Building Modern Java Applications on AWS from Coursera

In modern cloud native application development, it’s oftentimes the goal to build out serverless architectures that are scalable, are highly available, and are fully managed. This means less operational overhead for you and your business, and more focusing on the applications and business specific projects that differentiate you in your marketplace. In this course, we will be covering how to build a modern, greenfield serverless backend on AWS. Building brand new applications on AWS is a different task than lifting and shifting existing applications into AWS. When you have an existing application that you need to move to AWS, you might first look to using Amazon EC2 as your virtual machines, or maybe you might look into using docker containers and container hosting services like Amazon Elastic Container Service or Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service. Those are all great application hosting options, but in most cases, they still require you to have some kind of pulse on the underlying infrastructure hosting your application. ` Building Modern Java Applications on AWS will explore how to build an API driven application using Amazon API Gateway for serverless API hosting, AWS Lambda for serverless computing, and Amazon Cognito for serverless authentication. We will follow an API driven development process and first mock up what the API will look like. We will cover all the ins and outs of the service Amazon API Gateway, and as you’ll learn- it does a lot more than just hosting an API. Then we will add authentication to the API using Amazon Cognito. You’ll learn about how the authorization flow works with Cognito, and how to build it into your APIs. From there, we will add a Lambda backend that will be triggered by API Gateway. The lambda functions will be using the AWS SDKs to perform various data processing tasks. You’ll learn about the different configurations that exist for Lambda, and we will show you how to create and manage lambda functions. Some of the features of our API will require multiple lambda functions to execute in a specific order, like a workflow, and we will use AWS Step Functions to create a serverless workflow. Finally, we will talk about how to optimize your APIs at every layer using AWS features. Note: There are four versions of this class, "Building Modern Node.js Applications on AWS" for Node.js developers, "Building Modern Python Applications on AWS" for Python developers, "Building Modern .NET Applications on AWS" for .NET developers, and this course, "Building Modern Java Applications on AWS" for Java developers. The courses do for a large part, overlap and in general, we recommend that you take the course that focuses on the SDK you plan to use to develop your AWS Cloud based applications. We expect that you have basic knowledge of AWS already. Some examples of concepts you should be familiar with are: you should know the basics of the AWS Global infrastructure, like what regions and availability zones are. You also should know the at a high-level AWS Identity and Access Management, or IAM, and how it is used to control access to AWS resources. You should also understand what an Amazon EC2 instance is, what Amazon S3 is, what a VPC is, as well as other basic AWS terminology.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Provides a comprehensive study of building and deploying serverless architectures on AWS

Taught by Morgan Willis, a highly experienced engineer with expertise in AWS and serverless architectures

Builds a solid foundation for Java developers who want to develop and deploy serverless applications on AWS

Covers core AWS services such as API Gateway, Lambda, Cognito, and Step Functions, providing learners with hands-on experience in building a complete serverless backend

Emphasizes best practices and optimization techniques for building scalable, highly available, and fully managed serverless architectures

Requires basic knowledge of AWS, including concepts like regions, availability zones, IAM, EC2, S3, and VPC

Reviews summary

Aws java beginners course

This course teaches the basics of building serverless applications on AWS using Java. Students will learn how to use Amazon API Gateway, AWS Lambda, Amazon Cognito, and AWS Step Functions to create a serverless workflow. The course is well-received, with most students finding it valuable and informative.

Clear and organized content.

"The course has been great in general apart from some fails launching virtual labs."

Covers a lot of AWS services.

"Good to know a lot of services. None so deep but enough to identify if it's useful in your need"

Labs need to be updated.

"Still using AWSSDK 1.x, so I didn't make it far into the course."

"I had a fair amount of trouble with the labs because the environment setup failed in various cases (maven not set up, java not configured right, etc)."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Building Modern Java Applications on AWS with these activities:

Review Java Core Concepts

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Review basic Java syntax, object-oriented programming, and data structures to refresh your knowledge and prepare for the course.

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Go over your notes or textbooks from previous Java courses or tutorials
Practice writing simple Java programs to reinforce your understanding
Solve coding challenges or Leetcode problems to test your skills

Follow Amazon API Gateway Tutorials

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Explore Amazon API Gateway's features and how to use them to build APIs by following official tutorials.

Browse courses on Amazon API Gateway

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Go through the Amazon API Gateway Developer Guide
Complete the API Gateway Quick Start tutorial
Follow additional tutorials on specific API Gateway features, such as security or caching

Write Lambda Functions to Handle API Requests

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Develop hands-on experience with Lambda functions by writing code that processes API requests and interacts with other AWS services.

Browse courses on AWS Lambda

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Create a new Lambda function in the AWS console
Write code to handle a specific API request, such as creating a new user
Deploy the Lambda function and test it by sending API requests

Five other activities

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Attend an AWS Serverless Workshop

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Participate in a hands-on workshop led by AWS experts to gain practical experience with serverless technologies.

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Research AWS Serverless workshops near you or online
Register for the workshop and prepare for the activities
Attend the workshop and actively participate in the exercises
Follow up after the workshop by applying what you learned to your projects

Build a Small Serverless Web Application

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Apply your knowledge and skills to build a complete serverless web application that demonstrates the concepts covered in the course.

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Design the architecture of your application, including the API, database, and Lambda functions
Implement the API using Amazon API Gateway and Lambda functions
Build a simple frontend for the application using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Deploy the application to AWS and test its functionality

Build a Serverless Side Project

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Challenge yourself by creating a serverless side project that demonstrates your skills and deepens your understanding of the concepts.

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Brainstorm project ideas that interest you
Design the architecture and implementation plan for your project
Implement the project using AWS Serverless technologies
Deploy the project and test its functionality

Help Others Learn AWS Serverless

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Share your knowledge with others by mentoring beginners or participating in Q&A forums to reinforce your understanding of the concepts.

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Identify opportunities to mentor others, such as joining a study group or online forum
Prepare and organize your knowledge and skills to effectively explain them to others
Provide guidance and support to those seeking help

Contribute to AWS Serverless Open Source Projects

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Engage with the AWS Serverless community by contributing to open-source projects to deepen your understanding and gain practical experience.

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Explore AWS Serverless open-source projects on GitHub
Identify areas where you can contribute your skills
Fork the project, make your changes, and submit a pull request

Career center

Learners who complete Building Modern Java Applications on AWS will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Cloud Developer

Cloud Developers design, build, and manage applications in the cloud. Most work specifically in AWS and will need to have a strong foundational knowledge that will prepare them for the job. This course will help build a foundation in cloud architecture and the skills to write basic cloud applications as well as skills to help build out and manage cloud architecture. Using APIs, managing authentication, managing workflows, and optimizing apps are all skills that are needed in this field that the course covers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Developer

Java Developer

Java Developers are software engineers who specialize in the Java programming language. They use Java to build a variety of applications, from enterprise software to mobile apps. This course will be especially useful to those wishing to work in Java in a cloud environment. The course teaches how to use AWS SDKs to perform data processing tasks and how to use Java with serverless computing via Lambda. Serverless computing is an emerging field and is in high demand.

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Software Engineer - Backend

Backend Software Engineers work on the server-side of software applications, where they design, build, and manage the code that powers the application's functionality. This course will help build a foundation in cloud architecture and the skills to write basic cloud applications as well as skills to help build out and manage cloud architecture. Using APIs, managing authentication, managing workflows, and optimizing apps are all skills that are needed in this field that the course covers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer - Backend

Software Engineer - Cloud Native

Cloud-native software engineers are responsible for designing, building, and managing software applications that are deployed in the cloud. This course will help build a foundation in cloud architecture and the skills to write basic cloud applications as well as skills to help build out and manage cloud architecture. Using APIs, managing authentication, managing workflows, and optimizing apps are all skills that are needed in this field that the course covers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer - Cloud Native

DevOps Engineer

DevOps engineers are responsible for bridging the gap between development and operations teams. They work to ensure that software applications are built, deployed, and managed efficiently and reliably. This course will may be useful to DevOps engineers as it covers how to build out and manage cloud architecture and services. Specifically, the course covers how to use AWS to host, manage, and secure APIs with authentication and authorization. It also covers how to manage workflows and optimize apps at every layer.

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Data Scientist

Data Scientists use their knowledge of mathematics, statistics, and computer science to extract insights from data. This course may be useful to Data Scientists as it covers how to use AWS SDKs to perform data processing tasks. Data Scientists will need to know how to use these tools to manage and analyze data.

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Cloud Architect

Cloud Architects design and build cloud computing solutions. This course will help build a foundation in cloud architecture and the skills to write basic cloud applications as well as skills to help build out and manage cloud architecture. Using APIs, managing authentication, managing workflows, and optimizing apps are all skills that are needed in this field that the course covers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Architect

Solution Architect

Solution Architects work with customers to design and implement cloud computing solutions. This course will help build a foundation in cloud architecture and the skills to write basic cloud applications as well as skills to help build out and manage cloud architecture. Using APIs, managing authentication, managing workflows, and optimizing apps are all skills that are needed in this field that the course covers.

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Site Reliability Engineer

Site Reliability Engineers are responsible for ensuring that software applications are reliable and available. This course may be useful to Site Reliability Engineers as it covers how to build out and manage cloud architecture and services. Specifically, the course covers how to use AWS to host, manage, and secure APIs with authentication and authorization. It also covers how to manage workflows and optimize apps at every layer.

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Infrastructure Engineer

Infrastructure Engineers are responsible for designing, building, and managing the infrastructure that supports software applications. This course may be useful to Infrastructure Engineers as it covers how to build out and manage cloud architecture and services. Specifically, the course covers how to use AWS to host, manage, and secure APIs with authentication and authorization. It also covers how to manage workflows and optimize apps at every layer.

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Software Architect

Software Architects design and build the overall architecture of software applications. This course may be useful to Software Architects as it covers how to build out and manage cloud architecture and services. Specifically, the course covers how to use AWS to host, manage, and secure APIs with authentication and authorization. It also covers how to manage workflows and optimize apps at every layer.

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Network Engineer

Network Engineers are responsible for designing, building, and managing computer networks. This course may be useful to Network Engineers as it covers how to build out and manage cloud architecture and services. Specifically, the course covers how to use AWS to host, manage, and secure APIs with authentication and authorization. It also covers how to manage workflows and optimize apps at every layer.

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Full-Stack Developer

Full Stack Developers are responsible for the entire software development process, from design to deployment. This course may be useful to Full Stack Developers as it covers how to build out and manage cloud architecture and services. Specifically, the course covers how to use AWS to host, manage, and secure APIs with authentication and authorization. It also covers how to manage workflows and optimize apps at every layer.

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Front-End Developer

Front End Developers are responsible for the design and implementation of the user interface of software applications. This course may be useful to Front End Developers as it covers how to use APIs to communicate with the backend of software applications. The course also covers how to use AWS to host and manage APIs.

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Database Administrator

Database Administrators are responsible for the design, implementation, and management of databases. This course may be useful to Database Administrators as it covers how to use AWS to host and manage databases. The course also covers how to use AWS SDKs to perform data processing tasks.

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