DEV Community: Mark Orina

Enable Slack Notifications for Amplify Builds Directly to a Slack Channel

Mark Orina — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 15:42:58 +0000

Introduction:

Amplify notifications allow you to receive real-time updates about your Amplify application deployments. This guide demonstrates how to set up Slack notifications to receive messages directly in a designated Slack channel whenever your Amplify builds are successful (or unsuccessful, depending on your preference).

Amplify notifications --> SNS --> Slack Channel

Benefits of Slack Notifications:

Stay informed: Get notified about build statuses without manually checking the console.
Improve team communication: Keep your team updated on deployment progress.
Faster issue identification: Quickly identify potential issues with failed builds.

Set up Slack

We need a webhook from Slack that AWS SNS will use to communicate with Slack

1.Create a Slack Channel:
*Designate a specific channel to receive Amplify build notifications (e.g.,#test24).

2.Build a Workflow:

Go to your Slack workspace and navigate to Tools & Settings > Workflow Builder.
Click New Workflow and choose Build a workflow.
Name your workflow appropriately (e.g., amplify-build-notifications).
Under "Choose a trigger", select From a webhook. *Click on the untitled and name your workflow appropriately. I will call mine: #test-24

*Just below the start of the workflow click on Choose Event and then click on From a webHook.

Set Up Variables: You will need to add a data variable we will use with AWS SNS.

Click on Set Up Variables.
Create a variable named SubscribeURL with a " Text " data type. This will store the webhook URL from Slack. Data type: Text (as the payload from SNS will be text)

Click done and then continue.

4.Get the Webhook URL:

Click on Starts with a webhook again.
Scroll down and locate the Web request URL. Copy this link.

5.Send Message to Channel:

Click Add a step.
- Search for "Send to channel" and choose the desired channel (e.g., #test-24).

*Then on Add a message area click on Insert Variable at the bottom right and choose: 'SubscribeURL'.
*Make sure to add a word before the variable like Here.
Click save.

We are all set. Click on finish up and publish.

Configure Amplify Notifications:

Let us go to our AWS console especially where you have set up your Amplify app.

6.Add Email (Temporary Step):

In the AWS console, navigate to your Amplify app.
Go to App > Hosting > Build notifications.

Click on the app click on hosting and go to Build notifications.

Follow the instructions to add an email address (Note: This step is temporary and helps create an SNS topic). https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amplify/latest/userguide/notifications.html
- After adding the email, note down the SNS topic ARN. Follow these steps to add an email to get email notifications.

What this does is it creates an SNS topic and subscribes the email to it.

Take note of the arn on the email as you subscribed.

Subscribe Webhook to SNS:

Let us go to AWS SNS to find the new Topic created.

Go to the AWS SNS service.
Scroll down to the Subscriptions area where you will see the email you used to subscribe to earlier.
- Locate the SNS topic created in step 1 (refer to the noted ARN).

We will now add another subscription by clicking on Create Subscription.

Click Create subscription.
Choose HTTPS as the protocol.
Copy the webhook we created from Slack earlier in the blog.
Paste the copied Webhook URL from Slack into the Endpoint field.

Click Create subscription.
You'll see a pending confirmation status.

Confirm Subscription in Slack:

In your Slack channel, you'll receive a message with a subscription confirmation URL.
Copy the URL.

Go back to your SNS topic go to the subscription that is pending and click on confirm subscription.

Go back to the SNS topic subscription in AWS and click the confirmation link.
- Paste the copied URL from Slack and click Confirm subscription.

Testing and Verification:

*Go back to the workflow and update another variable.
Click on the edit button of Start with a webhook.

*Add a new variable called Message and save.

*Click on Send a message to the channel and add the new variable.

*To test and see if it works redeploy your amplify application.

By following these steps, you'll have a seamless setup for receiving Amplify build notifications directly in your Slack channel, keeping your team informed about deployment progress.

AWS Community Day 2024: A Landmark Event in Kenya's Tech Landscape

Mark Orina — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 20:43:43 +0000

Nearly 50 days later, the excitement and inspiration from AWS Community Day 2024 still resonate with me. This event has left a lasting impact on Kenya’s tech community, offering a blend of insightful learnings and the chance to meet incredible people. It was a remarkable milestone for everyone involved.

AWS Community Day was the culmination of over 30 virtual and 4 physical meet-ups, bringing together a dynamic community that’s growing daily! I joined the AWS User Group in 2021 and became part of the organizing team in 2022. Since then, the community has expanded exponentially to over 3000 members, underscoring the importance of sharing AWS knowledge and advancing cloud computing.

Here’s a recap of this inaugural event that united our vibrant community.

TL;DR

Theme: "Learn and Be Curious"

The event's theme was inspired by Amazon’s leadership principles, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and exploring new possibilities.

Keynote Speakers:

Jeff Barr - Chief Evangelist for AWS. Watch it here
Dr. Aminah Zawedde - PhD, CISA, Permanent Sec. of Uganda's Ministry of ICT. Watch it here
Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, MBS - Principal Secretary - State Department for ICT and Digital Economy. Watch it here
Robin Njiru - AWS Public Sector Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa. Watch it here

Venue: KCA University

Event by the Numbers:

Planning the Event:

We began planning in November 2023. Securing the date and venue were the most critical aspects, we were initially aiming for April 13th but later settling on Saturday, April 20th, 2024. We had an amazing team that pulled together to get the venue locked.

The organizing committee comprised AWS community builders, well-wishers, and cloud captains leading various key aspects of the event.

Sponsors:

Sponsors played a key role in ensuring the event was a success. Their generous support from financial resources to experts for panels & exhibiting during the event helped see our 1st community day be one for the books. This support did not come easy as potential sponsors needed to see the value they would get from the event.
We had an AWS Community Day concept paper that communicated the event's aim and the attendee profile we targeted to attend for the event.
Below are our esteemed sponsors who supported us. We could not be more grateful for walking with us.

Call for Papers and Agenda:

The most crucial aspect of the event was the Call for Papers and the crafting of the agenda. The organizing committee aimed to spark curiosity and provide a platform for learning and showcasing Kenya and Africa's amazing talent and knowledge. The call for presentations resulted in 38 submissions, of which 28 were accepted.

Tracks and Submissions:

DevOps:18 submissions, 13 accepted
Gen AI/ML:9 submissions, 6 accepted
Cybersecurity:5 submissions, all accepted
Sustainability and Environment: 6 submissions, 4 accepted

Types of Presentations:

Paper Presentations: 17
Technical Demonstrations: 21

Below are the various Presentations and Panels:

Gen AI/ML:

Farah Abdirahman: Building Generative AI Applications Using Amazon Bedrock
Chibuike Nwachukwu: Unleashing RAG: Serverless Q&A with Kendra, Bedrock & Amplify
Nicabed Gathaba: Intro to Quantum Computing
Shadab Hussain: Unveiling the Quantum Leap in Financial Modeling using AWS Braket
Alvin Kamau Ndirangu: Augmenting Human Intelligence with AI

DevOps:

Peter Muchemi: Building Multitenant Application with AWS
Elsie Marion: Containers Don't Contain: Container Security 101
Lewis Sawe: Decentralized Authentication with AWS Cognito
Kadima Samuel: DevOps: The Big Picture
Kelvin Kaoka: AWS SAM For Event-Driven Architectures: Building Serverless Architectures
Moracha Jacob: Building Serverless Application With Amplify
Chris Otta: AWS IAM Roles for Secure GitOps
Daniel Kimani: SDLC Automation
Abby Nduta: Demystifying AWS Billing for Beginners
Kevin Kiruri: Serverless Architecture on AWS
Wanjohi Christopher: Best Practices for Database Migration to AWS: A Technical Deep Dive
Evans Kiprotich: Optimizing Your DR Strategy: Leveraging AWS DRS for Seamless Recovery

Cybersecurity:

Kurtis Bengo: Beyond the Perimeter: Safeguarding Your AWS Cloud Fortress with Battle-Tested Practices
Adonijah Kiplimo: Deepfakes: The Looming Threat & Building Cloud Security Defenses
Emmanuel Mingle: AWS Certification Paths: Which Certification is Well Suited for My Future Role?
Albertini Francis: Hacked!!...Not again!!... A Guide on Reducing Your Attack Surface on AWS Cloud
Zipporah Wachira: A Defense in Depth Approach to Cloud Security

Sustainability and Environment:

Diana Chepkirui/Clive Kamaliki: IoT & Sustainability
Sumaiya Nalukwago: Developing Transferable/Soft Skills for a Sustainable Tech Career
Vanessa Alumasa: AWS Cloud: Innovation for Sustainability
Judith Soi: Successful AWS Training

These are the various Panels that were held:

Cybersecurity Panel Discussion

Host: Nelly Nyadzua
Experts: Yinka Daramola, Washington,Licio Lentimo, Purity Njeri Gachuhi

DevOps Panel Discussion

Host: Mark Orina
Experts: Antony Wanyugi , Yinka Daramola ,Lemayian Nakolah, Kevin Karanga Kiruri

Women in Tech Panel Discussion

Host: Linet Kendi
Experts: Zipporah Wachira, Ms. Cherin Onyango, Dr. Aminah Zawedde, Diana Muthoni

AI/ML Panel Discussion HOST

Host: DR Kevin Mugoye
Experts: Mr David Opondo, Daniells Adebimp, Lawrence Muema, Chris Otta

AWS DeepRacer League:
The Deep Racer League exemplified the power of teamwork, resilience, and continuous learning.
The team organized virtual tracks of the AWS DeepRacer 3D racing simulator where each team put their models to the test.
The rounds are virtual with the single fastest lap. The racers who were consistent progressed on to the final race.
The team that cut were:

MMU
DEKUT
KCA
TUK
Strathmore 6.emobilis

The final round was held on the day of the community day which saw the winning team receive various gifts and prizes.
The winning team was the MMU team.
You can watch their presentation on how they were able to win the league:
How to get into AWS Deep Racer & AWS AI & ML Scholarship program

Thanks to all the hard work of the AWS DeepRacer team, mentors, competition administrators, and emobilis for making this Race happen.

AWS Community Day 2024 was a testament to the power of community and the endless possibilities unlocked by learning and curiosity. The event not only provided a platform for knowledge sharing and skill development but also reinforced the collaborative spirit that defines the AWS User Group - Kenya. We look forward to the next AWS Community Day, where we will once again come together to learn, share, and innovate. Until then, let's keep the spirit of curiosity alive and continue to explore the vast potential of AWS.

We are looking forward to AWS Community DAY Kenya 2025.

Join our community here :

MeetUps
Twitter

Deploy an Astro v3.6.1 app on AWS Amplify (GLIBC_2.27 or GLIBC_2.28 not found on build :bug fix)

Mark Orina — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:20:11 +0000

Why Astro?
Astro is an all-in-one web framework for building fast, content-focused websites. It is really good for SEO especially as it is lightning-fast website performance, making it ideal for modern web applications and static websites.

AWS Amplify
AWS Amplify is a fully managed CI/CD and hosting service that is perfect for web applications.

Key Points:
-Fully Managed CI/CD: Amplify takes care of the complexities of the CI/CD pipeline, allowing developers to focus on building and refining their applications.
-Hosting Excellence: With AWS Amplify, hosting becomes a breeze, ensuring your web applications are readily available to users.

Prerequisite:
1st create an auto app on your local machine.
Use this tutorial to create your 1st astro app:
Link: https://docs.astro.build/en/tutorial/1-setup/2/

Once it is on your Github we can now set it up on AWS Amplify.
This will done by creating a CI/CD pipeline from GitHub to AWS Amplify where the app will be deployed.

Deploy to AWS:

Log in to AWS and navigate to Amplify in the N. Virginia region or any other region you like.
Click "Get Started" and select "Host your web app" as demonstrated.:
Click on Get Started & click on Host your web app.
Choose GitHub and install AWS Amplify (us-east-1)
You'll be redirected to a page to install and authorize AWS Amplify on GitHub. Select the GitHub repository for your Astro app. Mine is https://github.com/OrinaOisera/Astro_app
After successful authorization, choose the branch (e.g., master) and proceed by clicking "Next."
Navigate to the app build and test settings.
Scroll down to the advanced settings, locate "Live Package Update," and update the Node.js version to 20.
Save your changes and initiate the deployment.
Expect the build to fail. 11.Click on "Build," leading you to the build logs, where you'll identify an issue related to Node.js version compatibility. Astro v 3 require Node js 18 and AWS amplify fail to build due to version `GLIBC_2.27' not found (required by node) Is because the Linux version is not the latest one.
In the sidebar, go to build settings and scroll to "Build Image Settings." Build an image is Amazon Linux default
Update "Build an image" from "Amazon Linux default" to "Amazon Linux:2023," and save the changes.
Scroll back up and click "Redeploy this version" on the top right.
Verify that the deployment is successful & Click the URL to preview the website.

How to redirect traffic from a domain to sub subdomain using AWS S3 and Route 53.

Mark Orina — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 05:53:57 +0000

Scenario :

You want to redirect traffic from your main domain to a subdomain.
From the AWS documentation, its:
Apex domain (example.com) to subdomain (www.anydomain.com), including www.example.com.

In my case I want to redirect traffic from getkinetic.co to subdomain schools.getkinetic.co.

schools.getkinetic.co points to a landing page with HTTPS protocol.

Prerequisites :
Your Domain Name Service is Route 53 with a hosted zone
You already have an SSL certificate from ACM or any other certificate authority

Steps :

1.Create an s3 bucket with a globally unique name.Once created go to properties as shown:
Scenario :

Note that the region is North Virginia
2.Scroll to the bottom where it is written static web hosting as shown :

3.Click edit and you will see Static website hosting disabled by default. Click enable.
4.You will now see a new section: Hosting type with two options: 1.Host a static website
2.Redirect requests for an object.

5.Choose the redirect requests for an object. This is because we are not hosting a new website but redirecting traffic to another domain.
6.Once you have chosen the redirect requests for an object, enter in the host name the target domain as shown :

7.For protocol choose HTTPS.
8.Click save changes.
9.Next got to your hosted zone on Route 53 and click a create record

To configure the record : Record name - leave the text box empty as we want to
redirect to the apex domain. Record type is Type A : Route traffic to: enable alias and choose Alias to S3 website endpoint, choose the region where your s3
bucket is situated, mine was in US East (N. Virginia) us-east-1, on the next drop-down you will find the bucket you created. See screen shot below: 11.Click save and you are all set!

AWS Plans to Launch Local zones in Nairobi & Johannesburg: What does it mean?

Mark Orina — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 18:55:24 +0000

Early this year AWS announced their planned global expansion of their AWS local zones to different areas in the world. Already, AWS has in the recent past completed 16 new local zones in the US and another 32 local zones in new metropolitan areas situated in 26 countries that are currently in the pipeline.

Notable cities in Africa include; Nairobi in Kenya and Johannesburg in South Africa.
This is after the successful rollout of the first in sub-Saharan Africa Edge Location in Kenya in 2020 and the first AWS region in Africa located in Cape Town South Africa.
This is really exciting and indicative of the rise of Africa as a cloud consumer and a critical player in the global scene, with more tech solutions coming from within the continent.

So what does this mean for Kenya, South Africa, and Africa at large? Before we get into it let's start from the start, shall we?

What is cloud computing and AWS ?

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services like servers, storage, databases, networking, etc over the internet to the end-user. Fundamentally, giving you (the end-user) access to a huge amount of computing resources without you having to buy physical servers as you ‘rent’ them from the cloud provider.

Think about it like this: You have your smartphone and you like taking pictures. You take pictures until your storage is full. You have two choices;
a)buy a physical memory card
b) create an iCloud or Google photos account to get more storage without buying a memory card. That is you leveraging the cloud.

AWS is one of the world's largest cloud providers. They power Netflix, Safaricom, and Ajua. They have huge data centers, fiber optic networks that they have built over the years to provide a variety of services.

Back to local zones :
Local zones are small data centers that extend AWS cloud computing closer to a large population, industry, or other information technology centers. This supercharges customers' ability to deploy applications with very little latency (loading time) closer to you as an end-user. The end result is users of the platform get single-digit latency for video streaming, financial transactions, and real-time gaming for users in the metropolitan area. This is quite timely with the 5G networks being rolled out in the coming years.
Local zones leverage a concept called edge computing whereby the focus is shifted from a central data center (i.e. in North Virginia) to the logical edge of the infrastructure essentially taking the cloud resources closer to the client. The principle is straightforward: If you can't get the data closer to the data center, get the data center closer to the data.

Also with the new Data Protection Act, 2019 9(passed in Kenya)requiring local data residency of customer data, local zones enable more organizations in Kenya to use be compliant while still leveraging the cloud.

My experience with AWS has been in working in a startup studio that is centered around building the next great African companies.This involves leveraging AWS to deploy and scale our portfolio projects impacting lives in Kenya.

To learn more check:
AWS press statement