Werner Vogels Keynote re:View

Here we are again with another update from AWS:reInvent 2022, but this time we have updates from Dr. Werner Vogels, VP & CTO of Amazon.

Vogel’s keynote was about asynchronous systems, event-driven architecture and simulation. He presented it very beautifully by using various metaphors from nature, I’m just inspired by it. Our nature, our world is asynchronous. And in the digital world as well we should follow asynchronous, event-driven patterns. 

He explained the benefits of asynchronous systems such as their evolvability, failure isolation, and the fewer dependencies they bring. And who doesn’t what these benefits? As humans we always evolve.

In this blog post, we bring some of the exciting announcements done by Dr. Werner during his re:Invent keynote.

AWS Step Functions Distributed Map – New Feature

AWS Step function is a visual workflow service that helps customers to build distributed applications and orchestrate serverless functionalities.   

Now with the new feature Step Functions Distributed Map, customers can orchestrate large-scale parallel workloads. New distributed map states can launch up to ten thousand parallel workflows to process data.

More on this: Step Functions Distributed Map – A Serverless Solution for Large-Scale Parallel Data Processing | AWS News Blog

While launching this feature for Step Functions, Vogels also highlighted the Amazon Distributed Computing Manifesto, showing how engineers from 25 years ago are seeing their dreams accomplished today. More read the full document here.

Amazon EventBridge Pipes – New Feature

I just like the way he compared EventBridge with “the spider in the web” and indeed, EventBridge acts like a spider in AWS. It’s simple but most useful.

Taking inspiration from Unix Pipelines, AWS announced Amazon EventBridge Pipes, a new feature of Amazon EventBridge that helps to build event-driven applications by providing a simple, consistent, and cost-effective way to create point-to-point integrations between services, removing the need to write undifferentiated glue code. 

Amazon EventBridge Pipes

Amazon CodeCatalyst

Amazon CodeCatalyst is a new addition for software developers to build and deliver applications on AWS. The service helps teams plan, develop, collaborate on, build, and deliver apps on a wide range of platforms and devices.

More in this: Announcing Amazon CodeCatalyst, a Unified Software Development Service (Preview) | AWS News Blog

AWS Application Composer – New Service (Preview)

In distributed systems, empowering teams is a cultural shift needed for enabling developers to help translate business capabilities into code. Different teams or even new-joiners must understand what they are building to contribute to a project. The best way to understand architecture quickly is by using diagrams.

With this in mind AWS launched AWS Application Composer, a service to streamline and accelerate the architecture, configuration, and build of serverless applications. 

More on this: Visualize and create your serverless workloads with AWS Application Composer | AWS Compute Blog

Simulate Everything

I think AWS is working seriously on future technologies like spatial computing, simulation and digital twins. "We’re still at the beginning of what was truly possible,"  Dr Werner says in his keynotes. Simulation is going to play a critical role in digital innovation. He also touched on AWS SimSpace Weaver, a spatial simulations service announced by Adam Selipsky.  

He explained how SimSpace Weaver helped with the reforestation effort in Hawaii and achieved the maximum outcome. You can read more about about this on his blog On site in Hawai’i: How Terraformation is using AWS technology to reforest the world | All Things Distributed

I would like to conclude this blog with nice messages & motivation from Dr Werner. “The World is Asynchronous and Event-driven“, “Evolve or Die”  and most important: “Listen, learn, improve”.