New AWS Announcement for January, 2024

AWS Systems Manager now includes compatibility for Ubuntu 23.04, Debian 12, MacOS 14, and SUSE SP5

AWS Systems Manager has expanded its compatibility to include Ubuntu 23.04, Debian 12, MacOS 14 (Sonoma), and SUSE SP5. Users of these operating systems can now leverage AWS Systems Manager Node Management features such as Fleet Manager, Compliance, Inventory, Hybrid Activations, Session Manager, Run Command, State Manager, Patch Manager, and Distributor.

The complete list of supported operating systems and machine types can be found in the user guide, and specific details for AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager are available in the Patch Manager prerequisites user guide page.

To learn more, please refer to documentation.

Presenting an Streamlined WordPress Configuration Experience on Amazon Lightsail

Amazon Lightsail introduces an easy process for configuring WordPress websites. The streamlined workflow on your Virtual Private Server (VPS) configures and secures your WordPress application, eliminating the need for time-consuming setup.

This user-friendly approach removes the necessity for tutorial videos or extensive reading. Lightsail's new workflow ensures all essential steps, including the setup of a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate for HTTPS security, making the website configuration hassle-free.

To learn more about this new feature, please refer to documentation.

Consistent Integration of Amazon ECS and AWS Fargate with Amazon EBS

Amazon ECS and AWS Fargate now support ideal integration with Amazon EBS, streamlining the provisioning and attachment of EBS volumes to Amazon ECS tasks on both AWS Fargate and Amazon EC2 through Amazon ECS APIs. This enhancement simplifies the deployment of storage-intensive applications like ETL jobs, media transcoding, and ML inference workloads through serverless containers.

Users can configure EBS volumes for tasks, specifying attributes such as size, type, IOPS, throughput, and use features like snapshots and encryption. Automatic deletion of attached EBS volumes upon task completion is the default behavior.

For more information, please refer to the documentation.

AWS CodeBuild Introduces Support for an X-Large Linux Computing Option

AWS CodeBuild supports a more powerful "LINUX_CONTAINER" compute type, designed for high-performance tasks like builds with significant I/O needs and parallel processing. Before, the ability to run tests and build steps was restricted, leading to slower build times due to I/O limitations.

To leverage this improvement, update or create a CodeBuild Project and choose "BUILD_GENERAL1_XLARGE" as the compute type. This X-Large compute option is accessible in all regions where CodeBuild is offered.

To learn more, please visit documentation.

AWS CloudShell introduces Docker in 13 Regions

AWS CloudShell includes native Docker support, streamlining container deployment for developers within their CloudShell environment. This integration allows developers to start Docker containers on demand, facilitating the prototype creation or deployment of Docker-based resources through the AWS CDK Toolkit.

By eliminating the need for local Docker installation or configuration, CloudShell simplifies container-based workflows. Available in many AWS Regions, including US East, Asia Pacific, Europe, and South America, CloudShell provides a secure, browser-based shell pre-authenticated with console credentials, enabling better management and interaction with AWS resources.

To learn more please visit the AWS CloudShell product page.

Amazon Route 53 Enhances Geo Proximity Routing Capabilities

Amazon Route 53 has introduced geo proximity routing as an additional policy for DNS records in both public and private hosted zones. This enhancement optimizes application responsiveness by directing traffic to the nearest geographical resource, enabling organizations to align with data residency preferences.

Users can configure geo proximity routing through the Route 53 Console, API, SDK, and CLI. Industries like e-commerce, media, IT, and social media can enjoy this feature, enhancing global user experiences. Route 53 expands geo proximity routing availability across the entire DNS service based on customer demand, allowing flexible geographic control over resource routing.

To learn more about how to use geo proximity routing, visit documentation.

AWS Systems Manager Boosts Application Context Support for Updating SSM Agent Version

AWS Systems Manager's Application Manager, designed to support DevOps engineers in resolving application-related issues, facilitates automatic updates for the AWS Systems Manager Agent (SSM Agent) within the application context.

The SSM Agent serves as a vital software component, linking Amazon EC2 instances, on-premises servers, and IoT devices with AWS Systems Manager. This integration allows users to activate automatic SSM Agent updates through the Application Manager's Instances tab, ensuring that all nodes in their application remain current with the latest SSM Agent version.

Refer to documentation for more information.

AWS Step Functions Enhances Connectivity with 33 Services, Including Amazon Q Integration

AWS Step Functions has expanded its compatibility with the AWS SDK by incorporating support for 33 additional AWS services, including key ones like Amazon Q, AWS B2B Data Interchange, and Amazon CloudFront KeyValueStore. As a visual workflow service, AWS Step Functions facilitates the orchestration of over 11,000 API actions from more than 220 AWS services. This capability allows users to streamline the development of distributed applications on a large scale.

By invoking AWS services or their API actions through AWS Step Functions, users can reduce code complexity, simplify their architecture, and cut down on costs. Beyond the newly added 33 services, Step Functions has also integrated support for over 1,500 new API actions from both new and existing AWS services such as Amazon SQS, Amazon EC2, Amazon RDS, and AWS Glue.

Read the documentation for more information.

Amazon ECS Introduces Enhanced Instance Draining Functionality

Amazon ECS has introduced managed instance draining functionality that streamlines the shutdown of workloads on EC2 instances. This feature ensures a safe transition by stopping and rescheduling tasks to non-terminating instances. It simplifies infrastructure maintenance, such as updating Amazon Machine Image versions, without requiring custom solutions.

ECS users can deploy on serverless AWS Fargate or EC2 for more control, with capacity providers managing automatic scaling. This enhancement allows for smooth instance termination, aiding tasks in stopping, launching replacements, and delaying termination for up to 48 hours. It enables users to update infrastructure using ASG Instance Refresh or custom implementations without disrupting workloads.

To learn more about Instance Draining Functionality, refer to the page.

Supporting idempotency for route table and network ACL creation by Amazon VPC

Amazon VPC has introduced its support for the creation of route tables and network ACLs by introducing idempotent functionality. This enables safe retries of creation without causing additional side effects. This feature caters to users employing network orchestration systems or automation scripts in their workflows.

Through the inclusion of a client token, users can now ensure the creation of only one route table through CreateRouteTable API request or network ACL through CreateNetworkAcl API request. This idempotent approach facilitates the building of retry mechanisms, preventing duplicate entries in the event of timeouts or server issues.

Refer documentation, to learn more about idempotency for route table and network ACL.