Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Implementing distributed design patterns on AWS (BOA309)

Summary

• The session focused on how to build solutions using distributed design patterns on AWS.
• The speakers, Kim, Derek, and Ken, discussed the importance of co-working with different stakeholders (product owners, engineers, architects) to create a successful architecture.
• They emphasized starting simple and adapting the system design to accommodate changes, using the example of a retail e-commerce platform selling unicorns.
• The session covered the application of domain-driven design to separate business domains into bounded contexts, such as retail and loyalty domains.
• The speakers introduced the saga orchestration pattern to manage multi-step workflows and ensure state consistency during the checkout process.
• They also discussed event sourcing and Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS) to handle loyalty domain challenges, such as point balance calculations and expiration.
• The architecture included AWS services like Lambda, DynamoDB, Step Functions, EventBridge, API Gateway, and CloudFront.
• The session concluded with a summary of key takeaways, including aligning business strategy with software architecture, starting simple, selecting the right architectural patterns, and using AWS Prescriptive Guidance and AWS samples for further learning.

Insights

• The session highlighted the importance of agile practices in software development, where solutions must adapt to changes while maintaining stability and safety.
• The speakers demonstrated how domain-driven design can help in understanding and modeling complex business domains by creating a ubiquitous language and bounded contexts.
• The saga orchestration pattern was presented as a solution for managing complex, multi-step transactions, ensuring that each step is completed successfully or compensated for in case of failure.
• Event sourcing and CQRS were introduced as patterns that can help in dealing with challenges in the loyalty domain, such as point balance calculations and expiration logic, by separating the write and read operations for better performance and flexibility.
• The use of AWS managed services like Lambda, DynamoDB, Step Functions, and EventBridge showcased how cloud-native solutions can simplify the implementation of distributed design patterns.
• The session's content is relevant for developers, architects, and product owners who are looking to build scalable, resilient, and adaptable systems on AWS.
• The provided AWS Prescriptive Guidance and AWS samples are valuable resources for attendees to explore and implement the discussed architectural patterns in their own projects.