AWS Bites

Latest Episodes:

75. GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT: Game Changers for Developers? Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

In this special episode of AWS Bites, we drop all our opinions about the sudden growth of AI and how it is going to change the future as we know it! We begin by taking a trip down memory lane and discovering the types of AI tools that have been used in the past and how they have helped us. Then, we'll dive into ChatGPT, a language model that can assist us in writing and even creating code. We're especially excited to discuss how ChatGPT can be used to create slide decks or even write a book or a blog post. But wait, there's more! We'll also explore the utility of other AI tools such as Grammarly and OpenAI Whisper for improving our writing and transcribing spoken words into text. Moving forward, we'll examine how we tried to use AI to develop cloud applications on platforms like AWS. We'll also consider the impact of AI on the education system and how it can be used to modernize complex systems, or for learning, including programming languages that are new to developers. Now, we know there might be some concerns about using AI, such as whether it takes away the fun of software engineering or reduces creativity. But fear not! We'll address these concerns head-on and explore how AI can actually make us more productive and lead to exciting new discoveries. Finally, we'll discuss the exciting possibilities for AI and its potential to democratize access to the job market and society in general.

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠fourTheorem⁠⁠⁠, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

Our episode about OpenAI Whisper for generating transcripts
David Boyne's AI-powered story generation tool (AWS Blog post)
The Fission project for simplifying monolith to microservices migrations

🎁 BONUS CONTENT A Limerick by ChatGPT On the Amazon Cloud far away, Where businesses went to play, The costs grew so vast, Their budgets were trashed, As their dollars all floated away!

You can listen to AWS Bites wherever you get your podcasts:

74. Function URLs vs API Gateway Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

How can you use a Lambda to respond to an HTTP request? There are more ways than ever to do it. We have API Gateway REST APIs, Lambda support for Application Load Balancer, and now Function URLs. But which one should you use, and when? In this episode of AWS Bites podcast, we will give you a quick and simple guide to picking the best way to build APIs with Lambda. In this video, we're going to pitch Function URLs against API Gateway in a battle for the ages! Function URLs offer a simple and quick way to get a public URL to invoke a Lambda function, with fewer configuration options and cheaper pricing. They are suitable for private webhooks, simple backend functions, and machine learning inference backend. However, they lack authorization and DDoS protection, making them unsuitable for public webhooks. On the other hand, API Gateway offers more features and control, making it suitable for public APIs. API Gateway comes in two flavors: REST and HTTP with some subtle differences. Finally, we will also cover Application Load balancer and explore when and why it can be a convenient alternative to both Function URLs and API Gateway.

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by ⁠⁠fourTheorem⁠⁠, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

Article by AJ Stuyvenberg reporting that Function URLs have a latency of 8.35ms
GitHub repository with all the material we used in our evaluation

You can listen to AWS Bites wherever you get your podcasts:

73. What is AWS Application Composer? Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, we're going to be talking about AWS Application Composer - a FREE service that promises to help you build serverless applications with ease. With its simple drag-and-drop interface, it's supposed to make Infrastructure as Code a breeze. But the real question is - does it live up to the hype? We know a lot of you are probably struggling with building applications using CloudFormation. It's a real pain, right? So, we decided to take Application Composer for a spin and see if it's worth adding to your toolkit or giving it a hard pass. After covering a generic overview of the service, how it works, and the main concepts, we discuss our experience in creating a new simple serverless application from scratch only using API Gateway, Lambda, and S3. Then we cover what it looks like to import an existing project (a slightly more complicated one) into Application Composer and find out what works and what doesn't. We conclude by discussing some other things that didn't work as expected and by providing our general recommendation on whether you should be using this service today.

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by ⁠fourTheorem⁠, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

⁠Web platform filesystem Access API
The current status of cross-browser support for the File System Access API
Our first Application Composer demo source code
Earthquake notifier serverless project
Our previous episode on Fargate and how to optimize cost for it

You can listen to AWS Bites wherever you get your podcasts:

72. How do you save cost with ECS? Mar 17, 2023

Show notes

AWS ECS is a powerful service that allows you to run containerized applications at scale. It's suitable for a variety of use cases, including web applications, microservices, and background processing.

In this episode, we'll provide an introduction to the main concepts of ECS and then dive into cost-optimization strategies. We'll explore the different options for running containers on ECS, including EC2, Fargate, and ECS Anywhere.

We'll discuss various opportunities for saving money, such as using Arm (Graviton) instances, Spot instances, Compute Savings Plans, and RIs or EC2 Saving Plans.

Finally, we'll cover how to set up ECS to use Spot instances, including how to create capacity providers and specify a capacity provider strategy. We'll also discuss whether it's always best to use EC2 instead of Fargate for cost optimization and recommend some tools that can help you find other opportunities to save on container costs.

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

You can listen to AWS Bites wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aws-bites/id1585489017
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Lh7PzqBFV6yt5WsTAmO5q
Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82YTMzMTJhMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/aws-bites
RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/6a3312a0/podcast/rss

71. Should I be worried about adopting serverless? Mar 10, 2023

Show notes

Join us as we explore the controversy surrounding serverless computing in this week's video! We'll be discussing David Heinemeier Hansson's recent blog post where he argues that serverless is a trap that only benefits cloud providers.

While we respect DHH's opinion, we'll be providing an alternative perspective by analyzing his major points and discussing the benefits of using serverless computing, including Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and increased agility. We'll also be highlighting how serverless can help teams focus on business logic instead of infrastructure management and enable easier integration with other cloud services, making it more efficient to build and deploy applications.

Don't miss out on this informative and thought-provoking discussion!

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

"Don't be fooled by Serverless" (Original post by DHH)
"Why are we leaving the cloud" (Previous post by DHH)
"Why AWS Lambda pricing has to change for the enterprise" (our article on AWS Lambda pricing comparison)
Our previous episode "What will serverless 2.0 look like"
Kelsey Hightower's tweet on vendor lock-in
Jeremy Daly's article "The cloud isn't the issue, you are using it wrong"

You can listen to AWS Bites wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aws-bites/id1585489017
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Lh7PzqBFV6yt5WsTAmO5q
Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82YTMzMTJhMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/aws-bites
RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/6a3312a0/podcast/rss

70. How do you create good AWS diagrams? Mar 03, 2023

Show notes

Are you ready to level up your software architecture skills? In this episode, we deep-dive into the world of diagrams and show you why they are essential for creating robust and scalable cloud architectures!

Starting with the basics, we explain why diagrams are so important and why you should be using them in your work. We'll discuss different approaches to creating diagrams mentioning the popular C4 method and some alternative approaches.

In the context of AWS we will share some insider tips about using AWS icon sets to enhance your architecture diagrams and make them look as professional as possible.

Next, we'll take you for a tour of the various tools you can use to create diagrams, from manual drag-n-drop tools like Visio, DrawIo, Excalidraw, and LucidCharts, to programmatic tools like Mermaid, Python diagrams library, and Kroki. We will also share some exciting insights into generating diagrams from infrastructure using tools like CfnDiagrams and the Terraform graph command.

Finally, we'll close this episode by showing you how to share your diagrams and collaborate effectively with others.

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

Official AWS Icon set: https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/icons/
CloudCraft: https://www.cloudcraft.co/
ExcaliDraw: https://excalidraw.com/
Diagrams.net: https://www.diagrams.net/
LucidChart: https://www.lucidchart.com/
Whiteboard: substitute tldraw: https://www.tldraw.com/
Mermaid: https://mermaid.js.org/
Python diagrams library: https://pypi.org/project/diagrams/
Kroki URL-based diagram renderer: https://kroki.io/
cfn-diagram by Lars Jacobssen: https://github.com/ljacobsson/cfn-diagram
cdk-dia by Tom Roshko: https://github.com/pistazie/cdk-dia
AWS Application Composer https://aws.amazon.com/application-composer/

You can listen to AWS Bites wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aws-bites/id1585489017
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Lh7PzqBFV6yt5WsTAmO5q
Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82YTMzMTJhMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/aws-bites
RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/6a3312a0/podcast/rss

69. Do you know what’s in your cloud account? Feb 24, 2023

Show notes

Do you know what horrors lurk in your AWS account? Aren't you afraid of the murky waters of an old and cluttered AWS account, which might be rife with security risks and other unexpected dark forces?

Fear no more!

In this episode, we share our best tips to discover every resource in your neglected AWS account and, whether you decide to clean things up, delete what's needed, or just put some order into the mess, we give you some practical suggestions on what kind of tools or services you could you to achieve your task.

Throughout the episode, we reveal some of the secrets and hidden potential of AWS Config, Resource Explorer, Resource Groups, and CloudTrail.

Finally, We talk about third-party services and open-source projects such as Resmo, Steampipe, and CloudQuery, which can even span the realms of AWS and help you with other clouds and services.

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

AWS Config: https://aws.amazon.com/config/
AWS Resource Explorer: https://aws.amazon.com/resourceexplorer/
AWS Resource Groups: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ARG/latest/userguide/resource-groups.html
AWS Tag Editor: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/tag-editor/latest/userguide/tagging.html
CloudTrail: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/awscloudtrail/latest/userguide/cloudtrail-user-guide.html
Resmo https://www.resmo.com/
Steampipe: https://steampipe.io/
CloudQuery: https://www.cloudquery.io/
Our previous episode: "How do you move away from the management console?": https://awsbites.com/11-how-do-you-move-away-from-the-management-console/
cloud-nuke: https://github.com/gruntwork-io/cloud-nuke
aws-nuke: https://github.com/rebuy-de/aws-nuke
terraformer: https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/terraformer
Former2: https://github.com/iann0036/former2

You can listen to AWS Bites wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aws-bites/id1585489017
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Lh7PzqBFV6yt5WsTAmO5q
Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82YTMzMTJhMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/aws-bites
RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/6a3312a0/podcast/rss

68. Are you well architected? Feb 17, 2023

Show notes

If you've been using AWS for a while, you might have heard the term "well-architected". But what does it really mean? Don't worry if you're not quite sure, because we are here to help!

In this episode of AWS Bites, we will be diving into the world of well-architected and explaining what it means, both in general and in the specific context of AWS. We will be covering the well-architected framework, the different tools, and facets that come with it, and answering some practical questions like "should you care about building well-architected workloads?" and "how do you know if your workloads are well-architected?".

Whether you're a startup or a mature organization, learn why building well-architected systems is crucial for the long-term success of your business.

By the end of this episode, you'll have a solid understanding of the world of well-architected and why it's so important. Let's dive in!

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

You can listen to AWS Bites wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aws-bites/id1585489017
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Lh7PzqBFV6yt5WsTAmO5q
Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82YTMzMTJhMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/aws-bites
RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/6a3312a0/podcast/rss

Do you have any AWS q

67. Top AWS Developer Productivity Tools Feb 10, 2023

Show notes

Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed by the vast AWS landscape? Do you find yourself constantly struggling to keep up with all the tasks at hand? Look no further! In this episode of AWS Bites podcast, Eoin and Luciano share their top six time-saving tools to help you reclaim your productivity and make the most of your AWS experience. These tools are designed to make your life easier and allow you to achieve more in less time.

But don't worry, this won't be a boring lecture. Get ready to have some fun as they reveal their top tricks and tips, from profiles and SSO to terminal gems and CLI magic. These tools will have you feeling like a kid in a candy store, soaring through your AWS work with ease. And if that wasn't enough, they've got a few extra special surprises in store to take your AWS skills to new heights.

So buckle up and get ready for a wild ride, it's time to have some fun with AWS!

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

Our previous episode discussing SSO and OIDC identity providers: AWS Bites Episode 45
CLI application to switch profiles and roles easily: Granted.dev
AWS SSO CLI on GitHub
Starship universal terminal prompt
jq CLI helper
ijq (interactive jq)
AWS CLI --filter option: AWS CLI filter option documentation
Dash documentation app for Mac
GitHub Copilot
IAM Policy Simulator
AWS SDK for Pandas on GitHub
AWS CloudShell
SLIC Watch
Our previous episode on SLIC Watch: AWS Bites Episode 34
Middy Serverless Framework for Node.js
Our previous episode on Middy: AWS Bites Episode 41

You can listen to AWS Bites wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aws-bites/id1585489017
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Lh7PzqBFV6yt5WsTAmO5q
Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82YTMzMTJhMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/aws-bites
RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/6a3312a0/podcast/rss

Do you have any AWS q

66. AWS SAM v Serverless Framework Feb 03, 2023

Show notes

Discover the Ultimate Battle: Serverless Framework vs AWS SAM!

Are you building and deploying serverless applications and don't know which tool to choose? Look no further, as we dive into a comparison of the two heavyweights in the serverless world - AWS SAM and Serverless Framework. Find out their unique features, ease of use, and what the future holds for these Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools. By the end of this episode, you will know which one is right for you and your projects!

Join us as we explore the pros and cons of each tool, from the flexibility and ease of use of Serverless Framework to the cloud-side deployment management of SAM. Learn about the different syntax options, supported languages, and credentials management (especially SSO).

Get the inside scoop on the installation process and build and deployment capabilities, including the new "sam accelerate" feature for faster development. Discover the difference between handling multiple components and stacks and how each tool keeps up with new AWS features.

Don't miss out on this exciting episode as we determine the winner in the ultimate battle of Serverless Framework vs AWS SAM!

💰 SPONSORS 💰

AWS Bites is sponsored by fourTheorem, an AWS Consulting Partner offering training, cloud migration, and modern application architecture.

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources: