AWS Services You Need to Master in 2024
The annual Answers for AWS survey serves as an invaluable resource, shedding light on the trending services, tools, and skills that are shaping the AWS ecosystem. The 2024 survey is out and here are some insights on the technologies gaining popularity among AS professionals.
In the 2024 edition of this comprehensive survey was conducted, gathering insights from 426 AWS enthusiasts, developers, architects, and professionals. The data gleaned from this survey offers a unique vantage point, reflecting the real-world experiences, preferences, and pain points of those actively working with AWS.
Demographics and Trends
The 2024 survey saw a significant increase in survey participation, with a 29% jump from the previous year. For the age distribution of the survey respondents, the majority (45%) fall within the 35-44 age range, followed by 25% in the 25-34 age group.
The survey data reveals that 37% of the respondents have 6–10 years of experience with AWS.
Additionally, the top two professional roles represented are Developers/Engineers (45%) and Solutions Architects/System Architects (24%), further emphasizing the practical, hands-on nature of the insights gathered.
Infrastructure as Code (IAC)
From the survey results, Terraform/OpenTofu is the leader in the IAC space, with a usage rate of 72% and an impressive 87% retention rate among respondents. The cloud-agnostic nature and widespread adoption makes Terraform a highly recommended tool for AWS professionals to master in 2024.
While Cloud Formation, AWS's native IAC service, maintains a strong presence with 84% usage, the survey data reveals a more polarizing sentiment. More than thirty percent of respondents would not use Cloud Formation ever again, while 56% would.
Complementing Terraform's dominance, the survey also sheds light on the growing interest in AWS's Cloud Development Kit (CDK). Although CDK's usage lags behind Terraform and Cloud Formation, it boasts the highest retention rate among the IAC tools, indicating that those who adopt it tend to stick with it.
Additionally, CDK commands a high level of awareness (65%) and interest among the survey participants, positioning it as a compelling option to explore as a second IAC tool in your arsenal.
The clear recommendation is to prioritize mastering Terraform as your primary IAC tool. Its cross-cloud compatibility, extensive community support, and proven track record make it an invaluable skill to have in your repertoire.
Supplementing your Terraform expertise with a solid understanding of CDK can also be advantageous, as it offers a programmatic approach to infrastructure management that seamlessly integrates with the broader AWS ecosystem.
Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
GitHub Actions emerges as the leader across all categories, outperforming all other CI/CD tools and services across every metric. With a usage rate of 75%, GitHub Actions not only leads the pack but also boasts an impressive 95% retention rate among respondents.
Interestingly, the survey also reveals a high level of awareness (98%) and interest (78%) in GitHub Actions. While other CI/CD tools, such as AWS CodePipeline and Jenkins, maintain a presence within the AWS community, the survey data suggests that GitHub Actions is still the dominant force
Serverless Computing
While the original Serverless Framework maintains a strong presence, the survey data indicates that the adoption of AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM) has surpassed the Serverless Framework, with SAM emerging as the preferred choice for serverless deployments.
However, the real standout in the serverless category is AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK). Despite its relatively recent introduction, CDK boasts the highest retention rate among the serverless tools, suggesting that those who adopt it tend to remain loyal to the platform.
Containers
The survey reveals the dominance of Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) as the preferred container service among AWS professionals.
ECS emerges as the clear front-runner, with a strong usage rate and high awareness among the survey respondents. Closely following ECS is AWS Fargate, a serverless compute engine for containers that simplifies the management and scaling of containerized workloads.
Interestingly, the survey also highlights the growing interest in the use of AWS Lambda for running containers.
NoSQL Databases
Amazon DynamoDB is the front-runner in this category. DynamoDB dominates across all the key metrics measured in the survey, including usage, retention, awareness, and interest. With a usage rate of 82% and a staggering 96% retention among respondents, DynamoDB has firmly cemented its position as the go-to NoSQL database service for AWS professionals.
The survey data also reveals that DynamoDB boasts near-universal awareness (99%) and a high level of interest (86%) among the AWS cloud professionals.
Event-Driven Architectures and Event Buses
There is an overwhelming popularity of Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) and Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS). Complementing the success of SQS, the survey also highlights the growing adoption of Amazon Kinesis, the AWS event streaming service. While not as dominant as SQS, Kinesis still commands a respectable 58% usage rate, indicating its importance in building event-driven, real-time data processing pipelines.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
The survey indicates the rapid rise of OpenAI, in the AWS community. Despite its relatively recent introduction in 2023, OpenAI has already surpassed the usage of Amazon SageMaker, AWS's comprehensive machine learning platform, with a 58.6% usage rate among survey respondents.
The survey data also reveals that OpenAI boasts an impressive 94% retention rate and a high level of awareness (96%) and interest (63%) among the AWS professionals surveyed. This meteoric rise can be attributed to the groundbreaking language models and APIs released by OpenAI, such as GPT-4 and Whisper, which have captured the attention and imagination of the broader AI and ML community.
While Amazon SageMaker maintains a strong presence, the survey results indicate that it has been eclipsed by the rapid adoption and enthusiasm surrounding OpenAI.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation
As you navigate the AWS landscape in 2024 and beyond, it is crucial to maintain a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation. The cloud computing industry is characterized by rapid, constant change, and the skills and technologies that are in demand today may be vastly different from those required in the future.
The "Answers for AWS" survey serves as an invaluable tool to help you stay ahead of the curve. By closely monitoring the trends, usage patterns, and community sentiments captured in this annual survey, you can proactively identify the skills and technologies that are gaining traction and relevance.
To ensure that your AWS knowledge and skill set remain current and valuable, consider the following strategies:
- Stay informed about the latest developments: Subscribe to AWS blogs, newsletters, and social media channels to stay updated on new service launches, feature updates, and industry insights.
- Attend AWS events and training: Immerse yourself in the AWS ecosystem by attending conferences, webinars, and training sessions. These events provide opportunities to engage with industry experts, learn about the latest advancements, and gain practical insights that can inform your learning and development.
- Continuously explore AWS resources: Delve into the extensive documentation, white papers, and technical resources available on the AWS platform. This deep dive into the official AWS materials will help you develop a comprehensive understanding of the platform's capabilities, architecture patterns, and best practices.
- Cultivate a growth mindset: Embrace continuous learning as a way of life. Regularly assess your skills, identify areas for improvement, and actively seek out opportunities to expand your knowledge and expertise. This could involve taking online courses, obtaining AWS certifications, or even experimenting with new services and tools on your own time.