BYTE the Cloud

Chris 0:00
All right, cloud gurus, get ready, because today we are going deep on Amazon EventBridge.

Kelly 0:07
Ooh, that's a good one. I

Chris 0:10
mean, if you really want to level up on AWS, this is it. This service is really key. Yeah, it's like the central nervous system for your whole cloud setup.

Kelly 0:18
It really is. And it's not just reacting to what happens, you know, right? It's building systems that are responsive and intelligent. So okay, and you know, yeah, this is a really good one for those AWS exams that I know you're all studying for. Yeah, for sure. So we're gonna get you ready for those two.

Chris 0:33
Okay, so someone is out there right now, yeah, building in the cloud. Totally amazing things, yeah? But we keep saying events, events, right? So, what is an event? An

Kelly 0:43
event? So think of it like a signal, okay, that something has changed in your AWS environment, okay? Or even outside of it interesting, like it could be a new file that's been uploaded to your S3 bucket, okay? Or it could be something way more complex, like a transaction completing in your database, or even something happening, like in a sauce application that you use.

Chris 1:03
So EventBridge is kind of like this. It is watchdog. It is that's keeping an eye on everything.

Kelly 1:09
It's even better than a watchdog, because it reacts so it lets you define rules. Okay, you can capture these events, filter them based on criteria that you set, and then trigger actions based on what it sees. Okay?

Chris 1:23
So this is more than just like basic automation that we see in the cloud. It's next level automation,

Kelly 1:29
for sure.

Chris 1:29
Give us an example so we can really picture this.

Kelly 1:32
Okay, so imagine, yeah, you're building an E commerce platform. Okay? A customer places an order that is an event, right? EventBridge can capture that, and then it can set off like a chain reaction, so it can trigger a Lambda function to send an order confirmation email, right update your inventory in DynamoDB, notify your fulfillment system, wow. And even kick off like a marketing campaign for that customer. That's really cool based on their purchase history, yeah. And all of this happens automatically without you having to write a ton of code to, like, connect all the dots.

Chris 2:04
So we're saving time. Yes, we're making things happen in real time, real time, and it's just automating all this stuff that usually takes us forever. It

Kelly 2:12
takes away all the tedious stuff. I like this. And the best part is it's not limited to just AWS services, really. So you can bring in events from your applications, from third party services, even on premise systems. It's like a universal translator for employees. It is like a universal translator for events. Okay, making everything talk to each other.

Chris 2:34
I'm sold on the why. Okay, great. Now let's get into the how. Okay, what are the key features that make this thing tick?

Kelly 2:40
So at the core, EventBridge revolves around three main components, okay, rules, event busses and targets. Okay, so let's start with rules. Okay, think of them as the brains of the operation. Okay? Like if this, then that statements for the cloud, yeah. You define rules to match specific events based on their attributes, and then what actions to take when those events occur.

Chris 3:05
So if I wanted to say, trigger a Lambda function every time a new image was uploaded to my S3 bucket, yes, I would create a rule for

Kelly 3:12
that. You would create a rule. And you can even make it smarter. Oh, really. So you could filter for specific image types or sizes. Wow. You have really granular control over how you capture and react to these events.

Chris 3:23
Okay, that's cool. Yeah, rules make sense, yeah, tell me about event busses. Okay, so

Kelly 3:28
event busses, they're like channels for events, okay, the central pipeline where events flow through, you have the default event bus, which handles events coming from AWS services, okay, but you can create custom event busses for your own applications gotcha, or even for sharing events between different AWS accounts. Ooh, sharing

Chris 3:47
between accounts, yeah, that sounds really powerful for like multi account architectures.

Kelly 3:53
It is absolutely it opens up a ton of possibilities. Okay, and last but not least, what are these targets? So targets are what EventBridge actually invokes when a rule is triggered? Okay? So they're the doers, and you can have a single event trigger multiple targets, okay? Like, it's super versatile. That makes sense. So it could be a Lambda function, an SNS topic, an SQS queue, a step function, wow, even an API gateway endpoint, okay, to integrate with external systems. So we're

Chris 4:21
talking about way more than just simple automation, way more. This is like truly event driven architecture, it is,

Kelly 4:28
and if it's an AWS EventBridge, can probably talk to it,

Chris 4:32
okay? So that's all the cool stuff, yeah, now, before we get too carried away, right? Any limitations? Of

Kelly 4:37
course, no service is perfect, right? So one thing to keep in mind is pricing. Okay, basic usage is often included, yeah, but heavy event traffic or custom event busses can incur costs, makes sense. So you'll want to keep an eye on your usage patterns and plan accordingly. So

Chris 4:54
you're saying don't get surprised by exactly, don't

Kelly 4:56
get surprised by a huge cloud bill,

Chris 4:58
a big cloud bill. Right. Okay. Anything else?

Kelly 5:01
Another thing is debugging. Oh, yeah, of course, when you have a really complex event driven system, it can be tricky to trace the flow of events and pinpoint what's going wrong. Yeah. So EventBridge has great logging and monitoring features to help you troubleshoot. Okay, but you want to design your systems with observability in mind, okay, like clear naming conventions, structured logging, maybe even a dedicated monitoring tool.

Chris 5:28
So plan carefully. Yes, monitor everything Yes. And don't be afraid to get in the locks Yes.

Kelly 5:34
And speaking of getting things right, let's talk about the AWS certification exams.

Chris 5:38
Okay, that's what everybody wants to know about? Yeah, you

Kelly 5:41
know those tricky scenario based questions where they give you a problem and you have to pick the best solution. Be prepared to see a lot of those that involve EventBridge. Give me example. Okay, picture this. They describe a company that wants to automatically resize images uploaded to their S3 bucket, okay, generate thumbnails and then store those in a separate bucket, okay? And they'll ask you, which EventBridge features would you use to solve this problem? So I need to really know you have to know it inside and out, more than just the theory, yeah, more than just the theory, how to apply it, how to apply it. And they're looking for the most efficient and cost effective solution, right? So you have to weigh the pros and cons of different approaches. This is a lot. It's a mental workout, for sure, but don't worry, we're gonna break down more of these exam style questions. Okay, and give you the strategies to ace those exams. I like it. Welcome back. Cloud champions. Ready for more event? Bridge, yes.

Chris 6:34
Let's keep going. Okay, so

Kelly 6:36
let's dive into another scenario, right? Imagine a company is dealing with these spikes in user activity on their web application. Okay, it's causing them all sorts of performance issues, and they're scaling their EC2 instances manually. Oh, that's a pain. It's a huge pain. So what would you recommend they do to make their system more responsive?

Chris 7:00
So it sounds like they need to automate that scaling somehow, yes, so they're not constantly like trying to catch up, right? Is this where auto scaling comes in?

Kelly 7:07
Exactly? Auto Scaling is perfect for this. Okay? They can set up these scaling policies that automatically launch or terminate EC2 instances, okay, based on things like CPU utilization, right, or network traffic. But here's the question, okay, how can they use EventBridge to make this even better? Oh,

Chris 7:26
so we're gonna take auto scaling and level it up. Level it up. Event bridge, yeah,

Kelly 7:30
so instead of just reacting to those metrics, yeah, we can actually trigger those auto scaling actions based on events. Okay, so they could capture events that signal potential performance bottlenecks, like an increase in API gateway latency or a surge in database connections. Okay, and then they could configure EventBridge rules to trigger those auto scaling actions so they're

Chris 7:55
not just reacting to, like, right high CPU they're, like, anticipating it. They're anticipating

Kelly 8:00
it based on these other events. That's smart. It's way more proactive. Yeah, so by combining the power of EventBridge with auto scaling, yeah, you create this system that dynamically adjusts to all these changing demands. It makes the user experience better, yes, exactly, smoother user experience even during those crazy traffic spikes. Okay, let's keep going with these scenarios. Okay, here's another one, right? A company needs to enforce these strict security policies on their S3, buckets. Okay. They want to prevent accidental deletions or malicious deletions, and make sure that only authorized users have access security.

Chris 8:38
Huge top, huge. What

Kelly 8:41
do they need? So we need to lock those S3 buckets down, yeah? So I'm thinking S3 object lock is going to be our best friend here. Okay, yeah, object lock, yeah, especially in compliance mode, right? This is essential for preventing objects from being deleted or modified, okay, even if someone has permissions to do so. So

Chris 8:58
that's like the digital vault for our data. Yes, exactly. Okay, so object lock is going to help us prevent those deletions. Yes. But how do we actually control who has access to these buckets in the first place? So

Kelly 9:10
for that, we can layer in im policies, bucket policies and S3 access points. So many layers? Yes, multiple layers for maximum security, yeah. So with I am policies, we can grant granular permissions, okay, to users and roles based on the principle of least privilege, so only give them the access that they need exactly the bare minimum permissions to do their job. Okay? Then we have bucket policies, which are attached directly to S3 buckets, okay? And these provide an additional layer of control. Gotcha, you can use them to enforce conditions like, what like, requiring requests to come from specific IP addresses. Oh, that's cool. Or using HTTPS.

Chris 9:50
Okay, so im policies at the user level, yes, bucket policies are more at the

Kelly 9:55
bucket level, more fine grained control.

Chris 9:57
Okay, you also mentioned S3 access points. Though, yes, what are those all about? So

Kelly 10:01
access points are like these custom doorways into your S3 buckets. Okay, you can create multiple access points for a single bucket, interesting, each with its own unique permissions and configurations. So even more control, even more granular control. And here's where EventBridge comes in. I was wondering when we were gonna tie it back right so we can use EventBridge to monitor these buckets for any security related events, like attempts to delete objects, unauthorized access attempts, and then we can configure rules to trigger alerts or even automatically fix those security issues.

Chris 10:37
It's like we have this security guard,

Kelly 10:40
yes, a vigilant security guard watching over our buckets. I like it, making sure everything's safe. Okay, let's

Chris 10:46
shift gears a little bit. Okay, you said earlier that EventBridge can integrate with services outside of AWS. Yes. Give us an example. So

Kelly 10:54
let's say a company is using Salesforce, okay, and they want to trigger actions in their AWS environment based on events happening in Salesforce, interesting like a new lead being created or a deal being closed, okay,

Chris 11:06
but those two systems don't talk to each other natively, not out of the box. So how do we make that

Kelly 11:11
happen? That's where EventBridge comes in. Okay? So a lot of SaaS applications like Salesforce have APIs that

Chris 11:16
can push events to external systems. Okay? So they could configure their CRM to send web hooks to an API gateway endpoint. Okay,

Kelly 11:24
so API gateway is our bridge here, exactly

Chris 11:27
to AWS, yes, and that API gateway endpoint would trigger an EventBridge rule, okay, and then, and then, from there, they can define rules to capture those specific CRM events. So

Kelly 11:37
we could trigger a Lambda function, maybe yes, to add new leads from Salesforce to our marketing platform, yes, exactly, or, like, update our sales dashboards when a deal closes. That's it. That's really cool. Yeah, so

Chris 11:50
by bridging that gap between their CRM and AWS using EventBridge, yeah, they can create this seamless flow of information, and we're saving time, yes, automating those key processes, saving time, improving efficiency. I

Kelly 12:04
really like how EventBridge can connect all these different systems together. It is, whether they're in AWS or external services. It's

Chris 12:11
like the glue that holds everything together, yeah, in this event driven world, that's a great way to put it. Okay, I'm

Kelly 12:17
ready for another challenge. All right, let's talk about serverless architectures, okay, imagine a company is building this photo sharing application, okay, users can upload pictures, apply filters, share them on social media. Fun, yeah, and they want to build this whole thing, serverless.

Chris 12:34
Okay, so we're talking Lambda, yes, API gateway, yes, S3 Yes. For storage, exactly.

Kelly 12:40
But how would they connect all of these services together in a smooth, event driven workflow? This is

Chris 12:48
where EventBridge comes in. Yeah, it's gonna conduct our serverless orchestra. I

Kelly 12:52
love that analogy. Yeah, you nail it. Okay? So they can configure EventBridge rules to trigger specific Lambda functions, okay, based on events happening in the application. So

Chris 13:02
like, if a user uploads an image, yes, through API gateway, yes, that could trigger a Lambda function to resize it exactly and store it in S3 and

Kelly 13:11
then once that resized image is stored in S3 okay, that could trigger another rule to apply filters and and then when it's ready to share another rule, could trigger a function to share it on social media. Wow,

Chris 13:22
it's like this perfect chain.

Kelly 13:23
It is a chain reaction all orchestrated by EventBridge, and they didn't have to manage a single server. That's the beauty of serverless, exactly. And here's a little bonus tip for the exam, okay, they might ask you about cost optimization in this scenario.

Chris 13:38
Oh, yeah, cost is always a factor, always a factor. How do we keep those bills down?

Kelly 13:42
So one strategy is to use EventBridge to batch events together before invoking those Lambda functions. So instead

Chris 13:50
of triggering it every time an image is uploaded, right, we do it. We batch them up in batches. Yes, process them as a group. That's more efficient, way more efficient. Less invocations, less invocations, lower costs. I like it.

Kelly 14:03
So by strategically using batching techniques with EventBridge, you can optimize that serverless architecture for cost. This has been

Chris 14:13
great. I know, right, we've covered so much. We have security, serverless, yes, cost optimization, all the important things, but I feel like there's still more to learn. There is,

Kelly 14:23
there are still a few hidden gems. Oh, really. We'll save those for next time. Okay, so stay tuned, cloud gurus, for the final part of our EventBridge adventure.

Chris 14:32
Okay, so we're back. We are back for the final part of our EventBridge Deep Dive. Yes, and I'm really excited to uncover those hidden gems that you were talking about.

Kelly 14:41
All right, let's kick things off with schema discovery. Schema

Chris 14:45
discovery, yeah, what is that all about?

Kelly 14:48
So have you ever wished that EventBridge could, like, automatically understand the structure of your events? Yeah?

Chris 14:55
Like, what fields they have, what data types exactly I spend way too. Much time trying to figure that stuff out. Yeah.

Kelly 15:01
So schema Discovery does exactly that. Oh, really. So it analyzes your event streams and then it automatically generates these schemas, okay, that define the structure of your events. So

Chris 15:12
it's like it knows what data I'm working with

Kelly 15:14
exactly this is awesome. It makes it so much easier to build rules and targets and all that stuff.

Chris 15:19
It sounds too good to be true. I

Kelly 15:21
know, right?

Chris 15:22
How does it actually work?

Kelly 15:23
It's machine learning. Oh, wow. So EventBridge analyzes a sample of your events, identifies common patterns, data types, and then it generates that schema. It was basically

Chris 15:35
like a data detective. It is you're gonna how my events are structured. Yes, you don't have to if my schema has changed, though, that's the

Kelly 15:42
cool part. Okay, it continuously monitors your event streams, okay? And it updates those schemas as needed. It stays up to date. Yes, it's like a self updating

Chris 15:51
data dictionary. Okay, so this is really powerful for managing events. It is, and that makes me think about event archives. Yes, event archives

Kelly 16:01
another hidden gem. Okay, what are those? So imagine you need to keep a record of all the events that have happened, like for auditing or compliance, yeah,

Chris 16:09
or just to look back and see what happened exactly. But isn't that gonna get really expensive? That's where

Kelly 16:14
event archives come in. Okay? So you can configure EventBridge to automatically archive all of those events, okay, that match certain rules. Uh huh, to an S3 bucket. Oh, so S3 is our storage here, exactly. And S3 is really durable, yes,

Chris 16:28
very durable and scalable. You don't have to worry about it like, right? You don't have to worry about storage limits or costs. This is like a time machine for our events. It is. You can always go back and reconstruct what happened. That's really cool, even if it was months or years

Kelly 16:40
ago. So we can troubleshoot, yeah, we can identify patterns, yes, make better decisions, exactly. This is a really powerful tool. It

Chris 16:49
is for any team that needs to maintain that history of events.

Kelly 16:53
This whole deep dive has been amazing. I know, right. I feel like we've really uncovered the power of EventBridge.

Chris 16:59
It's so much more than just simple event routing. Yeah, it's essential for building modern cloud applications. So

Kelly 17:06
it's evolved into this whole event management platform. It has

Chris 17:10
it can handle everything from schema discovery to event archiving to cross account event sharing to sophisticated integrations and to our listeners out there, we hope you feel ready to tackle your next cloud challenge,

Kelly 17:24
embrace the power of event driven architectures. Thanks for

Chris 17:28
joining us on The Deep Dive. See you next time.