BYTE the Cloud

Chris 0:00
Hey everyone, welcome to another deep dive with us.

Kelly 0:02
Yeah, thanks for having me.

Chris 0:03
Today. We're going deep on Amazon AppSync, yeah,

a service that's Well, I mean, honestly, it's essential for any cloud engineer out there who is working with modern applications.

Kelly 0:13
Yeah, it's becoming more and more important every day. For sure, I

Chris 0:17
know our listeners are probably familiar with the basics of AWS, yeah, but we're gonna take it to the next level. Today. We're gonna dig deep into AppSync. Understand what it is, right, why it matters, and how to use it effectively, especially with, you know, those tricky exam questions in mind, yeah,

Kelly 0:33
definitely gotta be ready for those curve balls.

Chris 0:36
So let's kick things off. What exactly is Amazon AppSync, when we hear those buzzwords, serverless, GraphQL, what does it all really mean in a way that we can use? Okay?

Kelly 0:47
So imagine you're building this application, right, and this application has to talk to all sorts of different data sources, databases, APIs, the whole shebang, the whole shebang AppSync is like the maestro, right, seamlessly connecting your app to all those different data points. And the best part is it's fully managed, so no server headaches for you. Plus it uses GraphQL, which is super efficient for querying data, so

Chris 1:13
it's like a data traffic controller making sure everything flows smoothly. But why is this such a big deal for us as cloud engineers, why should we be excited about AppSync? Well,

Kelly 1:23
think about those applications you use every day, right? The ones that just feel insanely fast and update in real time, okay, yeah, like a collaborative document where you see someone typing live or a live sports app with scores changing right before your eyes, yeah, those are amazing. That's the kind of magic AppSync enables. It handles those real time updates beautifully. And guess what? It also handles offline scenarios like a champ.

Chris 1:46
Wait offline capabilities. Now that's something I'm really interested in. I've dealt with offline DataSyncing in the past, and it's a real pain, so AppSync takes care of all that behind the

Kelly 1:56
scenes. Yeah, you got it no more wrestling with complex DataSynchronization logic. AppSync handles it all seamlessly, so you can focus on building those awesome features that make your app stand out. Okay,

Chris 2:06
I'm starting to see why this is such a game changer. But can we get a little more specific? What are some real world examples where AppSync would really shine?

Kelly 2:16
Okay, imagine you're building a ride sharing app, like an Uber or a Lyft, okay, you need real time location updates for drivers and passengers, instant notifications and the ability for the app to work flawlessly, even when connectivity is spotty.

Chris 2:32
Yeah, spotty connectivity is a big issue in a lot of these apps. Exactly.

Kelly 2:36
AppSync is perfect for these kinds of dynamic real time applications. That

Chris 2:40
makes total sense. Real Time Data is absolutely crucial for an app like that. Yeah, any other examples that come to mind? Sure,

Kelly 2:47
let's say you're building a social media app, okay, you know, with things like live chat news feeds that update constantly and push notifications for every new message or a friend request. Yeah? Again, AppSync would be the ideal choice for managing all those real time interactions and data updates. It can handle it all with ease.

Chris 3:04
Okay, I'm definitely getting a good feel for what AppSync is all about. Now, it's powerful stuff. It is, yeah, so we've talked about what it is, why it's important, but let's dive into the specifics. What are some of those key features that make all this real time magic possible? Well, one

Kelly 3:20
of the core features is its use of GraphQL. Now, I know some people can get a little intimidated by GraphQL, yeah. It can seem

Chris 3:28
a little complex at first, yeah, but trust me,

Kelly 3:31
it's your friend, especially when it comes to building efficient APIs. Unlike those traditional REST APIs, where you often end up fetching more data than you actually need.

Chris 3:40
Yeah, you get the whole enchilada, whether

Kelly 3:42
you want it or not exactly. GraphQL lets you be super specific. You request exactly the data you want, nothing more, nothing less. So it's

Chris 3:50
like ordering a custom made pizza just the toppings you want. Instead of getting a pre made one with a bunch of stuff you might not even like

Kelly 3:56
exactly. You're in control, you get exactly what you ask for, and that makes your app way faster and more efficient. Okay,

Chris 4:03
that's making a lot more sense now. Yeah, so we've got GraphQL for efficient data fetching. What else does AppSync have up its sleeve?

Kelly 4:10
Another standout feature is its ability to connect to like a ton of different data sources. You're not limited to just one type of database or API. That's great. It plays nicely with DynamoDB, Aurora Lambda functions, and even third party APIs using those HTTP resolvers. So

Chris 4:26
it's like a universal adapter for all your data needs.

Kelly 4:29
It is that kind of flexibility is super valuable, especially when you're dealing with complex architectures and different systems. Yeah, for sure, you have the freedom to design and use the best data sources for each part of your application. So

Chris 4:42
we've got GraphQL support for a ton of data sources. What else I'm particularly curious about those offline capabilities we mentioned earlier,

Kelly 4:50
right? So AppSync uses a local data store on the device to handle offline scenarios. When the device is offline, it writes data to this local store. Okay? And then once the device is back online, AppSync automatically syncs that data with the back

Chris 5:04
end, so the app just keeps working, even without internet access, Yep, pretty much.

Kelly 5:08
Then everything syncs up seamlessly when connectivity is restored, super smooth, no data loss. That's fantastic.

Chris 5:15
But what about security, especially when data is stored locally on a device? How does AppSync address that?

Kelly 5:21
Security is a top priority, and AppSync has you covered. It integrates with AWS IAM for authentication and authorization, right? You know? So you can control who has access to what data. You can even get super granular with those permissions, even down to the field level, wow. So

Chris 5:39
even when data is stored offline. We still have robust security controls in place. That's impressive. Yeah,

Kelly 5:44
you don't have to sacrifice security for offline functionality, but we've

Chris 5:48
covered GraphQL, multiple data sources, offline capabilities and security. It's clear AppSync is packed with features. Yeah, it's pretty powerful, but let's talk about the benefits from a developer's perspective. How does AppSync actually make our lives easier? Well,

Kelly 6:01
one of the biggest advantages is the time it saves you. AppSync handles a lot of the back end complexity. Oh, I like the sound of that. So you don't have to spend time building and managing your own infrastructure. Yeah, less time on that means more time to build exactly you can focus on building those cool features that make your app unique and engaging. So

Chris 6:20
less time fiddling with servers and more time building awesome stuff. I can definitely get behind that.

Kelly 6:25
And since it's serverless, you also get automatic scaling and high availability.

Chris 6:30
Ah, yes, the beauty of serverless, AppSync scales

Kelly 6:33
up or down automatically, so you don't have to worry about capacity planning or managing servers. No more late night server maintenance or panicking during traffic spikes.

Chris 6:42
And I'm guessing this all translates to cost savings too.

Kelly 6:45
You bet you only pay for what you use with AppSync. There are no upfront costs or minimum commitments. Okay?

Chris 6:50
AppSync is sounding more and more like the dream package for building modern applications. It really is, but we have to be realistic. Every technology has its limitations, right? What are some things we should be aware of with AppSync? Sure.

Kelly 7:03
Well, even though AppSync is powerful, it does have a bit of a learning curve, especially if you're new to GraphQL or those resolvers. Oh, yeah, we haven't talked about resolvers much. Ah, yes, resolvers, they're like the glue that connects your AppSync API to your data sources. Okay, basically, they're functions that handle fetching, manipulating and returning data, right? There are different types of resolvers for different scenarios, but they can be a bit tricky to wrap your head around at first. So

Chris 7:30
resolvers are definitely something we'll need to delve into deeper later on. Are there any other potential challenges we should keep in mind? Yeah,

Kelly 7:37
debugging real time functionality can be a bit more complex with AppSync compared to traditional REST APIs. I can imagine that you know you're working with asynchronous operations and DataSynchronization. So figuring out where an issue stems from can take some extra effort. Real time

Chris 7:53
systems are always a bit tricky to debug. It's just the nature of the beast. It

Kelly 7:57
is, it is. But hey, that's exactly why we're doing this deep dive to get a solid grasp of AppSync and be prepared for anything.

Chris 8:05
That's a great point. Now, before we move on to those exam style questions, I think it's important to highlight how AppSync fits within the larger AWS ecosystem. It's not just a standalone service, right, right?

Kelly 8:16
It seamlessly integrates with other AWS services like Lambda, DynamoDB, Cognito, and the list goes on. It's part of the bigger picture. Exactly. You can build these comprehensive serverless solutions using AppSync as that central data hub

Chris 8:32
that's really valuable to know, especially for those building large scale solutions on AWS. Yeah,

Kelly 8:36
it's all about leveraging the power of the entire AWS ecosystem to create something truly robust and innovative. Okay,

Chris 8:43
I think we've laid a really solid foundation here. Yeah, I think so too. We've covered what AppSync is, why it's important, and some of its key features and benefits. Now let's put all that knowledge to the test with some exam style questions. All right, let's

Kelly 8:55
do it. Are you ready?

Chris 8:57
Absolutely hit me with your best shot. All

Kelly 8:59
right, let's start with the classic scenario. Imagine you're tasked with building a mobile app that allows users to view and edit data even when they're offline. What AppSync feature would you use to implement this functionality? Well,

Chris 9:12
we talked about offline capabilities earlier. I'm going to say AppSync, offline DataSynchronization feature would be the key here. You got

Kelly 9:20
it. That's exactly what the examiners would be looking for, okay, understanding the core functionality and knowing when to use it. Awesome. Okay, hit me with another one. All right, let's say a company wants to build a real time chat application using AppSync. What would be the most appropriate data source for storing and retrieving messages super quickly,

Chris 9:39
okay, real time chat, we need a database that's built for speed can handle a high volume of real time data. I'm thinking DynamoDB would be a good fit for this spot

Kelly 9:49
on. DynamoDB is perfect for this type of scenario. Its low latency and scalability make it ideal for those real time applications like chat two for two.

Chris 9:58
I'm feeling good. Yeah. Be another challenge. All right, let's dive into

Kelly 10:01
security a bit. What are the different authorization modes that AppSync supports?

Chris 10:06
Okay, security is crucial. AppSync offers several authorization modes. There's API keys, AWS, IAM, Amazon, Cognito, user pools and OpenID Connect, Yep, those are the big ones. API keys are the simplest, but usually best for testing, not production. IAM is great when you need tight integration with AWS identities and roles. Cognito user pools, those are perfect for managing user authentication within your app. And OpenID Connect well that lets you use third party identity providers. That's

Kelly 10:36
a great breakdown of the authorization modes. You've definitely got a good handle on how AppSync handles security. Thanks. All

Chris 10:42
right, bring on the next question. Okay,

Kelly 10:44
let's talk granular access control. Imagine you're designing an application that requires very specific control over who can access what data. How could you achieve this using AppSync and AWS? IAM,

Chris 10:56
okay, so we need to be very specific about permissions. With AppSync and IAM, we can define those IAM roles and policies that control access to specific fields or even operations within our API. That way, we can implement granular access control and ensure that only authorized users can access those sensitive pieces of data exactly. It's

Kelly 11:15
all about layering those security controls and using IAM to enforce those fine grain permissions.

Chris 11:20
Okay, feeling good about that one, too. What else you got? All right, let's

Kelly 11:23
tackle one that often trips people up. How does AppSync deal with those situations where multiple clients are trying to update the same data at the same time? You know those concurrency issues, concurrency,

Chris 11:35
those can be tricky, but I remember AppSync uses something called optimistic concurrency control, right? It's basically a way to handle conflicts gracefully. So if two clients try to update the same data, AppSync will detect the conflict and then provide mechanisms for resolving it without corrupting the data. Perfect.

Kelly 11:55
You nailed it. AppSync. Optimistic concurrency control helps prevent data corruption and ensures data integrity even in those trickiest federations. Okay,

Chris 12:04
it seems like AppSync is designed to handle those complex scenarios that we often run into in real world application development. You're

Kelly 12:10
absolutely right. It's built to address real world complexities and gives developers the tools they need to build robust, scalable and secure applications. Well,

Chris 12:19
we've covered a lot of ground in this first part of our AppSync deep dive, we've gone from the basics to some pretty challenging exam questions. Yeah,

Kelly 12:25
we've made some great progress, and I feel like I've already learned so much. I hope

Chris 12:30
so, and remember, we've got a lot more to cover in the upcoming parts of this deep dive. So stay tuned for even more insights and tips on mastering AppSync. Absolutely.

Kelly 12:38
We'll be back with more AppSync soon, so be sure to join us again. All

Chris 12:42
right, welcome back. So in the last part, we just kind of, you know, scratch the surface of AppSync. Yeah. Now I want to get into some right exactly,

Kelly 12:49
exposing raw as three URLs. That's a big no no. So this is where AppSync integration with AWS Lambda becomes really handy. Okay, I see

Chris 12:57
where you're going with this. So Lambda acts as our secure intermediary? Yes,

Kelly 13:01
we'd set up a Lambda function to handle those file uploads specifically. Okay,

Chris 13:06
so Lambda is our middle man. But how do we actually give the mobile app access to those files after they're uploaded without compromising security? That's the tricky part. This

Kelly 13:15
is where it gets clever. Inside our Lambda function, we generate what's called a pre signed URL for each file that gets uploaded. Pre signed URLs, these URLs, they give temporary time, limited access to those S3 objects, okay, so

Chris 13:28
the mobile app gets a secure link to the file that expires, but never the direct S3 URL

Kelly 13:33
clever. And we can even fine tune things like which actions are allowed. You know, get T, P, U, T and so on. Okay,

Chris 13:39
makes sense. But how does that pre signed URL actually get back to the mobile app? Does Lambda just like send it directly? That's

Kelly 13:46
where AppSync steps back in our Lambda function. It returns that pre signed URL as part of its response to the AppSync mutation. The app then grabs that URL and can use it to fetch the file straight from S3 so it's

Chris 13:59
all beautifully orchestrated through AppSync, the app initiates the upload Lambda, does its magic, and then the app gets that secure link back. That's really elegant. It is. It is okay. Are you ready for another one? Let's switch gears a bit and talk about how AppSync fits into the bigger AWS landscape. Yeah, hit me. All right. Imagine you're building a real time analytics dashboard, something that needs to pull in data from all over the place, IoT, sensors, social media, feeds, your company's own internal databases, you name it. Okay, that's a lot of data, it is, and you want AppSync to handle those real time updates and all the data aggregation, real

Kelly 14:35
time analytics. This is a big one. Okay? So we have data pouring in from all these different sources. AppSync can handle the real time part, but we need a way to manage that flood of data before it even hits AppSync, Right exactly. We need to think about that initial ingestion stage. For that, we have some awesome services within AWS for the high volume streaming data, things like those IoT sensors and social media feeds, Kinesis. Data streams would be a fantastic Yeah,

Chris 15:02
perfect for handling that kind of fire hose of data.

Kelly 15:06
But what about those internal databases? They're probably not set up for streaming, right?

Chris 15:10
That's a good point. How do we bring them into the mix? Well,

Kelly 15:13
we can use AWS database migration service or DMS to replicate the data from those databases into something more cloud native, like Amazon, Aurora or DynamoDB. So Kinesis

Chris 15:26
takes care of the streaming data, DMS syncs up our databases. Now, how do we get all of this into AppSync?

Kelly 15:33
Here's where Lambda comes in. Again, we can create Lambda functions that are triggered by events from both Kinesis and DMS. These functions would format and transform the data so it's ready for AppSync. Got

Chris 15:43
it so Lambda acts like a translator, making sure all the data speaks the same language before it goes to AppSync Exactly.

Kelly 15:48
And the cool part is, if we need to add any custom business logic or do some data enrichment, we can incorporate other AWS services right within those Lambda functions, things like sagemaker for machine learning, comprehend for natural language processing. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

Chris 16:05
So we've got real time data streams with Kinesis, database replication with DMS, and then those versatile Lambda functions tying everything together and feeding it all into AppSync. And of course, on the other end, we have our real time analytics dashboard getting those sweet, sweet updates.

Kelly 16:21
It's all about using the right tool for the job and then bringing it all together with AppSync as the conductor.

Chris 16:28
I love it. Okay, one last challenge for me before we wrap up this part. This one's a curveball. Imagine you're on a project with some really strict security rules, like really strict all data, whether it's in transit or just sitting there in the database. It has to be encrypted using keys that are managed completely outside of

Kelly 16:45
AWS. Oh, that's a good one. That definitely adds a layer of complexity, right?

Chris 16:48
Can AppSync still be a part of the solution in a scenario like this,

Kelly 16:53
we might need to get creative here. While AppSync itself doesn't natively support using keys stored outside of AWS, we can still design a system that meets this requirement.

Chris 17:03
Okay, I'm intrigued. How do we make this work? The

Kelly 17:07
key is to handle the encryption and decryption before the data even gets to AppSync. This might involve using a client side encryption library or setting up a separate service to manage that whole process using those external keys.

Chris 17:21
Okay, so we're essentially taking encryption into our own hands outside of AppSync direct control. But how do we then integrate that encrypted data with AppSync? Does it just accept whatever we throw at it? Well, in

Kelly 17:33
this case, we'd primarily use AppSync for managing that real time data flow. Okay, so we'd send the already encrypted data to AppSync and it would push it out to any subscribed clients. Okay, those clients would then handle the decryption on their end using their corresponding keys. So AppSync

Chris 17:47
becomes a secure, real time pipeline for that encrypted data. It's not doing the encryption itself, but it's still a critical piece of the puzzle.

Kelly 17:54
Exactly. This really showcases how flexible AppSync is. Even with super specific security needs like this, we can still find a way to make it work. That's

Chris 18:03
a great point. It means AppSync isn't some rigid tool. It's something we can adapt and integrate into all sorts of solutions. Exactly

Kelly 18:10
that kind of flexibility and problem solving is what makes a great solutions architect.

Chris 18:16
Absolutely you've given me a lot to think about today, I feel much more prepared to tackle AppSync challenges, both in the exam and in real world projects. I'm glad

Kelly 18:25
to hear that, but hold on tight. We've got even more to cover in the final part of our deep dive. We'll tackle some of the most advanced AppSync concepts and put all that knowledge to the ultimate test. Okay,

Chris 18:37
we're back for the final round of our AppSync Deep Dive. You know, after those last few challenges, I'm feeling pretty confident, yeah, but I know you've got some really dance stuff up your sleeve.

Kelly 18:46
Oh, I do. I do. This is where we separate the app synced novices from the experts. Okay, bring it on. I'm ready for the ultimate test. All right, let's imagine you're designing an application that's got a global user base. I'm talking users all over the world, global scale. Okay, and you need to make sure that everyone who's accessing your AppSync API has low latency, high availability, no matter where

Chris 19:07
they are. So this is about performance and reach

Kelly 19:09
basically, exactly. How would you approach this? Okay, so users

Chris 19:13
spread across different continents? Yep. And our AppSync API has to be accessible and responsive to everyone, no matter their location, right? But I know that AppSync itself is tied to a specific AWS region. It is. So how do we make it truly global?

Kelly 19:29
You're right. AppSync APIs are regional. So to tackle this, we need to deploy multiple AppSync APIs, one in each region where we have a significant number of users.

Chris 19:39
Nah, so we're strategically placing those AppSync endpoints around the world smart.

Kelly 19:43
It's all about being close to your users, but how do we keep

Chris 19:47
all those different APIs in sync? I mean, manually updating each one every time we make a change. That just sounds like a nightmare. Oh, yeah,

Kelly 19:55
you'd be drowning in manual updates for sure. Yeah, that's where infrastructure as code tools come in. Things like cloud formation or TerraForm, you can create templates that define your AppSync APIs and deploy them consistently across all the regions. So we're

Chris 20:09
using infrastructure as code to automate that whole deployment and management process across multiple regions. Exactly makes life a lot easier. That's fantastic. But what about the data itself. Do we need to replicate our data stores across all those regions too?

Kelly 20:24
Data replication is key for achieving that low latency. Okay, so if we're using something like Amazon, Aurora as our database, okay, we can take advantage of its global database feature. Oh, yeah, Aurora global database, that's a great feature. It replicates data across multiple regions, keeps everything in sync and highly available.

Chris 20:42
Are there any other options for replicating the data depending on the database we got? But now the big question, how do we make sure users are actually connecting to the closest AppSync endpoint? I mean, we don't want users in Europe hitting an API in the US. If there's a closer option, that's

Kelly 20:57
where intelligent routing comes in. Amazon, Route 53 our trusty DNS service. Ah, Route 53 of course, we can configure Route 53 to route user requests to the nearest AppSync endpoint based on their location.

Chris 21:09
So it's like having a global traffic cop directing everyone to the optimal destination. It

Kelly 21:14
is. Route 53 has features like geolocation routing and latency based routing, which are perfect for this scenario, it'll send users to the best AppSync endpoint automatically. So

Chris 21:24
we have our multi region AppSync APIs data replicated globally and intelligent routing with Route 53 pretty amazing setup. It

Kelly 21:31
is a powerful combination, and it really showcases the power of AWS and how these services can work together seamlessly. All right,

Chris 21:38
one last question for you, let's talk debugging and troubleshooting within AppSync. Well, yeah, okay, let's say you're working on an API that's having some intermittent errors. You know, it's not consistent, making it tough to find the root cause. Yeah, those are the worst what tools or techniques would you use to investigate and fix those issues?

Kelly 21:54
Debugging in an environment like AppSync can definitely be tricky, yeah? But luckily, AWS provides some pretty powerful tools to help us out. CloudWatch logs is always a good place to start.

Chris 22:06
CloudWatch logs are faithful friend. It captures

Kelly 22:08
all the logs from our apps and KPIs resolvers and any Lambda functions that are involved,

Chris 22:14
okay, so we can dig into those logs and see what's happening behind the scenes, exactly.

Kelly 22:18
Now, another awesome tool is AWS X-Ray. X-Ray, yeah, I love that one. You can trace requests as they go through your AppSync API and any other downstream services, like

Chris 22:29
having X-Ray vision into your application

Kelly 22:31
it is you can pinpoint bottlenecks, identify the source of errors, and get a really clear picture of your API's performance. X

Chris 22:38
rays super helpful. Any other tips you'd recommend for debugging AppSync. Effectively,

Kelly 22:43
don't forget about AppSync built in logging features right within those resolvers. You can add logging statements directly into the resolver code to keep track of data flow and variable values. So

Chris 22:54
to recap, we can use CloudWatch logs for that broad overview X-Ray to trace requests across our entire system, yeah, and then those strategically placed logging statements within our resolvers to get that granular view

Kelly 23:09
exactly by using this combination, you can tackle even the most challenging AppSync errors. Awesome.

Chris 23:14
Well, we've covered a lot in this AppSync deep dive, from the basics to building global solutions and mastering debugging techniques. We've been through a lot. I feel like I've really leveled up my AppSync skills.

Kelly 23:26
I'm glad to hear it. AppSync is such a powerful service. It opens up so many possibilities for building modern applications. It really does. By understanding these concepts, you're well on your way to building some amazing things. Well. Thank you

Chris 23:38
so much for sharing your expertise. This has been incredibly insightful, yeah, of course. Thanks for having me and to all our listeners out there. Thanks for joining us on The Deep Dive. Keep learning, keep building, and we'll catch you in the next one. You.