AWS Cloud Development Kit: Boost your Infrastructure | Philipp Garbe

Learn how AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) automates infrastructure deployment with human-readable code, supports multiple languages, and provides reusable building blocks for scalable and maintainable infrastructure code.

Key takeaways
  • CDK (Cloud Development Kit) helps automate infrastructure deployment with human-readable code.
  • CDK supports multiple languages (JavaScript, TypeScript, Java,.NET, Python).
  • It provides constructs, which are reusable, scalable, and maintainable building blocks of infrastructure code.
  • Constructs can form a hierarchical tree structure, enabling reuse and modularity.
  • CDK beats manual cloud deployment with copy-paste snippets, as it’s update-managed and version-controlled.
  • Imperative approach (CDK) is contrasted with declarative approach (CloudFormation).
  • CDK can generate IAM permissions automatically.
  • Constructs can contain parameters, which can be updated and managed.
  • CDK supports stack configuration, making it easier to manage production-ready services.
  • Level three constructs can be custom-built and shared within a company.
  • The CDK team solves the problem of complexity by using TypeScript and compiling to different languages.
  • Existing technologies and package managers are used by CDK, making it easy to integrate.
  • CDK is still in public beta, with breaking changes expected and not every AWS service covered.
  • Best practices can be put in code, making it easy to share and maintain.
  • CDK can be used for infrastructure as code, automation, and version control.
  • Output formats include YAML, JSON, and AWS CloudFormation templates.