BYTE the Cloud

Chris 0:00
All right, let's dive into AWS Amplify. Today. Looks like you're getting ready for some big cloud moves, huh? Maybe even the AWS Solutions Architect exam. Yeah, definitely, lots of Amplify stuff in the materials you sent over.

Kelly 0:12
It's a, definitely a powerful tool, but, yeah, can be a bit much

Chris 0:16
at first. That's where we come in, right? Absolutely. Think of this as your Amplify like cheat sheet, exam style, questions, insights, all that to help you get that certification.

Kelly 0:26
You got it Amplify. It's a it's a game changer for cloud engineers, especially those working with serverless architectures. It's basically a set of tools and services that simplifies building and deploying and scaling full stack applications on AWS. It's like having a really, really efficient team of cloud experts working behind the scenes doing all that heavy lifting for you, so you can focus on what matters. So instead

Chris 0:49
of me, like messing with servers and databases, yeah, I can just let Amplify do its thing and focus on my code exactly. That's pretty amazing, especially for someone like me who likes the creative side of things, yeah, and

Kelly 1:00
here's why it's a big deal for you. Amplify streamlines the entire development workflow, from setting up your back end to deploying your application. Think of it like you're building a really complex machine. And Amplify gives you these pre Fabricated parts that just fit together perfectly. Okay? You don't have to, like, reinvent the wheel for every component. You just grab the parts you need, assemble them, and focus on fine tuning that engine. I'm

Chris 1:27
starting to see why everyone's so excited about this Amplify thing. Can you give me some, like, real world examples, like how it's actually being used? I'm a practical learner, so I like to see how things work in practice, absolutely.

Kelly 1:37
So let's say you're building a mobile app for a food delivery service. Okay, you need user authentication, right? Real time updates for order tracking and maybe even push notifications to alert users about their delivery Sure, yeah, Amplify can handle all of that. It provides authentication features out of the box, integrates seamlessly with real time databases and can even trigger push notifications through Amazon pinpoint. You essentially get all these powerful capabilities without having to manage the underlying infrastructure yourself.

Chris 2:08
That's a great example. I can see how Amplify could save so much time and effort, especially in like a fast paced world like app development. So let's get

Kelly 2:18
into the details a bit. What are some of the key features, the things that make Amplify so powerful?

Chris 2:24
So one of the standout features is the Amplify CLI. It's like your command line companion for everything, ampli. Think of it as a Swiss army knife for cloud development. Okay, you can use it to set up your back end, configure authentication, manage storage, create APIs and even deploy your application. It's all done through these like simple commands, abstracting away the complexities of the underlying AWS services.

Kelly 2:49
So even someone who's not a cloud expert can use the CLI to get started with Amplify. That's pretty

Chris 2:54
impressive. What about the front end? How does Amplify integrate with popular frameworks like React or Angular. So

Kelly 3:01
Amplify offers these pre built libraries for popular front end frameworks. And these libraries provide components and utilities that make it really, really easy to integrate your front end with the Amplify back end. They handle things like authentication, data fetching, file uploads and push notifications, making the development process smooth. So it's

Chris 3:19
like a bridge, kind of, yeah, between my front end code and the back end services from AWS Exactly.

Kelly 3:25
Amplify takes care of all the like Plumbing, so you can focus on building a seamless user experience. Nice. Another key feature is the Amplify console, your one stop shop for deploying and hosting your applications. It integrates seamlessly with your Git repository, so you can just push your code and Amplify console handles the rest. It builds your application, runs tests and deploys it to a globally scalable infrastructure. It even provides features like custom domains, branch deployments and easy rollbacks. Wow,

Chris 3:55
sounds like Amplify console takes the pain out of deployment, but how does Amplify actually fit in with the rest of AWS does it rely on other AWS services behind the scenes?

Kelly 4:06
Yeah. Amplify is deeply integrated with the AWS ecosystem. It leverages a whole suite of powerful AWS services to provide its functionality. For example, Amplify auth uses Amazon Cognito for user management. Amplify storage utilizes Amazon S3 for file storage and Amplify functions. Rely on AWS Lambda for serverless functions. The beauty of it is that you get all the benefits of these services without having to manage them directly. Amplify acts as like an abstraction layer, simplifying the interactions and configurations. So

Chris 4:38
I'm not just limited to using amplifies like pre configured features, I can still tap into the full power of AWS if I need to

Kelly 4:45
absolutely. Yeah, Amplify is designed to be flexible and extensible. It provides a solid foundation for building serverless applications, but you can always dive deeper and customize things if needed. You can even integrate with other AWS services that aren't directly supported by Amplify. That's

Chris 4:59
great. It sounds like Amplify strikes a good balance between ease of use and flexibility, right? But let's be realistic, no tool is perfect, right? Are there any limitations to Amplify that we should be aware of?

Kelly 5:10
Yeah. While Amplify is incredibly powerful, it's important to understand that it's primarily focused on serverless architectures. So if you're working with traditional server based setups. Amplify might not be the best fit. It's also worth noting that Amplify can kind of abstract away some of the underlying AWS infrastructure, which can be great for speed and simplicity, but it might limit your customization options in certain scenarios. Right? If you need very granular control over specific configurations, you might need to work directly with the underlying AWS services.

Chris 5:43
Makes sense good to know those limitations up front. So we've covered a lot here. We've explored what AWS Amplify is its key features, its benefits, and even some limitations. Now let's shift gears and put your knowledge to the test. Some exam style questions. Ready to tackle those absolutely

Kelly 5:58
let's see how your Amplify knowledge stacks up against the AWS Solutions Architect exam. Okay,

Chris 6:03
let's start with a scenario you might encounter on the exam. You're building a web application that requires user authentication and you need to implement it quickly and securely. What Amplify feature would you use to accomplish this?

Kelly 6:17
So this is a classic use case for Amplify auth, which leverages Amazon Cognito under the hood, it provides a pre configured authentication setup, abstracting away the complexities of setting up and managing Cognito directly. Can you elaborate

Chris 6:29
on why Amplify auth is the ideal choice here? What makes it so much easier than setting up Cognito directly?

Kelly 6:36
Sure Amplify auth simplifies the entire authentication process by providing a high level API and command line interface, you can easily configure different authentication methods, like username and password, social logins, multi factor authentication, all without having to, like, dive into the intricate details of Cognito, it handles user registration, sign in, password management, even token refresh, all with just a few lines of code.

Chris 6:59
So it's not just about speed and convenience, but also about security and best practices

Kelly 7:04
Exactly. Amplify auth incorporates security best practices by default, ensuring that your user data is protected and your application is compliant with industry standards. That's really

Chris 7:15
impressive. Sounds like Amplify auth takes care of a lot of the heavy lifting allows me to focus on building the core features of my application. Now let's say I need to store user generated images and videos in my mobile app. How would I leverage Amplify to handle this storage while keeping costs in check?

Kelly 7:33
In this scenario, Amplify storage comes to the rescue. It provides a simple and intuitive way to store and manage files in the cloud, leveraging the power and scalability of Amazon S3

Chris 7:42
but S3 can be a bit overwhelming with all its different storage classes and configurations. How does Amplify storage make it easier to work with S3 Yeah, Amplify storage

Kelly 7:51
abstracts away the complexities of S3 by providing a high level API and a command line interface that simplifies file management. You can easily upload, download and manage files without having to worry about buckets, access keys or storage classes. Amplify storage also offers different storage tiers to optimize costs based on access patterns. For example, you can store frequently accessed files in a standard storage tier for fast retrieval and less frequently accessed files in a cheaper like archive tier.

Chris 8:19
So I can just tell Amplify storage to store my files, and it will figure out the best way to do it, taking into account cost and performance exactly,

Kelly 8:27
Amplify storage takes care of all the optimizations behind the scenes so you can focus on building your application that's

Chris 8:33
amazing. Sounds like Amplify storage takes the complexity out of working with S3 okay, let's say I've built a React application using Amplify and now it's time for deployment. What service would simplify this process and provide a managed hosting environment? Amplify

Kelly 8:47
console is the perfect tool for this job. It's specifically designed for deploying and hosting. Amplify applications offers a streamlined workflow and a managed environment that takes care of all the infrastructure details.

Chris 8:59
Can you walk me through how Amplify console simplifies deployment? What are the steps involved? Sure

Kelly 9:05
Amplify console integrates seamlessly with your Git repository, so you can just connect your GitHub or Bitbucket account and select the branch you want to deploy from there, Amplify console automatically builds your application, runs any configured tests and deploys it to a globally scalable infrastructure. It handles tasks like provisioning resources, setting up a CDN and scaling your application based on demand. So it's

Chris 9:30
like having an automated deployment pipeline specifically for Amplify applications Exactly.

Kelly 9:34
Amplify console takes care of all the complexities of deployment so you can focus on building your application and delivering value.

Chris 9:41
All right, let's ramp up the challenge a bit with a scenario that tests your understanding of Amplify integration with other AWS services. Imagine you're building a social media app where users can post updates and see real time updates from other users. What AWS service would you integrate with? Amplify to achieve this? Real Time functionality.

Kelly 10:01
So this calls for AWS AppSync, a managed GraphQL service that excels in real time DataSynchronization and updates. It's perfect for applications that require like instant data propagation, like social media feeds, chat applications and collaborative tools. Can you explain

Chris 10:17
how AWS AppSync and Amplify work together to achieve this real time magic. How do they complement each other?

Kelly 10:24
So Amplify provides easy integration with AppSync, allowing you to define your data models and API using GraphQL. You can use Amplify as GraphQL transformer to generate the necessary resolvers, functions and infrastructure to expose your GraphQL API. AppSync then handles the heavy lifting of real time data updates, subscriptions and conflict resolution, ensuring that all connected users see the most up to date information.

Chris 10:46
So Amplify acts as the bridge between my application and AppSync real time capabilities, simplifying the integration and setup process

Kelly 10:55
exactly it's like having a team of expert engineers working behind the scenes to ensure that your data is always synchronized and your users have a seamless real time experience. That's

Chris 11:06
impressive. Sounds like Amplify and AppSync make a powerful combo for building real time applications. Now let's talk about security again. Amplify makes setting up authentication a breeze. But what if I need to control access to specific data based on a user's role or permissions. How would I implement like fine grained access control within my Amplify application?

Kelly 11:26
So Amplify integrates seamlessly with Amazon Cognito user pools and identity pools, enabling you to define fine grained access control policies based on user attributes, roles and groups. You can use Amplify authorization features to restrict access to specific data, API routes and even UI components, ensuring that users only see and interact with what they're authorized to. Can

Chris 11:46
you give me an example of how this might work in practice? Let's say I have, like, a premium feature in my app that only paid subscribers can access. How would I use Amplify to enforce this restriction? Yeah, you

Kelly 11:59
would first define a user attribute in your Cognito user pool that indicates whether a user is a paid subscriber, then you would use amplifies authorization rules to check this attribute before granting access to the premium feature. You can define these rules either in your back end code or directly in your front end using amplifies authorization directives so Amplify

Chris 12:18
leverages the power of Cognito to enforce authorization based on various attributes and permissions, making it easy to implement fine grained access control without having to write a lot of custom code exactly.

Kelly 12:30
It's all about simplifying the process and empowering you to build secure applications without getting bogged down in complex security configurations. That's

Chris 12:39
fantastic. Sounds like Amplify really simplifies the task of building secure and scalable applications. Now let's tackle another common exam scenario. You're tasked with building a mobile app that needs to store and retrieve location based data. What AWS service would you integrate with Amplify to handle this location or functionality? This

Kelly 12:58
is where AWS Amplify geo comes into play. It provides location based services allowing you to store query and analyze geospatial data within your Amplify application. You can use it to build features like location search, proximity based notifications and geofencing, all without having to manage complex geospatial databases or services. Can you

Chris 13:19
give me some specific examples of how Amplify geo might be used in a mobile app. I'm having trouble visualizing how this would work. In practice,

Kelly 13:26
imagine you're building a ride sharing app. You can use Amplify geo to store the locations of drivers and riders, track their movements in real time, and even calculate estimated arrival times based on their current locations. You can also use it to implement features like geofencing, where you trigger specific actions when a user enters or exits a pre defined geographical area.

Chris 13:47
So Amplify geo essentially brings the power of location based services into the Amplify ecosystem, making it easy to build location aware applications without having to become a geospatial expert Exactly.

Kelly 13:58
It's like having a built in GPS for your Amplify applications, that's

Chris 14:02
awesome. Sounds like Amplify geo opens up a whole new world of possibilities for building innovative and engaging mobile apps. Now let's say I'm working on a project where I need to perform some custom processing on data before it's stored in my back end. How would I integrate AWS Lambda functions with Amplify to achieve this custom data processing

Kelly 14:19
so Amplify provides seamless integration with AWS Lambda, allowing you to trigger Lambda functions in response to various events within your application. You can use Lambda functions to perform tasks like image resizing, data validation, email sending and even machine learning inference, all without having to manage servers or infrastructure. Can you give me a

Chris 14:41
concrete example of how this integration might be used? I'm still trying to wrap my head around how Lambda functions fit into the Amplify workflow.

Kelly 14:48
So let's say you're building an image sharing app and you want to generate thumbnails for every image uploaded by users. You can use Amplify to trigger a Lambda function whenever a new image is uploaded to your. Storage Bucket, this Lambda function would then resize the image and create a thumbnail which would be stored in a separate folder. Your application could then display the thumbnail in the user interface, providing a faster and more efficient browsing experience. So Amplify

Chris 15:12
acts as like the orchestrator, triggering Lambda functions based on specific events, and Lambda functions act as the workhorses doing the actual data processing Exactly.

Kelly 15:23
It's like having a team of specialized workers ready to process your data on demand.

Chris 15:28
That's a great analogy. It helps me understand how Amplify and Lambda functions work together. Now let's talk about cost optimization. Serverless architectures like those built with Amplify are known for their cost effectiveness. But what are some like best practices for minimizing costs when using Amplify So one

Kelly 15:47
key strategy is to choose the right storage tiers for your data within Amplify storage for infrequently accessed data, consider using less expensive storage tiers like Amazon, S3 Glacier or S3 intelligent tiering, which automatically moves data between tiers based on access patterns for frequently accessed data, you can stick with standard S3 storage for faster treatments. So

Chris 16:08
it's all about selecting the most cost efficient storage option based on how often the data is accessed Exactly. Another

Kelly 16:15
important tip is to optimize your Lambda functions, minimize their execution time and memory consumption. To reduce costs, you can achieve this by writing efficient code using appropriate data structures and avoiding unnecessary computations

Chris 16:28
that makes sense. Are there any other like cost saving tips for Amplify users that you can share?

Kelly 16:33
Yeah, monitor your application usage closely. Amplify console provides detailed metrics that can help you identify areas where you might be over provisioning resources, adjusting your resource allocation based on actual usage can significantly reduce costs. For example, if you notice that your application is only using a small portion of its allocated memory or CPU, you can scale down your resources accordingly. So

Chris 16:58
it's like keeping an eye on your like utility bills and making adjustments to optimize your spending Exactly.

Kelly 17:03
Cost optimization in the cloud is an ongoing process, and Amplify provides the tools and insights to help you make informed decisions.

Chris 17:11
All right, let's wrap up this exam prep session with a final question that tests your understanding of Amplify his role in the broader context of cloud engineering. How might the growing adoption of serverless architectures like those enabled by Amplify impact the future of cloud engineering roles?

Kelly 17:27
Oh, that's a thought provoking question. The rise of serverless architectures is shifting the focus of cloud engineering roles towaRDS higher level tasks. Cloud engineers are spending less time on infrastructure management and more time on application design, integration and optimization.

Chris 17:44
So it's like moving up the value chain, focusing on building innovative solutions, rather than just keeping the lights on. Precisely

Kelly 17:51
the shift towaRDS Serverless is creating opportunities for cloud engineers to become more specialized in areas like serverless application development, API design and data analytics.

Chris 18:03
So it's not just about managing servers anymore. It's about harnessing the power of serverless to build and deliver exceptional user experiences exactly

Kelly 18:10
and Amplify. Is at the forefront of this serverless revolution, empowering cloud engineers to build the next generation of applications. That's

Chris 18:18
an inspiring thought. Sounds like the future of cloud engineering is bright, especially with tools like Amplify paving the way, but it looks like we're out of time for this part of our deep dive into AWS Amplify.

Kelly 18:29
Don't worry, we've got plenty more to cover. In the next part, we'll delve even deeper into advanced Amplify concepts and best practices, and

Chris 18:36
good luck with that. AWS Solutions Architect exam. We'll be back soon with part two. So stay tuned.

Kelly 18:42
Welcome back to our deep dive into AWS Amplify. I'm feeling energized after that first round of exam style questions, feeling like I'm really starting to grasp the power and flexibility of Amplify. That's

Chris 18:55
great to hear. It's all about building that solid foundation of understanding, right? Yeah, and trust me, the deeper you dive into Amplify, the more you'll appreciate its capabilities. So are you ready to explore some more advanced concepts, things that can really elevate your cloud engineering game?

Kelly 19:10
Absolutely. Bring on the advanced stuff.

Chris 19:12
All right, let's talk about Amplify functions. This feature. It's a real gem for anyone working with serverless architectures. It allows you to easily create and manage AWS Lambda functions directly within your Amplify projects.

Kelly 19:25
Okay, I remember we touched upon Lambda functions earlier, those snippets of code that run in response to events, right? But why are they so important in the Amplify world? Think of Lambda functions as like the building blocks of your serverless logic. They provide the flexibility to execute custom code without having to manage servers. And the beauty of Amplify functions is that it streamlines that whole process of working with Lambda functions. You give

Chris 19:49
me an example of how this streamlining works in practice, I'm a visual learner, so I like to see how things connect. Let's

Kelly 19:55
say you're building an E commerce application and you need to send an email confirmation. Function to a user after they place an order with Amplify functions, you can easily create a Lambda function that triggers when a new order is placed. This function would then use a service like Amazon, ses to send the confirmation email, all without you having to set up and manage any servers or email infrastructure.

Chris 20:18
That's a great example. Sounds much simpler than having to configure or manage a separate email server. Yeah. So how do Amplify functions actually simplify the process of working with Lambda functions? What makes it so much easier than using Lambda directly? The Amplify

Kelly 20:32
CLI provides commands that abstract away the complexities of Lambda so you can create, configure and deploy Lambda functions directly from your Amplify project, all with just a few simple commands. Amplify functions also handles the integration with other Amplify features like API gateway and authentication, making it super easy to build secure and scalable serverless applications.

Chris 20:56
Sounds like Amplify functions really take the pain out of working with Lambda functions, especially for someone like me who's not a serverless expert,

Kelly 21:02
exactly, it's all about empowering you to leverage the power of serverless without getting bogged down in infrastructure management. Now let's shift gears and talk about GraphQL. It's been gaining a lot of traction in the web development world, and for good reason, it offers a more efficient and flexible way to interact with data compared to like traditional REST APIs. I've

Chris 21:24
heard the term GraphQL thrown around, but I'm still a bit fuzzy on what it is and how it works. Could you break it down for me in like simple terms? Imagine you

Kelly 21:31
have a database with information about books, authors and reviews, with a REST API. You would typically have separate endpoints to fetch each type of data. So you would have one endpoint for books, another for authors and another for reviews. Sure This can lead to multiple round trips to the server to fetch all the data you need. Yeah, that

Chris 21:52
sounds inefficient, especially if I'm building a complex application that requires data from multiple sources

Kelly 21:56
Exactly. GraphQL solves this problem by allowing you to define your data requirements in a single query. You can specify exactly what data you need from each entity, and the GraphQL server will return only that data, nothing more, nothing less. So it's

Chris 22:10
like ordering a custom meal at a restaurant where you can choose exactly which ingredients you want and how you want them prepared. That's

Kelly 22:16
a great analogy with GraphQL. You're in control of the data you receive, which leads to more efficient data fetching and a better user experience. And the best part is that Amplify makes it incredibly easy to work with GraphQL. Okay, I'm

Chris 22:29
intrigued. How does Amplify simplify the process of building and using GraphQL APIs. Amplify

Kelly 22:36
provides a built in GraphQL transformer that takes care of all the heavy lifting you define your data models and API using a simple schema language, and the transformer generates all the necessary resolvers functions and infrastructure to expose your GraphQL API. So

Chris 22:51
it's like having an automated GraphQL code generator that does all the grunt work for me, exactly.

Kelly 22:56
It saves you a ton of time and effort, allowing you to focus on defining your data structures and API logic instead of writing boilerplate code. Sounds

Chris 23:05
like a huge time saver. Yeah. Now let's talk about real time updates, a feature that's essential for building modern interactive applications. We briefly touched upon AWS AppSync earlier. But can you delve deeper into how Amplify simplifies the integration with AppSync for that real time functionality, sure

Kelly 23:22
Amplify provides a dedicated AppSync API category that streamlines the whole process of connecting your Amplify project to AppSync. You can easily configure AppSync to listen for data changes in your back end and push those changes to connect to clients in real time. This is perfect for building features like live chat, collaborative editing and real time dashboards. Can

Chris 23:42
you walk me through the steps involved in setting up real time updates with Amplify and AppSync? I'm curious to know how this works, like under the hood,

Kelly 23:51
it's actually quite simple. You would first define your data models in API using Amplify as GraphQL transformer, just like we discussed earlier. Then you'd use the Amplify CLI to add the AppSync API to your project, specifying your GraphQL schema and any necessary authentication configurations. Amplify would then take care of setting up the necessary infrastructure, including a GraphQL endpoint, WebSocket connections and data subscriptions. From there, your front end application can easily subscribe to data changes and receive real time updates through AppSync. So it's

Chris 24:25
like having a dedicated communication channel for like, instant data delivery between my back end and my front end applications Exactly.

Kelly 24:32
AppSync acts is a real time messaging broker, ensuring that your data is always synchronized across all connected devices. And the beauty of it is that Amplify handles all the complex configurations and connections, making it incredibly easy to add real time functionality to your applications. That's

Chris 24:47
really impressive. Sounds like Amplify and AppSync make a powerful combination for building modern interactive applications. Now let's shift our focus to testing an essential part of the software development life cycle. How. Does Amplify facilitate testing our applications? What tools and features does it provide to ensure that our code is working as expected?

Kelly 25:07
So Amplify embraces a test driven development approach, providing tools and features that support various testing methodologies, from unit testing to end to end testing. Can you

Chris 25:17
give me some specific examples of how Amplify can be used for testing. I'm always looking for ways to like improve my testing process. One of

Kelly 25:24
the most useful features is amplifies mock API functionality. It allows you to simulate your back end API during front end development, so you can test your front end components without relying on a live back end. This is especially helpful in early stages of development, when your back end might not be fully implemented yet.

Chris 25:43
So it's like having a virtual back end that I can use to test my front end code in isolation. Exactly.

Kelly 25:47
It speeds up development and allows for more isolated testing, which can help you catch bugs earlier in the development cycle. Amplify also provides tools for writing and running unit tests for your Lambda functions, you can test your function code in isolation, ensuring that each function works correctly before integrating it into your application. This helps you build more robust and reliable serverless applications.

Chris 26:13
And what about testing the entire application from front end to back end? How does Amplify support end to end? Testing

Kelly 26:20
for end to end testing, you can use frameworks like Cypress or Selenium to simulate user interactions with your application. These frameworks can interact with your Amplify application testing, the integration between front end and back end components. Amplify also provides tools for mocking authentication and authorization, making it easy to test different user scenarios and permissions. So

Chris 26:41
Amplify provides a comprehensive testing ecosystem for various stages of development, from unit testing to end to end testing

Kelly 26:48
Exactly. It's all about ensuring that your applications are well tested, reliable and meet the highest quality standards.

Chris 26:53
That's fantastic. Sounds like Amplify really embraces a quality first approach to development. Now, as we wrap up this part of our deep dive, I'd like to shift our focus to the bigger picture. As cloud engineering roles continue to evolve with the rise of serverless architectures, what skills do you think will become increasingly important for cloud engineers to master? That's

Kelly 27:14
a great question, and one that's on the minds of many cloud professionals. With the shift towaRDS serverless, cloud engineers need to adapt their skill sets to stay ahead of the curve. What

Chris 27:24
are some of the specific skills that you think will be in high demand as serverless becomes more prevalent?

Kelly 27:29
Proficiency in serverless application development will be crucial. Cloud engineers will need to understand the nuances of serverless platforms like AWS Lambda and how to design and build applications that leverage their capabilities. API design is another critical skill. APIs are the Glue that holds serverless applications together, and cloud engineers need to be proficient in designing and building robust and secure APIs that expose application functionality.

Chris 27:57
So it's not just about knowing how to spin up servers anymore. It's about understanding how to build and deploy applications that scale seamlessly and efficiently on serverless platforms exactly

Kelly 28:07
the traditional infrastructure management skills are still important, but they're no longer sufficient. Cloud engineers need to embrace a more application centric approach, focusing on building and delivering value through software.

Chris 28:21
What about data analytics? How does that fit into the serverless picture?

Kelly 28:24
Data Analytics is becoming increasingly important in all areas of software development, and serverless is no exception. Serverless applications often generate a lot of data and cloud engineers need to be able to analyze and extract insights from that data. This involves skills in data collection, processing, visualization and interpretation. So it's not

Chris 28:44
just about building the application, yeah, but also understanding how it's performing and how users are interacting with it.

Kelly 28:50
Precisely. Data Analytics plays a crucial role in optimizing serverless applications and enhancing user experiences.

Chris 28:57
All right, sounds like the world of cloud engineering is evolving rapidly with the rise of serverless architectures.

Kelly 29:03
It certainly is and AWS. Amplify is a prime example of a tool that empowers cloud engineers to embrace this serverless revolution. It provides a powerful and intuitive platform for building modern, scalable and cost effective applications. So as you continue your cloud journey, remember that Amplify is a valuable asset that can help you stay ahead of the curve and build amazing things.

Chris 29:25
That's an inspiring message. Thank you for sharing your insights and expertise with us. Today. I feel like I've gained a much deeper understanding of AWS Amplify and its role in modern cloud development. It's

Kelly 29:36
been my pleasure and remember the journey of learning never ends. Keep exploring, keep building and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the cloud. We'll

Chris 29:44
be back soon with the final part of our AWS Amplify deep dive, where we'll tackle even more challenging exam style questions and provide insider tips for acing that AWS Solutions Architect

Kelly 29:56
exam. Until then, happy building. Welcome

Chris 29:58
back to the final. Part of our AWS Amplify Deep Dive. We've explored the ins and outs of this powerful service, from its core features to how it integrates with the rest of AWS. Now it's time to put all that knowledge to the test, tackle some challenging exam style questions, the kind you might see on the AWS Solutions Architect exam. Sounds good. Let's

Kelly 30:20
do it. I'm ready for the challenge. All right, let's

Chris 30:22
start with a scenario that often pops up on the exam. You're tasked with building an E commerce application where users can upload product images. What's the most efficient and secure way to handle these Image Uploads using Amplify? Of course,

Kelly 30:35
that's a great question. It touches on several key concepts. First, we need to think about security. When we're dealing with user generated content, it's super important to make sure that only authenticated users can upload images and that we like validate the uploaded files to prevent any malicious uploads. So

Chris 30:52
how would we implement that security layer? Using Amplify we

Kelly 30:56
can leverage Amplify auth to handle user authentication and restrict access to the image upload functionality. This makes sure that unauthorized users can't even try to upload images. For file validation, we can use Amplify functions to create a Lambda function that triggers whenever a new image is uploaded. This function can perform various checks, like verifying the file type, checking the file size, and even running image analysis algorithms to ensure that the uploaded file is actually an image and not some malicious script disguised as an image. It's a

Chris 31:28
smart approach. Oh, cool. Combining Amplify auth and Amplify functions, we've created a pretty robust security layer for our Image Uploads, but now that we've addressed security, how do we efficiently store and manage these images using Amplify Of course,

Kelly 31:41
Amplify storage is our go to solution for this. It provides a simple and intuitive interface for interacting with Amazon S3 a highly scalable and cost effective object storage service. We can easily configure Amplify storage to store our images in an S3 bucket, and Amplify will handle all the underlying infrastructure management for us,

Chris 32:01
but S3 offers a variety of storage classes, each with its own cost and performance characteristics. How do we choose the right storage class for our images?

Kelly 32:09
That's an excellent point. Selecting the right storage class is key for optimizing both cost and performance. If our product images are frequently accessed, we might want to store them in S3 standard for fast retrieval. However, if the images are less frequently accessed, we can consider using S3 intelligent tiering, which automatically moves data between different storage tiers based on access patterns. This can help us reduce storage costs without sacrificing performance. So

Chris 32:36
it's like having an intelligent storage manager that automatically optimizes our storage costs, yeah, based on how we use our data, exactly

Kelly 32:43
Amplify storage makes it easy to leverage the power of S3 without having to, like, delve into the intricacies of storage classes and life cycle policies. All

Chris 32:51
right, let's shift gears and tackle a performance related scenario. We're building a social media app. Users can post updates and see a feed of like, recent posts. How can we optimize the performance of this feed using Amplify and other AWS services? This

Kelly 33:06
is a classic challenge in social media applications, where performance is paramount. As the number of users and posts grows, we need to make sure our feed remains responsive loads quickly. One approach is to use Amplify as GraphQL transformer to define our data models and API for posts and user interactions. GraphQL lets us fetch only the data we need for the feed, which reduces the amount of data transferred and improves loading times. That

Chris 33:32
makes sense, but wouldn't querying the database directly for every feed request become inefficient as the number of posts grows.

Kelly 33:37
You're absolutely right. That's where caching comes in, we can leverage Amazon ElastiCache, a managed caching service, to cache frequently accessed feed data. This reduces the load on our database and significantly improves response times. So instead

Chris 33:51
of hitting the database every time a user requests their feed, we check the cache first, and if the data is there, we serve it directly from the cache exactly

Kelly 33:59
this dramatically reduces latency and improves the overall user experience. But how do we keep the cache

Chris 34:05
up to date as new posts are created or interactions happen? Wouldn't the cache become stale if we don't update it regularly?

Kelly 34:12
Yeah, that's where AWS AppSync comes in. We can configure AppSync to listen for data changes in our database and automatically update the cache whenever new posts are created or existing posts are updated, this ensures that our cache always reflects the latest data, providing a seamless and real time experience for our users.

Chris 34:30
So by combining Amplify GraphQL, ElastiCache and AppSync, we can create a high performance and scalable social media feed that delivers a like smooth and responsive experience, even as our user base grows precisely.

Kelly 34:43
That's the power of leveraging the right AWS services in conjunction with Amplify.

Chris 34:48
Okay, let's move on to another common exam scenario. We're tasked with building a mobile app that needs to send push notifications to users. How would we implement this functionality using Amplify? This

Kelly 34:59
is a. Perfect use case for Amazon pinpoint, a managed Push Notification Service that integrates seamlessly with Amplify. We can use Amplify as push notification APIs to send targeted notifications to our users based on various events or triggers within our application. Can you

Chris 35:15
elaborate on how this integration works like what are the steps involved in setting up push notifications with Amplify and pinpoint

Kelly 35:22
Sure, first we would need to configure pinpoint to handle push notifications for our app, specifying our like target platforms like iOS and Android. We can then use the Amplify CLI to add pinpoint to our project and configure the necessary settings. Once pinpoint is set up, we can use Amplify APIs to send notifications to specific users or groups based on events within our app. For example, we could send a notification when a user receives a new message, when a new post is added to their feed, or when a certain event occurs that might be relevant to them. So we

Chris 35:53
can leverage pinpoints capabilities to send like targeted and personalized notifications to our users, enhancing their engagement and keeping them informed about relevant activities within our app

Kelly 36:03
Exactly. Push notifications are a powerful tool for increasing user engagement and retention and Amplify makes it incredibly easy to integrate them into our applications. All right,

Chris 36:13
let's move on to another important aspect of modern software development, CICD, continuous integration and continuous deployment. How does Amplify support CICD workflows for applications? Amplify

Kelly 36:26
console has built in support for CICD pipelines, allowing us to automate the process of building, testing and deploying our applications whenever we push code changes. This streamlines our development workflow and ensures that our latest code is always running in production. Can

Chris 36:41
you walk me through how the CICD integration works with Amplify console? What are the like steps involved in setting up a CICD pipeline?

Kelly 36:47
It's surprisingly straightforward. We just connect our Git repository to Amplify console and it handles the rest. Whenever we push code changes to our repository, Amplify console automatically builds our application, runs any configured tests and deploys the latest version to our chosen environment. It even provides options for rolling back to previous versions if needed, giving us peace of mind, knowing we can easily revert any changes that might cause issues. So

Chris 37:13
it's like having a like a dedicated team of DevOps engineers working behind the scenes, taking care of all the build, test and deployment tasks, exactly

Kelly 37:20
Amplify, console takes care of the complexities of CICD, allowing us to focus on writing code and delivering value to our users.

Chris 37:29
As we wrap up our deep dive into AWS Amplify, what key takeaway would you leave our listeners with regarding its role in modern cloud development?

Kelly 37:38
AWS Amplify is a game changer for building modern, cloud native applications. It empowers developers to focus on building innovative and engaging user experiences without getting bogged down in infrastructure management. It provides a comprehensive set of tools and services that simplify the development process, from back end setup to front end integration, from authentication and authorization to real time data updates and push notifications, and its seamless integration with the broader AWS ecosystem gives developers the flexibility to leverage the full power of AWS as their applications grow and evolve.

Chris 38:14
Well, Said, it's been an incredible journey exploring the depths of AWS Amplify with you. I feel like I've gained a much deeper understanding of its capabilities and how it can be used to build amazing things. Thank you for sharing your expertise and insights with us.

Kelly 38:27
It's been my pleasure and to all our listeners out there, remember that the world of cloud computing is constantly evolving. Keep learning, keep experimenting, and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible. And if you're preparing for the AWS Solutions Architect exam, best of luck. You got this that's all

Chris 38:42
for our deep dive into AWS. Amplify. We hope you found it informative and insightful. Until next time. Happy building.