10 Hidden Gems in AWS Services: Features You’re Probably Not Using

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1. AWS Data Lifecycle Manager

If you’re working with a lot of EC2 snapshots or EBS volumes, AWS Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) can save you time and reduce costs. This service automates the creation, retention, and deletion of snapshots, ensuring your storage footprint remains optimized without manual intervention.

Why Use It? Automating snapshot management reduces the risk of human error and can save you money by cleaning up outdated backups.

2. AWS AppConfig

Part of the AWS Systems Manager suite, AppConfig allows you to manage and deploy application configuration changes dynamically. It’s perfect for applications where configuration updates need to be rolled out without redeploying code.

Why Use It? It’s a safe way to roll out feature flags, throttling parameters, or any other configuration, with rollback capabilities built-in.

3. AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM)

AWS RAM simplifies the process of sharing AWS resources between accounts in an organization. Instead of duplicating resources across accounts, you can securely share them using RAM.

Why Use It? It’s a great way to centralize resources like VPCs, subnets, or even Route 53 Resolver Rules, reducing duplication and management overhead.

4. Amazon EventBridge Schema Registry

If you’re building event-driven architectures, the Schema Registry in EventBridge is a game-changer. It allows you to discover, create, and manage event schemas directly from your event sources.

Why Use It? Integrating the schema registry into your IDE helps validate events at compile time, reducing runtime errors.

5. AWS Global Accelerator

AWS Global Accelerator is a networking service that improves the availability and performance of your applications with global users. It routes traffic to optimal endpoints using the AWS global network.

Why Use It? It’s perfect for applications needing low-latency access across multiple regions.

6. AWS Backup

This centralized backup service allows you to automate and manage backups across various AWS services like RDS, DynamoDB, and EFS.

Why Use It? Instead of juggling multiple backup solutions, AWS Backup provides a single pane of glass for your backup policies.

7. Amazon S3 Object Lambda

This feature lets you process or transform data directly from S3 before it’s returned to an application. For instance, you can redact sensitive information or reformat content dynamically.

Why Use It? Avoid additional data processing pipelines by transforming objects on-the-fly.

8. AWS CloudFormation Drift Detection

Keeping your infrastructure aligned with its CloudFormation templates can be a challenge. Drift Detection identifies changes made outside of CloudFormation to help you keep things in sync.

Why Use It? It ensures that your infrastructure matches its intended state and avoids configuration drift.

9. AWS CodeGuru Reviewer

AWS CodeGuru Reviewer uses machine learning to identify bugs and security vulnerabilities in your code. It integrates seamlessly with your code repositories and provides actionable recommendations.

Why Use It? Get a second pair of (AI-powered) eyes on your code, particularly for identifying performance issues or security gaps.

10. Amazon Rekognition Custom Labels

Amazon Rekognition is widely known for its pre-trained image and video analysis capabilities, but its Custom Labels feature allows you to train the service to detect specific objects or scenes.

Why Use It? Tailor Rekognition for your unique use cases, like detecting custom logos, product parts, or proprietary visual patterns.


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