In this episode, we discuss using AWS Lambda for machine learning inference. We cover the tradeoffs between GPUs and CPUs for ML, tools like ggml and llama.cpp for running models on CPUs, and share examples where we've experimented with Lambda for ML like podcast transcription, medical imaging, and natural language processing. While Lambda ML is still quite experimental, it can be a viable option for certain use cases. 💰 SPONSORS 💰 AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem, an Advanced AW...
Jan 19, 2024•24 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of the AWS Bites Podcast provides an overview of the AWS Project Development Kit (PDK), an open-source tool to help bootstrap and maintain cloud projects. We discuss what PDK is, how it can help generate boilerplate code and infrastructure, keep configuration consistent across projects, and some pros and cons of using a tool like this versus doing it manually. Is PDK something you should use for your cloud projects? Let's find out! 💰 SPONSORS 💰 AWS Bites is brought to you by f...
Jan 12, 2024•29 min•Ep 109•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we discuss how you can use Python for data science workloads on AWS Lambda. We cover the pros and cons of using Lambda for these workloads compared to other AWS services. We benchmark cold start times and performance for different Lambda deployment options like zip packages, layers, and container images. The results show container images can provide faster cold starts than zip packages once the caches are warmed up. We summarize the optimizations AWS has made to enable performan...
Dec 15, 2023•21 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we share expert opinions from AWS community leaders on their favorite announcements from re:Invent 2023, advice for those starting their cloud journey, predictions for the future of serverless, whether to go multi-cloud or not, and how AI will impact developers. Our guests provide insightful perspectives on getting hands-on experience, leveraging the AWS community, thinking through architectural decisions, and more. AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem, an Advanced AWS Par...
Dec 08, 2023•21 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast Luciano and Eoin chat about Luciano's experience attending AWS re:Invent 2023 in Las Vegas for the first time. They talk about the massive scale of the event, logistical challenges getting around between venues, highlights from the keynotes and announcements, and tips for networking and getting the most out of re:Invent. Luciano shares his perspective on the AI focus, meeting people in real life after connecting online, rookie mistakes to avoid, and why re:Invent is worth the investment for ...
Dec 01, 2023•19 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we discuss integration testing event-driven systems and explore AWS's new Integration Application Test Kit (IATK). We cover the challenges of testing events and common approaches like logging, end-to-end testing, and using temporary queues. We then introduce IATK, walk through how to use it for EventBridge testing, and share our experience trying out the X-Ray trace validation. We found IATK promising but still rough around the edges, though overall a useful addition to help...
Nov 24, 2023•28 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we celebrate AWS Lambda's 9th birthday by taking a deep dive into Lambda runtimes. We discuss how Lambda works, compare official runtimes vs. custom runtimes, and explain when and why building a custom runtime might be worth the effort. We talk through how custom runtimes work, options for deploying them, and potential use cases where they could be beneficial over standard runtimes. 💰 SPONSORS 💰 AWS Bites is brought to you by fourTheorem, an Advanced AWS Partner. If you ar...
Nov 17, 2023•25 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we discuss how we automated generating YouTube descriptions, chapters and tags for our podcast using Amazon's new GenAI tool: Bedrock. We provide an overview of Bedrock's features and how we built an integration to summarize podcast transcripts and extract relevant metadata using the Anthropic Claude model. We share the prompt engineering required to instruct the AI, and details on our serverless architecture using Step Functions, Lambda, and EventBridge. We also discuss...
Nov 10, 2023•21 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Jeremy Daly, CEO of Ampt and a leader in the AWS and serverless community. We discuss Jeremy's journey into AWS and serverless, the prolific open source work and content he creates, the evolution of serverless over the years, common myths about serverless, and, finally, the story behind building Ampt to improve the developer experience. Jeremy provides his perspective on the state of serverless and predictions for the future and it also ...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast Today we embark on a fascinating journey into the world of AWS Lambda functions and how to make them accessible to the public. In a recent use case, involving the creation of a public Lambda function for AWS users, we asked ourselves some interesting questions. How can you securely, cost-effectively, and conveniently publish AWS resources, especially Lambda functions, for others to use? And... can we possibly make some money out of this? Join us as we explore various options and share our findin...
Oct 26, 2023•18 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast Greetings, my fellow innovators, and welcome to this illuminating episode of AWS Bites! In this edition, we embark on a journey into the realms of Ampt, a groundbreaking solution that simplifies the intricate landscape of AWS application development, allowing you to direct your focus toward the very essence of your applications, unhindered by the burdens of infrastructure management. As your guides through this remarkable odyssey, hosts Luciano and Eoin delve into the ingenious facets of Ampt. W...
Oct 19, 2023•24 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast In this thrilling episode of AWS Bites Podcast, we delve into the murky world of cloud computing and discuss the most haunting fears that deter businesses from adopting Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this gritty discussion reminiscent of a noir novel, they reveal the sinister concerns of cost, complexity, security, and vendor lock-in that keep organizations in the dark. If you're in the cloud consulting business or facing internal resistance to moving your projects to AWS, this episode is you...
Oct 12, 2023•23 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we will explore the enigmatic world of Amazon Pinpoint. Pinpoint boasts a wide range of capabilities that can prove advantageous for various marketing endeavors. In this intriguing episode, we will shed light on Pinpoint's core features and use cases. Additionally, we will compare it to several other marketing products, including Google Analytics, Marketo, Mailchimp, and more. However, the most startling revelation pertains to the recent changes in Pinpoint's limitations, which ha...
Oct 06, 2023•15 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast Rev up your AWS know-how in this high-octane episode of AWS Bites Podcast, where we take you under the hood to fine-tune your AWS applications configuration! Kicking things off, we rev our engines and stress the vital role of slick configuration management in the world of cloud-based applications, leaving those old-school methods in the dust. Buckle up as we steer you through the twists and turns, starting with the straightforward horsepower of environment variables, giving you the lowdown on wh...
Sep 28, 2023•35 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of AWS Bites, Luciano and Eoin dive deep into the world of AWS governance, landing zones, and automation tools. AWS emphasizes the importance of good governance for customers of all sizes, whether you're starting from scratch or have been using AWS for years. But with so many tools available, which one should you choose? Join us as we explore the best practices for setting up your AWS accounts correctly and discover tools that can automate the process, including AWS Control T...
Sep 21, 2023•24 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Saddle up for a cloud adventure like no other in this episode of AWS Bites, where Eoin and Luciano explore the untamed world of AWS S3 Mountpoint. Just like a trusty steed on the digital prairie, Mountpoint gallops into action to solve complex use cases, making it a valuable asset for managing massive data, achieving high throughput, and effortlessly fetching information from the AWS S3 wilderness. Dive deep into the inner workings of Mountpoint, a Rust-powered Linux-exclusive application that h...
Sep 14, 2023•15 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast Ever wondered how to gain deep insights into the myriad of activities within your AWS organization accounts? In this episode of AWS Bites, we dive into the world of AWS CloudTrail and Athena, showing you how to seamlessly query and analyze CloudTrail logs for valuable information, troubleshooting, security, and compliance. 💰 SPONSORS 💰 fourTheorem is the company that makes AWS Bites possible. If you are looking for a partner to accompany you on your cloud journey, check them out at fourthe...
Aug 17, 2023•14 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, we're diving into the fascinating world of CDK Patterns - those ingenious building blocks that can transform your cloud journey. We uncover what CDK Patterns are, where to find them, and why you'll want to use them! With CDK's object-oriented abstraction, L2 and L3 Constructs bring a whole new level of convenience. We'll explore where to find these powerful patterns, from the ones baked right into CDK to the inspiring examples showcased by community websit...
Aug 10, 2023•19 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of AWS Bites, we take you on a captivating migration journey. Together, we'll explore how we transformed fullstackbulletin.com's automation process, leaving behind the complexities of a monolithic AWS Lambda and embracing the efficiency of Step Functions. Join us as we dive into the challenges of automating a weekly newsletter, trying to strike the perfect balance between automation and manual curation. We'll discover the risks of relying on external services and how ...
Aug 03, 2023•24 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we take a journey through time and technology and learn the origin stories of Eoin and Luciano. In this captivating discussion, they share their paths into the world of software development and their eventual immersion into the realm of Amazon Web Services (AWS). Eoin's story begins in the early days of home computing, where he tinkered with a Spectrum ZX, coding programs and saving them on audio cassettes. He walks us through his computer science studies, securing his first...
Jul 27, 2023•22 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast AWS is great, but it can surely be better, much better! Today we want to mention 9 things that could help AWS to reach new heights: hard billing limits, better UX and documentation, and much more! We also have a special message to AWS and all the AWS professionals who have helped throughout the years. Join us in this intergalactic journey to improve the leading cloud provider! 💰 SPONSORS 💰 fourTheorem is the company that makes AWS Bites possible. If you are looking for a partner to accompany y...
Jul 20, 2023•12 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to the epic tale of AWS Bites! In this chapter, we embark on a perilous journey through the challenges of developing distributed applications on AWS. We encounter fierce foes in the form of deployment times and limited access to real AWS services during local development. But fear not, for we have powerful tools at our disposal, including the legendary LocalStack and Serverless offline. And if that's not enough, we have tips and tricks for optimizing our development flow without loca...
Jul 13, 2023•16 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of AWS Bites, we discuss VPC Lattice, a new service in the Salad Bowl of AWS Networking. We cover all the concepts, applications, and exciting possibilities for VPC Lattice and share tips on how to use it effectively. We talk about reducing friction between network admin and dev teams and how VPC Lattice can be a game changer for traditional and serverless workloads. Get ready for some greens and don't miss this informative episode of AWS Bites! 💰 SPONSORS 💰 AWS Bites is sp...
Jul 06, 2023•27 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast Are you interested in landing an AWS role? Or maybe are you looking to hire some cloud talent?! In this episode of the AWS Bites podcast, we share our insights on the interview process we have adopted at fourTheorem. This process is not just about testing AWS knowledge, but it's also about evaluating cultural fit, way of working skills and knowledge, and future plans. From the “Fiona chat” to the technical interview, we provide valuable tips for candidates, such as being honest about your kn...
Jun 29, 2023•33 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast Are you struggling with securely integrating workloads running on-premises, in Azure, or in any other cloud with a workload running in AWS? In this exciting episode of the AWS Bites podcast, we dive into 6 different options for securely and efficiently integrating workloads between clouds. From providing a public API in AWS with an authorization method to using IAM roles anywhere to using OIDC federated identities, we explore the advantages and disadvantages of each option. We even cover the use...
Jun 22, 2023•21 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast In the latest episode of AWS Bites Podcast, Luciano and Eoin share their insider tips on how to get the most out of in-person AWS events like summits, re:Inforce, or re:Invent. From networking to swag hoarding, they cover everything you need to know to make the most of these conferences. Learn how to convince your employer to let you attend and how to plan ahead to get the most out of the event. Plus, hear about the fun activities and after-parties you won't want to miss. Don't miss out ...
Jun 15, 2023•26 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of AWS Bites, we explore the future of Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) in the context of the zero-trust security trend. We'll dive into the pros and cons of using VPCs, including their usefulness when dealing with sensitive data or when you need fine-grained control over your network environment. But let's be real, sometimes VPCs can be a bit of a headache. We'll discuss why you might want to avoid them, including the added complexity they can bring to your network envi...
Jun 08, 2023•21 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast VPC Lettuce is a new service form AWS that lets you pay per leaf instead of buying a whole lettuce up front. Pricing starts at $0.50 per gram per second.
Jun 06, 2023•27 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the AWS Bites podcast, we explore the best practices for creating and configuring S3 Buckets, Amazon Web Services' popular object storage service. We will learn how to set up buckets correctly from the start, avoiding common pitfalls and ensuring efficient management. We provide a quick recap of Amazon S3, covering buckets, objects, and various use cases. Discover the importance of globally unique bucket names, versioning, and observability through logging and metrics. We ...
Jun 01, 2023•23 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast Who is the king of all databases when it comes to performance? Yes, Redis! Of course! In this episode of AWS Bites, we talk about Redis on ElastiCache, one of the most essential instruments in the cloud architect's toolbox. We explore the joys and woes of Redis on AWS and share some exciting alternatives regarding in-memory databases and caching systems. We discuss the use cases of Redis, including session storage, web page caching, database cache, cost optimization, queues and pub/sub messa...
May 25, 2023•22 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast 
