AWS Developer Essentials: The ACG Hands-on Labs playlist

This post highlights hands-on labs that will help you get real-life experience building up AWS developer skills.

Hands. They’re the best thing out there for making origami or opening a jar of pickles. But they also come in handy when it comes to learning cloud. How? With hands-on labs. Hands-on labs are guided exercises that let you get your hands cloudy working through real-world scenarios in safe cloud environments.

In this post, we’ll cover a mix of hands-on labs that will help you get practical experience with some of the tools you need to learn the essentials of being an AWS developer and writing, deploying, and maintaining AWS-based applications. 

So buckle up, and keep your hands inside of the ride at all times. Let’s get started!

• Check out Ryan’s cloud playlist: Hands-on labs for learning AWS essentials or AWS security essentials
• All in on Azure? Tune into Lars’ cloud playlist: Hands-on labs for Azure fundamentals.
• You down with GCP? Press play on our Hands-on labs playlist for learning GCP essentials.

To get started with the hands-on labs below, you’ll need to have a Pluralsight Skills or ACG account. Don’t have one? Don’t fret! Start a free trial.

Skill Level: Practitioner  
4 Labs | 2 hours

• Amazon — M.I.A.
• Devendra Banhart - Long Haired Child
• Busta Rhymes — Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See
• Rival Console — Pulses of Information
• Datarock - Fa Fa Fa

1. Creating a Lambda Function Using the AWS Console

Duration: 45 minutes

Objectives:

• Author Node.js Lambda Function in AWS Console
• Test Function Using a Test Event
• View Lambda's CloudWatch Logs

Description: In this hands-on lab, you'll write a Node.js Lambda function that checks a URL and returns the status code that signifies if the website is up and running or down. You'll explore the Lambda console, function code, execution roles, test events, and execution results. AWS Lambda allows you to write concise functions and only have to worry about your code.

2. Creating and Subscribing to AWS SNS Topics

Duration: 15 minutes

Objectives:

• Create an SNS Topic
• Create a Lambda Function
• Send Your SNS Topic to Multiple Endpoints

Description: In this hands-on lab, you’ll use the AWS Simple Notification Service (SNS), create an SNS topic, and then subscribe to that topic using multiple endpoints: SMS, email, and AWS Lambda.

Watch: Become an AWS CloudFormation Power User
In this free, on-demand webinar, get a deep dive into the lesser-known features you can use to level up your CloudFormation game.

3. Creating a DynamoDB Table

Duration: 30 minutes

Objectives:

• Create a DynamoDB Table
• Add Items to Your Table
• Add a Global Secondary Index to your Table

Description: In this hands-on lab, we’ll create a DynamoDB table as part of a scenario in which we’re working to store pet inventory data. In this exercise, the data architect on the team has requested a table definition with a partition key of `pet_species` with the data type `String`, a sort key of `pet_id` with the data type `Number`, and that the table be named `PetInventory`. Because the workload in development is not known, `On-Demand` provisioning should be utilized. We’re free to create the table with any method we choose (web console, CLI/SDK, CloudFormation).

4. Getting Started with CloudFormation

Duration: 1 hour

Objectives:

• Create a CloudFormation Stack
• Update the CloudFormation Stack
• Add CloudFormation Stacks
• Delete CloudFormation Stacks

Description: CloudFormation is a powerful AWS automation service that can be used to create simple or complex sets of infrastructure. In this hands-on lab, you’ll get a gentle intro to CloudFormation and use it to create and update a number of S3 buckets. This lab will get you comfortable using CloudFormation and prepare you for experimenting with your own templates.

Watch: Automating AWS Cost Optimization
Using AWS cost-effectively can be a challenge. In this free, on-demand webinar, you'll get an overview of AWS cost-optimization tools and strategies, like data storage optimization.

• Once you have these labs down to a science, you can crank the difficulty up a notch. The Getting Started with CloudFormation lab can be taken on using our new Challenge Mode option.

• Wondering which AWS certification path is right for you? Learn how to develop, deploy, and debug Serverless applications using AWS and earn the AWS Certified Developer Associate certification.

• Not sure where to go next? Check out our AWS Developer certification learning path for guidance on what to learn to keep advancing your AWS developer skills as you go from novice to guru. You can also check out some insights on top-paying cloud certifications and jobs.

• S3 Masterclass
• Introduction to Python Development
• CloudFormation, Terraform, or CDK? A guide to IaC on AWS
• Which Kubernetes distribution is right for you?
• How to shift AWS security left: 10 ways to empower your developers