Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Transforming deployment: Deep dive into Backstage on AWS (OPN404)

Summary

Brian Landis, a senior solutions architect at AWS, and Mihai, an engineering manager at Spotify, along with Neil, a principal container specialist at AWS, presented on Backstage, an open-source platform for building developer portals.
Mihai discussed how Backstage at Spotify helps manage developer tooling and cognitive load by providing a single pane of glass for developers to access tools, documentation, and resources.
Backstage's extensibility through plugins allows for customization and integration with various technologies and services.
Spotify's use of Backstage has led to increased developer activity, more code changes deployed in less time, and longer software deployment durations.
Brian highlighted customer stories, such as Toyota's use of Backstage, which resulted in reduced deployment times and cost savings.
AWS has built integrations and plugins for Backstage, including IAM credentials integration and AWS Proton service plugin.
Neil discussed patterns for integrating AWS services with Backstage, including scaffolding infrastructure with software templates, feeding back infrastructure metadata into the Backstage catalog, and building plugins to display AWS resources in Backstage.

Backstage is a powerful tool for improving the developer experience by centralizing access to tools and reducing cognitive load.
The platform's extensibility through plugins allows organizations to tailor the developer portal to their specific needs and technology stacks.
Organizations like Spotify and Toyota have seen tangible benefits from implementing Backstage, including increased efficiency and cost savings.
AWS's support for Backstage includes specific integrations and plugins that enable seamless interaction with AWS services, enhancing the platform's capabilities for AWS users.
The patterns discussed by Neil for integrating AWS services with Backstage provide a blueprint for organizations looking to leverage AWS resources within their Backstage portals.
The talk emphasized the importance of shifting operational responsibilities to developers, enabling them to innovate more freely while maintaining oversight of best practices and cost optimization.
The session highlighted the growing trend of platform engineering and the role of internal developer platforms in enabling DevOps at scale through automation and self-service capabilities.