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AWS gets technical with new dev-focused services

Launches AWS Step Functions’ distributed map mode and Amazon EventBridge Pipes, while Application Composer and CodeCatalyst see preview releases.
Werner Vogels (AWS)

Werner Vogels (AWS)

Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) tackled the technical development side of the cloud giant during its final keynote presentation for re:Invent 2022 with announcements for several new services.

Led by Werner Vogels, Amazon.com VP and CTO, AWS launched the general availability of AWS Step Functions’ distributed map mode, which can process large amounts of data in what Vogels claimed is “fairly simple lambda functions”.

Through the distributed map mode, millions of log files can be analysed for security risks, iterate terabytes of data for business insights, as well as scan images and video files for specific objects.

The distributed map mode of AWS Step Functions is available in its Sydney and Singapore regions, as well as its Ohio, North Virginia, Oregon, central Canada, Tokyo, Ireland, Frankfurt and Stockholm regions.

Next was the preview of AWS Application Composer, which is able to, according to Vogels, simplify and accelerate the architecting, configuring and building of serverless applications via a “visual canvas”.

Through the browser-based user interface, developers can drag, drop and connect AWS services, as well as being able to start a new architecture from scratch or import an existing AWS Cloud Formation or AWS Serverless Application Model template.

Application Composer is available in preview in AWS’ Ohio North Virginia, Oregon, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Ireland regions. Meanwhile, entering general availability in a myriad of regions, including Sydney and Singapore, is Amazon EventBridge Pipes, which Vogels said can “easily stitch AWS services together”.

The cloud giant said the service expands the EventBridge offering beyond event buses and scheduling, with it able to connect applications with data from sources including Amazon SQS, Amazon Kinesis, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Managed Streaming Kafka, self-managed Kafka and Amazon MQ.

It also supports the same target services as event buses, like Amazon SQS, AWS Step Functions, Amazon Kinesis Data Streams, Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose, Amazon SNS, Amazon ECS and event buses themselves.

Rounding out the announcements in Vogels’ keynote was the preview of Amazon CodeCatalyst, which the VP and CTO claimed can eliminate “all the heavy lifting that sits around development.”

“We built this with developers, teams and cloud in mind; it really helps you to plan and develop and collaborate and deliver applications on AWS,” he said. “It has all the tools you need to go from idea to production much faster.”

With CodeCatalyst, users can browse a collection of project blueprints to set up a project with a combination of technologies, architecture, infrastructure and services. It can automatically provision tools, set up CI/CD workflows that run on managed build infrastructure and define the architecture and configuration of AWS used by the project.

Additionally, the default source repository and issue tracker can be replaced with GitHub or Jira Software. CodeCatalyst is only available in AWS’ Oregon region but can automate deployments in any AWS account and region.

Earlier in the week, AWS CEO Adam Selipsky said there were challenges in the current business climate during his own keynote to launch various new and updated services. 

Meanwhile, AWS vice president of database, analytics and machine learning Swami Sivasubramanian revealed a bevvy of data-focused services consisting of what the cloud giant considers to be part of a ‘modern data strategy’.

For its partner network, AWS vice president of worldwide channels and alliances Ruba Borno announced the preview of the Partner Solution Factory, a service that allows partners to collaborate with AWS experts on storyboards and system architecture, designs, demos and other resources.

Sasha Karen travelled to AWS re:Invent as a guest of AWS.