Exploring the DynamoDB API and the AWS SDKs

Course description

Amazon DynamoDB reflects a paradigm shift from relational databases in terms of management, usage, and schema design. Developers and architects need to understand the nonrelational, or NoSQL, mindset in using DynamoDB features to develop performant solutions.This digital course is the first in the series for the Developing with Amazon DynamoDB curriculum. The course teaches you how to begin interacting programmatically with DynamoDB tables and data stored within them. You will gain an understanding of how to install and use DynamoDB Local, the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI), and the AWS Software Development Kits (SDKs) to create and interact with DynamoDB tables. You will become familiar with commonly used commands in four languages: Python, Java, Node.js, and .NET. This course is offered in conjunction with an optional paid lab in which you will use the AWS CLI and AWS SDK for Python to create and interact with a DynamoDB table.

• Course level: Intermediate

• Duration: 1.5 hours

Activities

This course includes presentations, video demonstrations, interactive content, and knowledge checks. An optional paid lab reinforces course materials.

Course objectives

In this course, you will learn to:

• Describe the core components of DynamoDB and the DynamoDB API

• Install and use DynamoDB Local to support local development

• Interact with DynamoDB using the AWS CLI or AWS SDKs

• Create a DynamoDB table programmatically

• Read and write to a DynamoDB table programmatically using basic API actions

Intended audience

This course is intended for:

• New or experienced developers interested in learning how to interact with purpose-built databases in the cloud, specifically DynamoDB

• Database architects interested in expanding their knowledge of purpose-built databases

• Data engineers interested in expanding their knowledge of purpose-built databases

Prerequisites

We recommend that learners of this course have:

• Familiarity with DynamoDB and its features

• Working experience with database design or data modeling practices for key-value databases

• Completed at least one of the digital trainings:

Amazon DynamoDB Service Introduction

or

Amazon DynamoDB Service Primer

• Working experience with architecting and developing on AWS and planning and designing databases on AWS.

• Working knowledge of one or more of the high-level programming languages (Python, Java, Node.js, or .Net.) 

Course outline

Lesson 1: Understanding DynamoDB Basics

• Exploring the core components of DynamoDB

• Understanding DynamoDB indexes

• Interacting with DynamoDB

• Demonstration: Running Amazon DynamoDB Locally

• Demonstration: AWS Cloud9 Setup and Configuration

• Interactive knowledge check

Lesson 2: Using the AWS CLI with the DynamoDB API

• Exploring the DynamoDB API

• Using the DynamoDB API in the AWS CLI

• Interacting with DynamoDB using the AWS CLI

• Demonstration: Amazon DynamoDB CRUD Activities Using the AWS CLI

• Interactive knowledge check

Lesson 3: Interacting with DynamoDB Using the AWS SDKs

• Exploring the AWS SDKs

• Using DynamoDB with the AWS SDKs

• Interacting with DynamoDB using the AWS SDKs

• Demonstration: Amazon DynamoDB CRUD Activities Using the AWS SDK for Python (boto3)

• Interactive knowledge check

Lesson 4: Course Wrap-Up

• Course summary

• Optional lab: Amazon DynamoDB CRUD Activities Using the AWS CLI and SDK

• Course-level assessment