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Don't just learn the cloud—BYTE it!
Byte the Cloud is your go-to, on-the-go, podcast for mastering AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud certifications and exam prep!
Chris 0:00
Welcome back everyone to another deep dive this time we're tackling AWS outposts.
Kelly 0:05
Yeah, it's pretty big deal for a lot of companies out there trying to figure out this whole hybrid cloud thing.
Chris 0:10
So for our listeners who may not be super familiar, let's break it down. Imagine you're working with a client and they need, like, the full power of AWS, all the good stuff, exactly. So compute, storage, databases, the works, but maybe connecting to the cloud directly isn't the best option for them at the moment. Could
Kelly 0:28
be latency issues, data regulations, all sorts of reasons,
Chris 0:32
right? And that's where outposts steps in. It's like bringing AWS right to their doorstep,
Kelly 0:36
basically, AWS infrastructure and services, but deployed locally at a customer's location. And the best part, you still get that consistency, consistency, meaning the same APIs tools, everything's the same as if you were working in AWS directly.
Chris 0:50
So it's like having a mini AWS data center on site, exactly.
Kelly 0:53
And that opens up a lot of doors, especially for industries where latency is a major factor. Okay, so
Chris 0:59
let's give our listeners some concrete examples. What kind of companies are using outpost and how are they using it?
Kelly 1:04
Oh, tons of examples. Think of a media company that needs to process like huge video files in real time. Ah, so
Chris 1:10
instead of sending those giant files back and forth to the cloud, they can handle it all locally, right?
Kelly 1:15
And that means faster workflows, quicker turnaround times, just the smoother process overall
Chris 1:20
makes sense. What about industries with like strict data regulations like healthcare?
Kelly 1:26
Healthcare is a huge one for outposts. They can keep all that sensitive patient data on premises in their own facilities, meeting all the regulations while still utilizing the power of AWS services for analysis and research. It's like having the best of both worlds exactly. You get the security and control of on premises combined with the flexibility and scalability of AWS awesome.
Chris 1:49
So we know what outposts is and why it's important, but what about the nitty gritty? What are some of the features that make it so powerful, so less headaches for our listeners, the cloud engineers out there, definitely.
Kelly 2:00
And outposts is also really flexible in terms of deployment. You can go with a full rack for larger deployments or single servers for smaller setups. It's
Chris 2:09
like they've got a solution for every size, and I'm assuming it all integrates seamlessly back into the main AWS ecosystem. You bet
Kelly 2:17
Direct Connect VPN, you've got options for secure, high performance connectivity. Think of it as like an extension of your existing AWS environment.
Chris 2:28
So you manage everything from the same place that's convenient, but we've got to talk about the other side of the coin. When might outposts not be the best solution, right?
Kelly 2:36
Well, while outposts is pretty amazing, it's not a magic bullet. One limitation is scalability. You can scale it, but it doesn't have that same instant elasticity as the cloud.
Chris 2:46
So you can't just spin up a bunch of new servers on the fly like you can in the cloud. Exactly.
Kelly 2:50
You've got physical infrastructure limitations to consider, and
Chris 2:53
physical infrastructure often means more costs. It does. Outposts
Kelly 2:57
is a premium service. It's not always the most cost effective option, especially for smaller workloads. You really got to weigh the benefits against the cost and see if it makes sense, compared to, say, AWS storage gateway.
Chris 3:09
All right. So our listeners have got a solid foundation now ready to put their knowledge to the test with some exam style questions. Let's do it all right. First scenario, you've got a client with an application that needs super low latency to their On Premises Equipment, but also needs access to a bunch of AWS services. What's the answer?
Kelly 3:27
This is a classic outposts use case, local processing power plus tight integration with AWS services. It's the best of both worlds.
Chris 3:35
Makes sense. Okay? Next scenario, a company needs a database that's got to comply with some pretty strict data residency rules. Can they use outposts to keep that data in a specific location? Definitely,
Kelly 3:46
one of the biggest advantages of outposts is that it keeps data exactly where it needs to be, so it's perfect for meeting those kinds of regulations.
Chris 3:54
So peace of mind for the compliance folks. All right, last one for this round, and it's a tough one, a client is looking at outposts, but also considering other hybrid options, like storage gateway. How do they choose? This is
Kelly 4:08
where it gets strategic. It's not a one size fits all kind of thing.
Chris 4:12
So how do you approach a situation like that? Well,
Kelly 4:15
first you got to really understand the client's needs. What's their workload like? What are their data access patterns? What kind of computing power do they need? Then you got to compare the costs and the operational overhead. Sometimes a simpler solution like storage gateway might be enough, and most importantly, you have to remember what each service does differently. All right, so unpack that last part. Outpost brings AWS services locally, while storage gateway focuses on integrating with AWS storage, they're both hybrid solutions, but they have different strengths. That's
Chris 4:48
super helpful. I'm sure our listeners are feeling a lot more confident about outposts now, all right, so
Kelly 4:52
let's get a little more technical now, yeah,
Chris 4:53
let's pop the hood for our listeners. Perfect. So
Kelly 4:55
we know what outposts does, but what actually is an outpost rack? Like, physically, what are we talking about? Is
Chris 5:02
it just a bunch of regular servers slapped together? Nope, not
Kelly 5:05
at all. It's like a self contained unit of AWS infrastructure, huh? And it's purpose built, delivered and managed directly by AWS.
Chris 5:13
So it really is like a mini AWS data center, just living on the customer site,
Kelly 5:17
exactly like, think of it as meeting the same high standards as you know, any AWS region just smaller. Okay, I'm
Chris 5:24
getting a clearer picture now. So what's actually inside this thing? Let's see. Well,
Kelly 5:28
we've got your AWS design servers, of course, then you've got networking equipment, storage systems, all the essential stuff, and it's all specifically designed to deliver a bunch of AWS services locally. So
Chris 5:38
this miniature AWS region, right? How does it talk to the main cloud?
Kelly 5:43
Great question. It uses a dedicated connection, so either direct connect or a VPN
Chris 5:49
to, like, create a secure tunnel back to the AWS mothership.
Kelly 5:52
Basically, it's about creating that secure, high bandwidth link back to the main AWS region it's associated with, and that's how you get that low latency and high throughput.
Chris 6:04
So even though it's physically on site, it's still very much connected to the cloud. Does that mean our listeners, the cloud engineers managing this, can control everything from the same place? Yep, same
Kelly 6:15
AWS Management Console, APIs, all the tools they're already familiar with for their cloud based resources? Well, that makes life easier, for sure, it simplifies everything, and you can even deploy and manage applications using like the same exact processes, so consistent experience across the board. Now let's
Chris 6:31
talk security. That's always a big concern for our listeners. How does outpost handle that?
Kelly 6:35
Security is baked right in, just like any other AWS service, you've got IMM for access control, kms for encryption, VPC for network isolation, the whole shebang. It's like extending that AWS security perimeter right to the outposts environment. So
Chris 6:49
all the best practices that they're using in the cloud apply here too, 100%
Kelly 6:53
and honestly, in some cases, it might even enhance security if you've got sensitive data that needs to stay under lock and key, keeping it on premises can actually make things easier from a compliance standpoint, that
Chris 7:06
makes sense. All right, let's dive into some real world examples. How are companies actually using outposts to solve their business problems?
Kelly 7:16
Let's start with a common one, latency sensitive workloads. Think of a factory right, where they need to react to things in real time. Yeah, like
Chris 7:24
those automated production lines, tons of data coming in from sensors exactly
Kelly 7:28
now, sending all that data to the cloud and back that could introduce delays that just aren't acceptable, right? They
Chris 7:34
need decisions made on the spot. So in that
Kelly 7:36
scenario, you deploy outposts right there on the factory floor, process the data locally, get those real time insights and keep those production lines
Chris 7:45
humming. I like it. It's all about bringing the cloud to where the action is. Yep. And
Kelly 7:49
this applies to lots of industries. Think about financial trading, where every millisecond counts, high
Chris 7:54
frequency trading, if their systems are lagging, they're losing money. You
Kelly 7:58
got it outposts lets them run those algorithms as close to the action as possible.
Chris 8:02
Okay, so we've got low latency covered. What about companies dealing with just massive amounts of data? Where does outposts fit in there?
Kelly 8:10
Oh, it's a great option for data intensive workloads, especially if that data needs to stay in a specific location. Think healthcare patient records, huge files, tons of them, and lots of regulations about where that data can live, right transferring all that to the cloud might not even be an option, so outposts
Chris 8:28
lets them store and process it locally. It's like a secure data lake, right on site,
Kelly 8:34
exactly fast access, and meets all the regulatory requirements. And this applies to other fields too, like media companies, working with those massive video files, they can process and edit everything locally, streamlines their workflow, and they don't need to rely on crazy high bandwidth internet connections. Makes
Chris 8:51
sense now. How about for modern applications like those built on microservices? How does outpost play into that? Outpost
Kelly 8:57
lets you extend that whole cloud native approach to the edge, so you can run containers using ECS or EKF just like you would in the cloud. So
Chris 9:06
same tools, same processes, whether they're deploying in the cloud or on premises
Kelly 9:12
exactly, it really opens up possibilities. You can deploy microservices closer to your users, closer to the devices, get that snappy performance and minimize any network latency issues.
Chris 9:23
These examples are really painting a clear picture for our listeners. It's not just a theoretical thing. Outposts is out there solving real problems. But are there certain types of companies, certain industries, that benefit from outposts more than others?
Kelly 9:38
You know, it's a valuable tool across a lot of industries, but some definitely stand out. Manufacturing is a big
Chris 9:43
one because of that whole industry 4.0
Kelly 9:46
push right. It's all about bringing the cloud to the factory floor, enabling things like real time data processing, predictive maintenance, you know, all that good stuff.
Chris 9:54
So outposts helps them be more efficient, make better products, and maybe even come up with new ways of doing business. This
Kelly 10:00
absolutely and then, of course, you have the financial sector always pushing the tech envelope. For sure. Think about all the data they handle, how quickly they need to react to market changes, all the regulations they have to comply with. Outposts ticks all those boxes.
Chris 10:14
So break it down for our listeners. How exactly are they using it? Well, those
Kelly 10:17
high frequency trading algorithms we talked about earlier, outposts can handle those, getting them that ultra low latency they need. Then there's the whole data analytics side, fraud detection, even things like personalized customer experiences so
Chris 10:32
they get to be agile and secure, two things that are super important in finance, exactly.
Kelly 10:36
And we can't forget about healthcare with all the patient data they
Chris 10:39
have to manage. Yeah, that makes sense. Tons of
Kelly 10:41
data, images, health records, genomic information, all of it. They can use outposts to analyze all that locally, faster diagnoses, personalized treatments, even helps with medical research.
Chris 10:53
So it's about getting the right information to the right people at the right time, all while keeping that data secure and private
Kelly 11:00
Exactly. And of course, we have media and entertainment with those huge video files they work with real time editing, rendering, special effects outposts helps them get it all done. It's like a
Chris 11:11
content creation powerhouse. Are there any other industries we should be thinking about?
Kelly 11:16
Those are the big ones. But really it's about the specific need. If you need low latency local processing, data sovereignty or top notch security, outposts is worth considering. It
Chris 11:27
sounds like it's a pretty versatile tool. All right. Last question before we wrap up, what does the future hold for outposts? Any exciting developments our listeners should keep an eye out for.
Kelly 11:36
You know, the hybrid cloud world is always changing, and outposts is definitely at the forefront of that. I think we'll see continued improvements in scalability, performance and, of course, integration with other AWS services.
Chris 11:49
So it sounds like outpost is here to stay, and it's only going to get better. For sure, AWS
Kelly 11:52
is all about giving companies the flexibility to run their workloads wherever they need, to cloud on premises at the edge. Outpost is a big part of that. It's
Chris 12:02
been a fantastic journey so far, exploring all the ins and outs of outposts. I hope our listeners are starting to see how powerful this service really is. It's been
Kelly 12:10
great. Really enjoyed this deep dive. And remember, the cloud is all about exploring and finding the right tools for the job. Outposts is definitely one of those tools. So keep learning, keep experimenting, and see how it can work for you,
Chris 12:23
excellent advice. All right, welcome back. It's time to put all that outpost knowledge to the test.
Kelly 12:30
Yeah, let's see if our listeners have been paying attention. Think of
Chris 12:33
this like a final exam before you walk into that AWS exam room.
Kelly 12:36
All right. Scenario one you're working with, let's say, a big retail company, okay, I'm
Chris 12:42
picturing like, hundreds of stores across the country, right?
Kelly 12:45
And they want to do real time inventory tracking and analytics, you know, using data from all their stores, so
Chris 12:50
1000s of sensors and devices feeding in data constantly, exactly.
Kelly 12:54
They need something that can handle all that data locally, but also tie into their Cloud Analytics platform. What do you recommend? Hmm,
Chris 13:02
this sounds like outposts could be a good fit here. Why do you think so? Well, if you deploy outposts at each store, you can process all that sensor data right on site, yep,
Kelly 13:12
get those real time insights into inventory, customer behavior, all that.
Chris 13:16
And then, because outposts integrate so well with AWS, you can easily feed that data back into their main cloud platform Exactly.
Kelly 13:24
It's like bringing the power of the cloud to the storefront, yeah. Okay. Scenario two, a research institution is running all these simulations and analyzes, you know, the kind that require tons of computing power. I'm
Chris 13:37
imagining massive data sets, complex calculations, that kind of thing, exactly,
Kelly 13:40
but they also have strict data security rules to follow. How can they use outposts to get their research done? This
Chris 13:47
is where the power of outposts really shines, right? Because they could set up a dedicated computing cluster right there in their facility, like
Kelly 13:55
their own little HPC cluster powered by outposts, right
Chris 13:58
that way, they don't have to deal with the latency of moving all that data back and forth to the cloud,
Kelly 14:03
and outpost has all those security features built in, so their data stays protected. All right. Last scenario, a government agency needs to build a secure, private cloud environment, but like super strict security, top secret level stuff.
Chris 14:23
I'm sensing a theme here. Data sovereignty is a big deal for them. It
Kelly 14:27
is. They basically need their own cloud, but inside their data center, what do you suggest?
Chris 14:32
Outposts? It's basically purpose built for this kind of scenario. How so well it lets them build that isolated cloud environment they need, while still getting the benefits of
Kelly 14:40
AWS, right? The agility, the scalability, it's all there,
Chris 14:43
and with all the security features baked into outposts, their data is going to be locked down tight
Kelly 14:48
like a digital fortress. All right, so we've thrown a lot of outposts scenarios at our listeners today. Hopefully they're feeling ready to tackle anything that comes their way.
Chris 14:56
Yeah, whether it's a real world project or an exam question, they should be good to go.
Kelly 14:59
It's been a blast. Really enjoyed diving into outposts with you. Me
Chris 15:02
too, and to our listeners, thanks for joining us on this deep dive. We'll catch you next time.