Using WebSockets in AWS to Stream DynamoDB Updates

A recent project of mine was potentially in need of a WebSocket API, and I wanted to investigate how to set up a WebSocket API in the AWS ecosystem. Extending the infrastructure from my previous DynamoDB setup to stream updates to a client via WebSockets was a straightforward problem to solve. I updated the Github […]

Creating and Using a Local NuGet Package

Found yourself on a project where you need to create and test NuGet packages? This process can be stressful and slow if you wait until you’ve published the NuGet package on the web to use it. A great way to avoid this issue and create a faster feedback loop is to create a local NuGet […]

How to Use TypeORM with Webpack

TypeORM is a great option if you are looking for an ORM to use on a Node project. However, if you use Webpack to bundle your backend code, you may face some issues when trying to integrate TypeORM into your project. The Problem After you’ve integrated TypeORM into your project, you should have no problem […]

A Simple Approach to Complicated Database Defaults

Database tables rarely stay the same over the course of a project. We often need to add tables, add or rename columns, or break up a table to support evolving project demands or updated domain modeling. Migrating existing data correctly is not always trivial. Here are two scenarios I ran into recently on a project […]

Best Practices for Managing AWS Configuration with Multiple Sets of Credentials

There are many reasons why you might have multiple sets of AWS credentials. Perhaps you have a personal account and a work account. Maybe you’re managing AWS accounts for different clients, or you just have several IAM users in a single account. You might be working across different regions as well, which adds more confusion […]

AWS Cloudwatch and PagerDuty Integration

I use AWS Cloudwatch and PagerDuty together on a daily basis. Cloudwatch monitors your infrastructure in the AWS cloud environment. PagerDuty is a SaaS tool that specializes in incident response; it’s great for setting up monitoring alerts and notifying the correct person when something goes wrong in your infrastructure. If you’re already using AWS Cloudwatch, […]

Migrating Data Structures in DynamoDB

DynamoDB provides a flexible storage solution for web applications. As an application evolves, the data structures stored in DynamoDB change to fit the needs of the system. Managing these data structure changes can be easy with the right patterns in place. I created a small example of how my team migrates user data in DynamoDB. […]

How to Encrypt Your Existing AWS S3 Objects

Amazon’s S3 service comes with some pretty handy server-side encryption features. In fact, the S3 web app provides a single control to automatically encrypt all new objects in a bucket with SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS. Unfortunately, these controls only affect new objects. If your bucket already contains 10,000 unencrypted objects, then turning on automatic encryption does […]

Getting Familiar with Google Drive File Stream

Google File Stream is one of the better file-syncing solutions that I’ve come across. It’s a great tool for organizations that need to collaborate on projects. Not only does it manage your Google Drive content, but it also works well with Microsoft Office applications like Word and Excel. Today, I’ll show you how to get […]

How TOTP Systems Like Google Authenticator Work

Over a decade ago, my employer issued me an RSA SecurID token to protect their VPN. This little device had a six-digit LCD display that would roll over to a new random-looking number every minute. I had to add whatever it showed at the moment to my password in order to successfully authenticate. Today, a […]

Atomic Spin

Atomic Object’s blog on everything we find fascinating.

DevOps & System Admin.