking-with-native-amazon-ecs-support-in-amazon-vpc-lattice/
Resource Control Policies: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/introducing-resource-control-policies-rcps-a-new-authorization-policy/
Episode 23 about EventBridge: https://awsbites.com/23-what-s-the-big-deal-with-eventbridge/
EventBridge latency improvements: https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2024/11/amazon-eventbridge-improvement-latency-event-buses/
AppSync web sockets: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/mobile/announcing-aws-appsync-events-serverless-websocket-apis/
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
135. Serverless is making a comeback where you least expect it (00:21:46)
In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of using serverless architecture in enterprise companies. We cover topics like cost, complexity, security, ability to evolve architecture, and more. Overall, we find that serverless can provide benefits like reduced operational costs, improved developer productivity, and increased focus on core business logic for larger companies.
AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an Advanced AWS partner that works collaboratively with you and sets you up for long-term success on AWS. Find out more at fourtheorem.com
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
- Yan Cui - “Even simple serverless applications have complex architecture diagrams”, so what?
- Dark Matter Developers: The Unseen 99%
- Deloitte - Determining the Total Cost of Ownership of Serverless Technologies when compared to Traditional Cloud (PDF)
- Generating Value Through IT Agility and Business Scalability with AWS Serverless Platform (Gated Link)
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X/Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
134. Eliminate the IAM User (00:28:15)
In this episode, we discuss why IAM users and long-lived credentials are dangerous and should be avoided. We share war stories of compromised credentials and overprivileged access. We then explore solutions like centralizing IAM users, using tools like AWS Vault for temporary credentials, integrating with AWS SSO, and fully eliminating IAM users when possible.
💰 SPONSORS 💰
AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem. If you are looking for a partner to architect, develop and modernise on AWS, give fourTheorem a call. Check out https://fourtheorem.com.
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
Episode 118 "The landing zone: Managing multiple AWS accounts": https://awsbites.com/118-the-landing-zone-managing-multiple-aws-accounts/
Episode 96: "AWS Governance and Landing Zone with Control Tower, Org Formation, and Terraform" https://awsbites.com/96-aws-governance-and-landing-zone-with-control-tower-org-formation-and-terraform/
Datadog Security Report (IAM stats): https://www.datadoghq.com/state-of-cloud-security/
Credentials provider chain in the JavaScript SDK: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-javascript/v3/developer-guide/setting-credentials-node.html
Credentials provider chain in the AWS CLI: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/v1/userguide/cli-chap-authentication.html
Episode 45 "What’s the magic of OIDC identity providers?": https://awsbites.com/45-what-s-the-magic-of-oidc-identity-providers/
Episode 112 "What is a Service Control Policy (SCP)?": https://awsbites.com/112-what-is-a-service-control-policy-scp
Episode 115 "What can you do with Permissions Boundaries?": https://awsbites.com/115-what-can-you-do-with-permissions-boundaries/
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X, formerly Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
133. Building Businesses in the Cloud with Fiona McKenna (00:28:28)
In this special episode of AWS Bites, Eoin is joined by Fiona McKenna,
co-founder and CFO of fourTheorem, to discuss startup advice, hiring and
growing teams, creating an environment for success, and managing cloud
costs. They cover important themes around people, culture, leadership,
and finance from Fiona's extensive experience in the tech industry.
💰 SPONSORS 💰
AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an Advanced AWS partner that
works collaboratively with you and sets you up for long-term success on
AWS. Find out more at https://fourtheorem.com.
🔖 Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:28 Advice on hiring and growing teams
06:00 Challenges in recruiting the right people
09:06 Advice for startups growing from small to large teams
12:53 More general advice for startups
18:25 Are cloud economics understood by CFOs and finance leaders?
21:42 Advice for large companies migrating to the cloud
25:35 Tips for starting an AWS consultancy
28:32 Closing notes
Find Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-mc-kenna-174172a2
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X, formerly Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
132. GitHub Action Runners on AWS (00:24:40)
In this episode, we provided an overview of GitHub Action Runners and discussed the benefits of using self-hosted runners on AWS. We covered options including EC2 and CodeBuild for running GitHub Actions, compared pricing across solutions, and shared our hands-on experience setting things up. Overall, using AWS services can provide more control, lower latency, and cost optimization compared to GitHub hosted runners.
💰 SPONSORS 💰
AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an Advanced AWS partner that works collaboratively with you and sets you up for long-term success on AWS. Find out more at fourtheorem.com.
The source code for the project we discussed is available on GitHub: fourTheorem/codebuild-gha-runners!
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources.
Cloudonaut - Self-Hosted GitHub Runners on AWS
AWS: Best Practices for Working with Self-Hosted GitHub Action Runners at Scale on AWS
GitHub - philips-labs/terraform-aws-github-runner
GitHub - garysassano/cdktf-aws-codebuild-github-runners-organization
GitHub - machulav/ec2-github-runner
AWS CodeBuild Managed Self-Hosted GitHub Action Runners
HyperEnv - Self-hosted GitHub runners on AWS
RunsOn - Self-hosted runners on AWS
Actions Runner Controller for Kubernetes
Biome
SLIC Watch
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X, formerly Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
131. What do you do about CloudFormation Drift? (00:19:44)
In this episode, we discuss the concept of CloudFormation drift, what causes it, how to detect it, and strategies for resolving it. We explain that drift happens when the actual state of resources diverges from what is defined in the CloudFormation templates. Common causes include manual changes, third party tools, mixing IaC solutions, and automation. We then cover built-in drift detection in CloudFormation and integrating it with alarms. Finally, we suggest approaches for reconciling drift like change sets, deletion protection, and bringing up parallel stacks.
💰 SPONSORS 💰
This episode of AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem. Need to modernize your infrastructure or build scalable cloud solutions? fourTheorem brings the experience to build high-quality, maintainable, and scalable cloud applications that evolve with your business needs. Visit https://fourtheorem.com to see how we can help take your cloud journey to the next level.
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
Ep 31 - CloudFormation or Terraform: https://awsbites.com/31-cloudformation-or-terraform/
Ep. 121 - 5 Ways to extend CloudFormation: https://awsbites.com/121-5-ways-to-extend-cloudformation/
Automatic Drift detection (AWS tutorial): https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/mt/implementing-an-alarm-to-automatically-detect-drift-in-aws-cloudformation-stacks
Ep. 11 - How do you move away from the management console: https://awsbites.com/11-how-do-you-move-away-from-the-management-console/
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X, formerly Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
130. Growing in Tech with Farrah Campbell (00:29:55)
In this episode, we had the pleasure to interview Farrah Campbell, head of modern compute community at AWS, prolific speaker, and former AWS Hero. We discussed Farrah's career journey from healthcare into tech, tips on public speaking, dealing with imposter syndrome, the pace of innovation in the cloud, and predictions for the future. Farrah shared personal stories and advice for getting started in tech and being an active member of the community. It was inspiring to hear from someone so passionate about helping others learn and grow.
💰 SPONSORS 💰
AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem. If you are looking for a partner to architect, develop and modernise on AWS, give fourTheorem a call. Check out https://fourtheorem.com .
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
Farrah's favourite AWS Bites episode with Jeremy Daly: https://awsbites.com/102-getting-ampt-with-jeremy-daly/
Farrah on X (Twitter): https://x.com/FarrahC32
Farrah on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrahcampbell/
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X, formerly Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
129. Lambda Provisioned Concurrency (00:22:17)
In this episode, we discuss AWS Lambda provisioned concurrency. We start with a recap of Lambda cold starts and the different concurrency control options. We then explain how provisioned concurrency works to initialize execution environments in advance to avoid cold starts. We cover how to enable it, pricing details, common issues like over/under-provisioning, and alternatives like self-warming functions or using other services like ECS and Fargate.
💰 SPONSORS 💰
This episode of AWS Bites is powered by fourTheorem. Whether you're looking to architect, develop, or modernize on AWS, fourTheorem has you covered. Ready to take your cloud game to the next level? Head to https://fourtheorem.com to check out our in-depth articles, and case studies, and see how we can help transform your AWS journey.
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
Episode 60: "What is AWS Lambda": https://awsbites.com/60-what-is-aws-lambda/
Episode 104: "Explaining AWS Lambda Runtimes": https://awsbites.com/104-explaining-lambda-runtimes/
Episode 108: "Solving Lambda Cold Starts in Python": https://awsbites.com/108-how-to-solve-lambda-python-cold-starts/
Episode 120: "Lambda Best Practices": https://awsbites.com/120-lambda-best-practices/
AWS Lambda Concurrency Explained by James Eastham: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHACnNKTefI
Provisioned Concurrency pricing: https://aws.amazon.com/lambda/pricing/#Provisioned_Concurrency_Pricing
Less than 1% of invocations are cold-starts (statement): https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/operatorguide/execution-environments.html
Middy Warmup Middleware: https://middy.js.org/docs/middlewares/warmup/
Lambda speculative warm-up init (mention in the Docs): https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/lambda-runtime-environment.html#:~:text=For%20functions%20using,on%20this%20behavior.
Episode 64: "How do you write Lambda Functions in Rust": https://awsbites.com/64-how-do-you-write-lambda-functions-in-rust
Episode 128: "Writing a book about Rust and Lambda": https://awsbites.com/128-writing-a-book-about-rust-and-lambda/
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X, formerly Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
128. Writing a book about Rust & Lambda (00:26:58)
In this episode, we discuss Luciano's new book project on using Rust to write AWS Lambda functions. We start with a recap on why Rust is a good fit for Lambda, including performance, efficiency, safety, and low cold start times. Luciano provides details on the book's progress so far, the intended audience, and the current published chapters covering Lambda internals, getting started with Rust Lambda, and building a URL shortener app with DynamoDB. We also explore the differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing, and why Luciano chose the self-publishing route for this book. Luciano shares insights into the writing process with AsciiDoc, code samples, SVG image generation, and using Gumroad for distribution. He invites feedback from listeners who have experience with Rust and Lambda.
💰 SPONSORS 💰
AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem. If you are looking for a partner to architect, develop and modernise on AWS, give fourTheorem a call. We have also been working with some of our customers to rewrite some of their most used Lambda functions in Rust, greatly reducing cost and improving performance. If all of this sounds interesting, check us out at https://fourtheorem.com
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
Our previous episode "64. How do you write Lambda Functions in Rust?": https://awsbites.com/64-how-do-you-write-lambda-functions-in-rust
Crafting Lambda Functions in Rust book's website: https://rust-lambda.com/
The official Rust book (available for free): https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/
James Eastham awesome YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@serverlessjames
AI as a Service book: https://www.manning.com/books/ai-as-a-service
Node.js Design Patterns book: https://www.nodejsdesignpatterns.com/
Liran Tal's awesome AsciiDoc book starter template: https://github.com/lirantal/asciidoc-book-starter
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X, formerly Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
127. Which Load Balancer should you use? (00:24:47)
An overview of load balancers, explaining how they distribute traffic across multiple servers and provide high availability. We discuss layer 4 and layer 7 load balancers, detailing their pros and cons. We then focus on AWS load balancers, covering network load balancers and application load balancers in depth, including their features, use cases, and pricing models. We conclude by mentioning some alternatives to AWS load balancers.
💰 SPONSORS 💰
AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem an AWS consulting partner with tons of experience with AWS. If you need someone to help you with your ambitions AWS projects, check out https://fourtheorem.com
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
Our previous episode "88. What is VPC Lattice?": https://awsbites.com/88-what-is-vpc-lattice/
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X, formerly Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
126. Bastion Containers (00:13:30)
This episode discusses solutions for securely accessing private VPC resources for debugging and troubleshooting. We cover traditional approaches like bastion hosts and VPNs and newer solutions using containers and AWS services like Fargate, ECS, and SSM. We explain how to set up a Fargate task with a container image with the necessary tools, enable ECS integration with SSM, and use SSM to start remote shells and port forwarding tunnels into the container. This provides on-demand access without exposing resources on the public internet. We share a Python script to simplify the process. We suggest ideas for improvements like auto-scaling the container down when idle. Overall, this lightweight containerized approach can provide easy access for debugging compared to managing EC2 instances.
💰 SPONSORS 💰
AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem an AWS consulting partner with tons of experience with AWS. If you need someone to help you with your ambitions AWS projects, check out https://fourtheorem.com
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
Our previous episode "78. When do you need a bastion host?": https://awsbites.com/78-when-do-you-need-a-bastion-host
Basti - Securely connect to RDS, Elasticache, and other AWS resources in VPCs with no idle cost: https://github.com/basti-app/basti
Our gist with a Python script you can adjust to your needs: https://gist.github.com/eoinsha/157f6d869d0033f80a8da5757e8781f7
Do you have any AWS questions you would like us to address?
Leave a comment here or connect with us on X, formerly Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/eoins
- https://twitter.com/loige
