Introduction

Hello, everyone! It’s been an action-packed week with a plethora of AWS news and various exciting events taking place. Let’s dive into some of the key releases that have caught my eye this week.

Top 3 AWS News of the Week

Amazon RDS for MySQL Zero-ETL Integrations Now Generally Available

Amazon RDS for MySQL has introduced zero-ETL integrations, which are now generally available. This feature allows users to configure zero-ETL integrations in AWS CloudFormation templates, set up multiple integrations from a single Amazon RDS for MySQL database to up to five Amazon Redshift warehouses, and apply data filters to determine which databases and tables get automatically replicated. These capabilities enable near real-time analytics with minimal effort. For more details, you can read this blog post.

Oracle Database@AWS

AWS and Oracle have announced a strategic partnership to launch Oracle Database@AWS. This collaboration allows customers to access Oracle Autonomous Database and Oracle Exadata Database Service directly within AWS. Key features include zero-ETL integration for real-time data analysis, enhanced security, and optimized performance for hybrid cloud environments, addressing the growing demand for multi-cloud flexibility and efficiency. This service will be available in preview later this year, with broader availability in 2025.

Amazon OpenSearch Service Now Supports Version 2.15

The latest version of Amazon OpenSearch Service, version 2.15, introduces several improvements in search performance, query optimization, and AI-powered application capabilities. Key updates include radial search for vector space queries, optimizations for neural sparse and hybrid search, and the ability to enable vector and hybrid search on existing indexes. Additionally, new features like a toxicity detection guardrail and an ML inference processor for enriching ingest pipelines have been integrated. For more information, you can read the upgrade guide.

Simple Yet Impactful Releases

AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM) Supports AWS PrivateLink

AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM) now supports AWS PrivateLink, allowing secure sharing of resources across AWS accounts with private connectivity. This integration enhances network security and simplifies resource sharing across organizations by avoiding exposure to the public internet.

AWS Network Firewall Supports AWS PrivateLink

AWS Network Firewall now supports AWS PrivateLink, enabling secure access and management of Network Firewall resources without exposing traffic to the public internet. This enhances security and simplifies network management.

AWS IAM Identity Center Customization

AWS IAM Identity Center now allows users to customize their experience by setting language and visual mode preferences, including dark mode for improved readability and reduced eye strain. This update supports 12 different languages, providing a more personalized user experience.

Additional Updates

Amazon EventBridge Pipes Supports Customer Managed KMS Keys

Amazon EventBridge Pipes now supports customer-managed keys for server-side encryption. This feature allows customers to use their own AWS Key Management Service (KMS) keys to encrypt data during transfers, enhancing security and control over sensitive event data. You can find more information in the updated documentation.

AWS Glue Data Catalog Enhancements

The AWS Glue Data Catalog now supports enhanced storage optimization for Apache Iceberg tables. This includes automatic removal of unnecessary data files, orphan file management, and snapshot retention, reducing storage costs and improving query performance. For a detailed explanation, read the Big Data blog post.

Amazon MSK Replicator Improvements

Amazon MSK Replicator now supports the replication of Kafka topics across clusters while preserving identical topic names. This simplifies cross-cluster replication processes, reduces setup complexity, and enhances support for seamless failovers in multi-cluster streaming architectures. Learn more in the Amazon MSK Replicator developer guide.

Amazon SageMaker Sticky Session Routing

Amazon SageMaker introduces sticky session routing for inference, allowing requests from the same client to be directed to the same model instance for the duration of a session. This improves consistency and reduces latency, particularly in real-time inference scenarios like chatbots or recommendation systems. Read more about how to configure it in the documentation guide.

Events

The AWS GenAI Lofts continue to pop up around the world! This week, developers in San Francisco had the opportunity to attend exciting events at the AWS Gen AI Loft in San Francisco, including the “Generative AI on AWS” meetup featuring discussions about extended reality, future AI tools, and more. There was also a demonstration of an Amazon Bedrock-powered Minecraft bot and AI video game battles. If you are in San Francisco, make sure to check out the schedule of events before October 19th.

The AWS GenAI Loft in Sao Paulo, Brazil, recently opened, and the AWS GenAI Loft in London will open on September 30th. You can start registering for events now, including one called “The Future of Development,” which offers a full day of targeted learning for developers.

Our AWS communities have also been very active. I had the privilege of speaking at AWS Community Day Belfast, where I met the amazing organizers and community members. If you haven’t attended a community day, I highly recommend it. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and get inspired by their dedication and passion.

Certifications

Now is the perfect time to take an AWS certification exam! Register for the AWS Certified: Associate Challenge before December 12, 2024, and receive a 50% discount voucher for any of the following exams: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Developer – Associate, AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate, or AWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate. Check out the collection of study materials posted by my colleague Jenna Seybold here.

Also, the new AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam is now available in beta stage. If you pass it before February 15, 2025, you will receive an Early Adopter badge. Learn more about it here.

Conclusion

I hope you found this week’s AWS news informative and engaging. Keep learning and stay updated with the latest developments!