Engineering Book Review: AWS You Should Know Now.
By: Lee Geun Il
Tags: AWS, Backend, Software Development

What should I learn to be a backend engineer? TypeScript and Node? Java and Spring? Database and SQL? Cloud and AWS? Docker and Kubernetes? I have been already using TypeScript, Node, Database and SQL. Learning a new language and framework has a lower priority than learning infrastructure. Learning Docker and Kubernetes is expected to show a steeper learning curve than learning AWS. I decided to learn AWS.

I found an easy-to-follow book on AWS. The title is AWS You Should Know Now. The authors are professor Lee Yeong Ho and engineer Han Dong Su. Yes, the book is written in Korean. Let the review begin.

An Image of AWS You Should Know Now.

Chapter 3. AWS Accounts

AWS has a unique authentication system. We created a root account of the root privilege. And then, we created IAM accounts of specific privileges. It was a necessary experience.

It happened in early 2020. I created an account but cannot log into AWS. I asked a question in a chat room. An AWS system architect told me to check whether I tried logging by the root account or the IAM account. His advice was right. Anyone who teaches AWS should teach how to manage AWS accounts.

Chapter 4. AWS Lightsail and WordPress

We created a Lightsail instance which contained an image of a WordPress blog. The process was simple. We made a beautiful blog by clicking.

Far in the past, I loved optimization. I loved reinventing the wheel. I loved low-level programming languages. I believed this mind was the spirit of engineers. It was no wonder that I ignored WordPress because it was too rudimentary. But after using WordPress today, I recommended WordPress to my friends for the same reason. We live in a world where time and money are limited. WordPress can be an excellent alternative in this world.

Chapter 5. Amazon S3 and Bootstrap Page

We created an instance of S3. And then, we uploaded a template of Bootstrap. Lastly, we hosted a static website. The process was simple, too. We made a landing page by clicking.

Chapter 6. AWS DynamoDB

AWS You Should Know Now handled AWS DynamoDB. I wanted to learn AWS RDS. Anyway, not bad at all. We created an instance of AWS DynamoDB.

I asked my friends: Are use using something like AWS RDS, or something like PostgreSQL on AWS EC2? The answer was AWS RDS on the business project.

Chapter 7. AWS Lambda, SNS, SES

We learned how to create two Lambda instances. One sends a message to my phone number, and the other monitors the cost and writes a mail to my email address.

Before reading this book, I heard a front-end engineer, Mr Ha Min, say AWS Lambda is innovative. I tried but failed. FaaS was a little awkward. Today I came to know the mechanism of FaaS.

Chapter 8. Amazon API Gateway and Amazon Translate

We created an application which translates Korean to English. The process was intuitive.

We created the front-end application on Amazon S3.

We connected Amazon API Gateway and AWS Lambda.

We connected Amazon Translate.

I couldn’t imagine I would implement a translation app. Amazon Translate is an innovative API. Without it, how can a solo software engineer do this!

Chapter 9. Amazon Elastic Beanstalk

I do not use Amazon Elastic Beanstalk. It is more complicated than Lamda and more restricted than EC2.

Chapter 10. Amazon EC2

I already know Amazon EC2.

Chapter 11. Amazon ECS

I need to read other books. This book is too elementary to handle containerization and orchestration.

Chapter 12. Amazon QuickSight

Ummm.

Conclusion

After reading AWS You Should Know Now, I came to know EC2, Elastic Beanstalk, Lambda, Lightsail, S3, DynamoDB, ECS, API Gateway, SNS, SES, Translate and QuickSight.

Of course, it is an introductory course. I should learn other services and many design patterns. Despite that awareness, I am satisfied.