2.5. Reflection Checkpoint

Key Takeaways

Before proceeding, ensure you can:

• Design a serverless application using Lambda, API Gateway, and DynamoDB together
• Explain when to use containers (ECS/Fargate) instead of Lambda
• Configure a CI/CD pipeline with CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline
• Choose between DynamoDB, RDS, and S3 based on access patterns
• Explain DynamoDB partition keys, GSI vs. LSI, and consistency models

Connecting Forward

Phase 3 adds the security, monitoring, and optimization layers that make your applications production-ready — IAM policies, Cognito authentication, CloudWatch, X-Ray, and deployment strategies.

Self-Check Questions

1. A Lambda function needs to read from DynamoDB and write to S3. What IAM configuration should the developer use, and why shouldn't they use access keys?
2. A developer's CodePipeline fails at the deploy stage. What are the first three things they should check?