Sandro Volpicella
@sandrovolpicella.com
I teach developers about the cloud ⛅
👨🏽💻 Platform Lead @hashnode
📕 New Book: https://cloudwatchbook.com
⛅ AWS Fundamentals Book: https://awsfundamentals.com
😼 Builds https://kitlytics.com
🤗 AWS Community Builder
👨🏽💻 Platform Lead @hashnode
📕 New Book: https://cloudwatchbook.com
⛅ AWS Fundamentals Book: https://awsfundamentals.com
😼 Builds https://kitlytics.com
🤗 AWS Community Builder
Typically, one of the first issues you will encounter in bad architected systems: 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠
Imagine building a blogging platform.
Your `create-post` API started out with just publishing a post.
But after a few more cool ideas this API is now responsible for:
Imagine building a blogging platform.
Your `create-post` API started out with just publishing a post.
But after a few more cool ideas this API is now responsible for:
June 19, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Typically, one of the first issues you will encounter in bad architected systems: 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠
Imagine building a blogging platform.
Your `create-post` API started out with just publishing a post.
But after a few more cool ideas this API is now responsible for:
Imagine building a blogging platform.
Your `create-post` API started out with just publishing a post.
But after a few more cool ideas this API is now responsible for:
You typically only create metric alarms in CloudWatch but the real value often comes with composite alarms.
Composite alarms let you monitor multiple metrics. For example you can observe:
- Lambda errors
- API Gateway 500 errors
Composite alarms let you monitor multiple metrics. For example you can observe:
- Lambda errors
- API Gateway 500 errors
June 18, 2025 at 6:00 AM
You typically only create metric alarms in CloudWatch but the real value often comes with composite alarms.
Composite alarms let you monitor multiple metrics. For example you can observe:
- Lambda errors
- API Gateway 500 errors
Composite alarms let you monitor multiple metrics. For example you can observe:
- Lambda errors
- API Gateway 500 errors
One feature I really love about CDK ➡️ CDK Aspects
You can apply certain configurations or modifications of one kind of a construct.
Typical CDK aspects:
- attach alarm actions to every CloudWatch alert
- assign tags to every construct
- set log retention
And they are created SUPER easily!
You can apply certain configurations or modifications of one kind of a construct.
Typical CDK aspects:
- attach alarm actions to every CloudWatch alert
- assign tags to every construct
- set log retention
And they are created SUPER easily!
June 17, 2025 at 6:00 AM
One feature I really love about CDK ➡️ CDK Aspects
You can apply certain configurations or modifications of one kind of a construct.
Typical CDK aspects:
- attach alarm actions to every CloudWatch alert
- assign tags to every construct
- set log retention
And they are created SUPER easily!
You can apply certain configurations or modifications of one kind of a construct.
Typical CDK aspects:
- attach alarm actions to every CloudWatch alert
- assign tags to every construct
- set log retention
And they are created SUPER easily!
I'm still using Leapp daily for all of my accounts. My typical setup looks like this:
🏦 AWS Organization -> e.g. AWS Fundamentals
🧾 AWS Management Account -> Paying Account
🧾 AWS Account -> Dev/Prod
∎ AWS Profile -> ck-dev / ck-prod (those are the ones used in my IAC)
🏦 AWS Organization -> e.g. AWS Fundamentals
🧾 AWS Management Account -> Paying Account
🧾 AWS Account -> Dev/Prod
∎ AWS Profile -> ck-dev / ck-prod (those are the ones used in my IAC)
June 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM
I'm still using Leapp daily for all of my accounts. My typical setup looks like this:
🏦 AWS Organization -> e.g. AWS Fundamentals
🧾 AWS Management Account -> Paying Account
🧾 AWS Account -> Dev/Prod
∎ AWS Profile -> ck-dev / ck-prod (those are the ones used in my IAC)
🏦 AWS Organization -> e.g. AWS Fundamentals
🧾 AWS Management Account -> Paying Account
🧾 AWS Account -> Dev/Prod
∎ AWS Profile -> ck-dev / ck-prod (those are the ones used in my IAC)
Finally having a serverless SQL database at hand with no monthly costs within AWS is simply amazing.
We are running a mini application on DSQL for quite some time to track our subscribers & sales
I just calculated how much it would cost us monthly: $0.00287
We are running a mini application on DSQL for quite some time to track our subscribers & sales
I just calculated how much it would cost us monthly: $0.00287
June 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Finally having a serverless SQL database at hand with no monthly costs within AWS is simply amazing.
We are running a mini application on DSQL for quite some time to track our subscribers & sales
I just calculated how much it would cost us monthly: $0.00287
We are running a mini application on DSQL for quite some time to track our subscribers & sales
I just calculated how much it would cost us monthly: $0.00287
First two YouTube videos are up 🙌🏽
We're not planning on building a huge channel now, but we focus more on adding videos to blog posts and socials now.
So, we thought "why not reuse them on our own channel" 📹
We're not planning on building a huge channel now, but we focus more on adding videos to blog posts and socials now.
So, we thought "why not reuse them on our own channel" 📹
June 14, 2025 at 6:00 AM
First two YouTube videos are up 🙌🏽
We're not planning on building a huge channel now, but we focus more on adding videos to blog posts and socials now.
So, we thought "why not reuse them on our own channel" 📹
We're not planning on building a huge channel now, but we focus more on adding videos to blog posts and socials now.
So, we thought "why not reuse them on our own channel" 📹
We've updated pricing of our Shopify App 🔥
(not as straightforward as we thought - feedback incoming)
We wanted to try it out a few more things:
- Smallest price is MUCH bigger -> Target bigger stores
- We DITCHED the Free Plan and have only a free trial now
(not as straightforward as we thought - feedback incoming)
We wanted to try it out a few more things:
- Smallest price is MUCH bigger -> Target bigger stores
- We DITCHED the Free Plan and have only a free trial now
June 10, 2025 at 10:00 AM
We've updated pricing of our Shopify App 🔥
(not as straightforward as we thought - feedback incoming)
We wanted to try it out a few more things:
- Smallest price is MUCH bigger -> Target bigger stores
- We DITCHED the Free Plan and have only a free trial now
(not as straightforward as we thought - feedback incoming)
We wanted to try it out a few more things:
- Smallest price is MUCH bigger -> Target bigger stores
- We DITCHED the Free Plan and have only a free trial now
I just integrated @posthog into our second @Shopify app - MergeIT ✅
Some events we capture:
- pageviews / leaves
- orders merged + source (extension, dashboard, suggestion page)
- suggestions viewed
- settings changed
- subscription activated
- subscription cancelled
Some events we capture:
- pageviews / leaves
- orders merged + source (extension, dashboard, suggestion page)
- suggestions viewed
- settings changed
- subscription activated
- subscription cancelled
June 10, 2025 at 5:04 AM
I just integrated @posthog into our second @Shopify app - MergeIT ✅
Some events we capture:
- pageviews / leaves
- orders merged + source (extension, dashboard, suggestion page)
- suggestions viewed
- settings changed
- subscription activated
- subscription cancelled
Some events we capture:
- pageviews / leaves
- orders merged + source (extension, dashboard, suggestion page)
- suggestions viewed
- settings changed
- subscription activated
- subscription cancelled
The main difference you have in event-driven systems vs. traditional systems is how you think about incoming events. ⚡
Typically, your API is orchestrating other functions to do certain things. In an event-driven system you let your consumers decide what to do.
Typically, your API is orchestrating other functions to do certain things. In an event-driven system you let your consumers decide what to do.
June 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM
The main difference you have in event-driven systems vs. traditional systems is how you think about incoming events. ⚡
Typically, your API is orchestrating other functions to do certain things. In an event-driven system you let your consumers decide what to do.
Typically, your API is orchestrating other functions to do certain things. In an event-driven system you let your consumers decide what to do.
Finally having a serverless SQL database at hand with no monthly costs within AWS is simply amazing.
We are running a mini application on DSQL for quite some time to track our subscribers & sales
I just calculated how much it would cost us monthly: $0.00287
We are running a mini application on DSQL for quite some time to track our subscribers & sales
I just calculated how much it would cost us monthly: $0.00287
June 6, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Finally having a serverless SQL database at hand with no monthly costs within AWS is simply amazing.
We are running a mini application on DSQL for quite some time to track our subscribers & sales
I just calculated how much it would cost us monthly: $0.00287
We are running a mini application on DSQL for quite some time to track our subscribers & sales
I just calculated how much it would cost us monthly: $0.00287
DSQL is GA now! That was much faster than I expected tbh.
I'm finishing up my blog post about the pricing and publish it soon as a post and newsletter.
TBH - understanding DPUs and how it is exactly billed is not as straightforward as I would have thought 😬
I'm finishing up my blog post about the pricing and publish it soon as a post and newsletter.
TBH - understanding DPUs and how it is exactly billed is not as straightforward as I would have thought 😬
June 2, 2025 at 9:41 AM
DSQL is GA now! That was much faster than I expected tbh.
I'm finishing up my blog post about the pricing and publish it soon as a post and newsletter.
TBH - understanding DPUs and how it is exactly billed is not as straightforward as I would have thought 😬
I'm finishing up my blog post about the pricing and publish it soon as a post and newsletter.
TBH - understanding DPUs and how it is exactly billed is not as straightforward as I would have thought 😬
Serverless isn't just Next.js API Routes or Vercel functions. There's an entire ecosystem of powerful "forgotten middle" serverless services:
• CloudFront
• API Gateway
• Step Functions
• SNS
• SQS
• EventBridge
• CloudFront
• API Gateway
• Step Functions
• SNS
• SQS
• EventBridge
May 23, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Serverless isn't just Next.js API Routes or Vercel functions. There's an entire ecosystem of powerful "forgotten middle" serverless services:
• CloudFront
• API Gateway
• Step Functions
• SNS
• SQS
• EventBridge
• CloudFront
• API Gateway
• Step Functions
• SNS
• SQS
• EventBridge
Oh oh, a few more deprecations are coming in from AWS ☠️
- Timestream for LiveAnalytics
- Pinpoint (this one existed for ages)
- AWS IQ
- AWS IoT Analytics
- AWS IoT Events
- AWS SimSpace Weaver
- AWS Panorama
- Amazon Inspector Classic
- Amazon Connect Voice ID
- AWS DMS Fleet Advisor
- Timestream for LiveAnalytics
- Pinpoint (this one existed for ages)
- AWS IQ
- AWS IoT Analytics
- AWS IoT Events
- AWS SimSpace Weaver
- AWS Panorama
- Amazon Inspector Classic
- Amazon Connect Voice ID
- AWS DMS Fleet Advisor
May 21, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Oh oh, a few more deprecations are coming in from AWS ☠️
- Timestream for LiveAnalytics
- Pinpoint (this one existed for ages)
- AWS IQ
- AWS IoT Analytics
- AWS IoT Events
- AWS SimSpace Weaver
- AWS Panorama
- Amazon Inspector Classic
- Amazon Connect Voice ID
- AWS DMS Fleet Advisor
- Timestream for LiveAnalytics
- Pinpoint (this one existed for ages)
- AWS IQ
- AWS IoT Analytics
- AWS IoT Events
- AWS SimSpace Weaver
- AWS Panorama
- Amazon Inspector Classic
- Amazon Connect Voice ID
- AWS DMS Fleet Advisor
One thing that changed about cold starts in Lambda - they are 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 💸
Cold starts typically do the following things:
💾 Download the code from S3 or image from ECR
⚒️ Bootstrap environment
🆕 Initiate extensions
📠 Execute static code
Cold starts typically do the following things:
💾 Download the code from S3 or image from ECR
⚒️ Bootstrap environment
🆕 Initiate extensions
📠 Execute static code
May 19, 2025 at 6:00 AM
One thing that changed about cold starts in Lambda - they are 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 💸
Cold starts typically do the following things:
💾 Download the code from S3 or image from ECR
⚒️ Bootstrap environment
🆕 Initiate extensions
📠 Execute static code
Cold starts typically do the following things:
💾 Download the code from S3 or image from ECR
⚒️ Bootstrap environment
🆕 Initiate extensions
📠 Execute static code
Your CloudWatch Costs could go down by itself with this launch 💸
AWS counts Logs coming from Lambda now as "vended logs" and they come with a volume tiered pricing model.
AWS counts Logs coming from Lambda now as "vended logs" and they come with a volume tiered pricing model.
May 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Your CloudWatch Costs could go down by itself with this launch 💸
AWS counts Logs coming from Lambda now as "vended logs" and they come with a volume tiered pricing model.
AWS counts Logs coming from Lambda now as "vended logs" and they come with a volume tiered pricing model.
Yes 🎉
One more year of AWS Community Builder Program 😊
One more year of AWS Community Builder Program 😊
May 15, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Yes 🎉
One more year of AWS Community Builder Program 😊
One more year of AWS Community Builder Program 😊
After publishing our animations we are also publishing all of our infographics (a bit slimmed down) on our page!
The first iteration includes all infographics with text.
Currently, we have:
- Lambda
- VPC
- S3
- EC2
- DynamoDB
- CloudFront
- API Gateway
- Route53
- IAM
- CloudWatch
- ECS
The first iteration includes all infographics with text.
Currently, we have:
- Lambda
- VPC
- S3
- EC2
- DynamoDB
- CloudFront
- API Gateway
- Route53
- IAM
- CloudWatch
- ECS
May 13, 2025 at 6:00 AM
After publishing our animations we are also publishing all of our infographics (a bit slimmed down) on our page!
The first iteration includes all infographics with text.
Currently, we have:
- Lambda
- VPC
- S3
- EC2
- DynamoDB
- CloudFront
- API Gateway
- Route53
- IAM
- CloudWatch
- ECS
The first iteration includes all infographics with text.
Currently, we have:
- Lambda
- VPC
- S3
- EC2
- DynamoDB
- CloudFront
- API Gateway
- Route53
- IAM
- CloudWatch
- ECS
Ouh interesting, @stripe launches Workflows - like Step Functions integrated in Stripe 👀
I'm pretty sure if implemented well this can replace quite some common tasks that you typically need to implement webhooks for.
Will check it out in my next Stripe project 👨🏽💻
🔗 stripe.dev/blog/introd...
I'm pretty sure if implemented well this can replace quite some common tasks that you typically need to implement webhooks for.
Will check it out in my next Stripe project 👨🏽💻
🔗 stripe.dev/blog/introd...
May 12, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Ouh interesting, @stripe launches Workflows - like Step Functions integrated in Stripe 👀
I'm pretty sure if implemented well this can replace quite some common tasks that you typically need to implement webhooks for.
Will check it out in my next Stripe project 👨🏽💻
🔗 stripe.dev/blog/introd...
I'm pretty sure if implemented well this can replace quite some common tasks that you typically need to implement webhooks for.
Will check it out in my next Stripe project 👨🏽💻
🔗 stripe.dev/blog/introd...
Step Functions is coming into @SST_dev 🎉
The implementation is similar (as far as I know) as the CDK implementation. That means no more ASL + replacing of dynamic data which I highly appreciate!
I do like the CDK-way of building Step Functions purely in code.
The implementation is similar (as far as I know) as the CDK implementation. That means no more ASL + replacing of dynamic data which I highly appreciate!
I do like the CDK-way of building Step Functions purely in code.
May 12, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Step Functions is coming into @SST_dev 🎉
The implementation is similar (as far as I know) as the CDK implementation. That means no more ASL + replacing of dynamic data which I highly appreciate!
I do like the CDK-way of building Step Functions purely in code.
The implementation is similar (as far as I know) as the CDK implementation. That means no more ASL + replacing of dynamic data which I highly appreciate!
I do like the CDK-way of building Step Functions purely in code.
This weeks newsletter is brought to you directly from the Autobahn 🚗
Not a fancy topic this week (sorry AI folks) - talking about connection to S3 buckets in VPCs this week. 🪣
Gateway endpoints vs. Internet routing 🕸️
Not a fancy topic this week (sorry AI folks) - talking about connection to S3 buckets in VPCs this week. 🪣
Gateway endpoints vs. Internet routing 🕸️
May 11, 2025 at 11:02 AM
This weeks newsletter is brought to you directly from the Autobahn 🚗
Not a fancy topic this week (sorry AI folks) - talking about connection to S3 buckets in VPCs this week. 🪣
Gateway endpoints vs. Internet routing 🕸️
Not a fancy topic this week (sorry AI folks) - talking about connection to S3 buckets in VPCs this week. 🪣
Gateway endpoints vs. Internet routing 🕸️
One underrated feature in CloudWatch ➡️ Live Tail
May 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM
One underrated feature in CloudWatch ➡️ Live Tail
One external SQS producer crashed our entire production API. Reserved concurrency could have safeguarded us at no cost.
Here's how it works. ⚠️
Let's say you have one production AWS account.
In your AWS account, there are two different kinds of resources:
Here's how it works. ⚠️
Let's say you have one production AWS account.
In your AWS account, there are two different kinds of resources:
May 7, 2025 at 6:00 AM
One external SQS producer crashed our entire production API. Reserved concurrency could have safeguarded us at no cost.
Here's how it works. ⚠️
Let's say you have one production AWS account.
In your AWS account, there are two different kinds of resources:
Here's how it works. ⚠️
Let's say you have one production AWS account.
In your AWS account, there are two different kinds of resources:
Before you dive into Lambda code optimization, check out these 5 Lambda tips that can slash your AWS bill without changing a single line of code 💰
Every AWS project I start, I'll typically have 5 things I look out for to save Lambda costs:
Every AWS project I start, I'll typically have 5 things I look out for to save Lambda costs:
May 5, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Before you dive into Lambda code optimization, check out these 5 Lambda tips that can slash your AWS bill without changing a single line of code 💰
Every AWS project I start, I'll typically have 5 things I look out for to save Lambda costs:
Every AWS project I start, I'll typically have 5 things I look out for to save Lambda costs:
Your CloudWatch Costs could go down by itself with this launch 💸
AWS counts Logs coming from Lambda now as "vended logs" and they come with a volume tiered pricing model.
AWS counts Logs coming from Lambda now as "vended logs" and they come with a volume tiered pricing model.
May 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Your CloudWatch Costs could go down by itself with this launch 💸
AWS counts Logs coming from Lambda now as "vended logs" and they come with a volume tiered pricing model.
AWS counts Logs coming from Lambda now as "vended logs" and they come with a volume tiered pricing model.