AWS Serverless Application Repository Cheat Sheet

The AWS Serverless Application Repository is a managed repository for serverless applications. It enables developers, teams, and organizations to store, share, and reuse serverless applications and their components.

Core Concepts

• What it is: Think of it as an "App Store" for serverless applications. It's a central place to discover, configure, and deploy serverless applications and components built by developers, companies, and AWS partners.
• Purpose: To accelerate development by promoting the reuse of common serverless patterns. Instead of building everything from scratch, you can find a pre-built component (like a data processing function or a webhook handler) and deploy it directly into your AWS account.
• Foundation: The repository is built on top of the AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM). Applications must be packaged using SAM before they can be published.

How It Works

The repository connects two main groups: Publishers (who create and share applications) and Consumers (who find and deploy applications).

For Publishers (Creating and Sharing Applications)

1. Develop the Application: Build your serverless application using the AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM). This involves creating a template.yaml file and writing the function code.
2. Package the Application: Use the AWS SAM CLI to package your application. This bundles the code and template.
3. Publish to the Repository:
   • You can publish applications privately or publicly.
   • Private Sharing: The application is only visible and deployable by a specific list of AWS account IDs you authorize. This is ideal for sharing reusable components within your own organization.
   • Public Sharing: The application is visible to all AWS customers. This is for open-source projects or for companies sharing tools with the broader community.
4. Provide Application Details: When publishing, you must provide metadata, including:
   • A descriptive name and description.
   • The application's license (e.g., MIT, Apache 2.0).
   • A link to the source code (e.g., a GitHub repository).
   • Labels to make it easily discoverable.

For Consumers (Finding and Deploying Applications)

1. Discover Applications: You can browse or search for applications in the AWS Serverless Application Repository directly from the AWS Management Console. You can filter by name, publisher, or functional category (e.g., "APIs", "Data Processing").
2. Review and Configure: Before deploying, you can view the application's details, including:
   • Its architecture and the resources it will create.
   • The permissions (IAM policies) required by the application. The repository makes these permissions clear so you can review them before granting them.
   • The source code and license.
3. Deploy the Application:
   • You deploy the application directly from the console with just a few clicks.
   • You may need to provide specific application parameters (e.g., a database name or a specific setting) that the publisher has defined.
   • When you deploy, AWS CloudFormation creates a stack in your account containing all the resources defined in the application's SAM template.
4. Manage the Deployed Stack: Once deployed, the application becomes a standard CloudFormation stack in your account, which you can manage, update, or delete like any other stack.

Key Benefits

• Accelerate Development: No need to reinvent the wheel. Leverage pre-built applications and components for common use cases.
• Promote Best Practices: Use applications built by experts that follow AWS best practices for security, reliability, and performance.
• Standardize Components: For organizations, it provides a way to create a private, curated collection of approved serverless components, ensuring consistency and compliance across teams.
• Simplified Deployment: Consumers don't need to be experts in SAM or CloudFormation. They can deploy complex applications with minimal configuration.