Serverless
Securing AWS API Gateway Endpoints (Cognito, IAM, API Keys)
A guide to implement authentication and authorization in AWS API Gateway, covering Cognito User Pools, IAM roles, and API keys with practical examples.
Set Breakpoints to Locally Debug AWS Lambda
A step-by-step guide to setting up and using breakpoints for local debugging of AWS Lambda functions, improving serverless development workflow.
Export Serverless Framework Environment Variables to a Local .env File
Bridging CloudFormation-generated runtime values - DynamoDB table names, API Gateway URLs, ARNs that do not exist until deployment - into a local .env file using the serverless-export-env plugin.
Reference AWS Lambda API Endpoints in serverless.yml
A detailed guide to using Serverless Framework pseudo parameters for referencing Lambda functions and other AWS resources in your serverless applications.
Add Custom AWS YAML Tags in VS Code
Learn how to set up VS Code to properly recognize and validate custom YAML tags used in Serverless Framework configuration files.
Switching AWS Profiles for Serverless CLI
A guide to set up and switch between multiple AWS profiles when working with AWS CLI and Serverless Framework projects.
AWS SDK v2 with async/await in Node.js Lambda Handlers
Bridging callback-style AWS SDK v2 methods with async/await in Node.js Lambda handlers - the .promise() method, sequential and parallel SDK calls, and the init-outside-handler pattern for cached Promises.
CloudFormation !Ref vs !GetAtt in serverless.yml
The mental model behind CloudFormation !Ref and !GetAtt - !Ref returns a resource primary identifier, !GetAtt returns one of its named attributes. With practical examples for IAM permissions and Lambda environment variables in serverless.yml.
When Direct Lambda-to-Lambda Invocation Is OK
AWS docs call Lambda-to-Lambda invocation an anti-pattern, but there are specific cases where direct invoke is the right call. A walkthrough of the real costs, the cases where they apply, the cases where they do not, and the alternatives.
Serverless Framework Commands by Workflow
A practical cheatsheet for the Serverless Framework CLI - organized by workflow phase (bootstrap, develop, deploy, invoke, inspect, rollback, remove) instead of alphabetically.
A Least-Privilege IAM Strategy for Serverless Framework Deployments
Two practical patterns for scoping down the IAM permissions used by the Serverless Framework CLI when deploying - bottom-up gradual scoping, and the top-down 'dedicated deployer' pattern using a dev account as a permission discovery sandbox.
Serverless Testing Strategy: Test Integrations and IAM Surface
Most serverless bugs don't live in your code - they live at integration points and in IAM config. Here's why unit tests miss them and what to test instead.
Reducing AWS Lambda Cold Start Latency in Node.js
A practical guide to reducing AWS Lambda cold start latency in Node.js - the anatomy of a cold start, six concrete optimizations from SDK tree-shaking to HTTP keep-alive, common myths (VPC and Layers), and when to reach for Provisioned Concurrency.