AWS Database reference implementation

This reference implementation provides the architecture and associated CloudFormation templates for a standard, enterprise class, large enterprise class and high performance Oracle 11g configuration on AWS EC2:

http://media.amazonwebservices.com/AWS_RDBMS_Oracle_11g_on_EC2_Reference_Architecture.pdf

Migrating from Oracle EE to SE on AWS RDS

There isn’t an easy way to do an in-place conversion from Oracle EE database to SE. This is true whether the database is on RDS, on premise, or running on EC2. This is because Oracle EE supports many different options that are not available in Oracle SE. Therefore, exporting and importing would be the only way to do it.

ELB : Some common questions

Q: Is a straight through reverse proxy possible with ELB? For example, a Wordpress instance that lives at my domain.com/blog.  Is it possible with ELB similar to apaches mod_proxy passthru functionality?

A: ELB does not support this feature.  Suggestions: Create a sub-domain like blogs.crafsy.com and have a separate DNS record + ELB for it.

Q: Is there a way to force traffic to a particular backend app server when fronted with ELB? 

A: ELB supports sticky sessions for ensuring that traffic within the same session flows to the same box.  For software release purposes, you could have a subdomain like test.craftsy.com and a separate DNS record + ELB.

Q: Can you have a zone apex in Route53 point at multiple ELB's? I assume this is so. (e.g. craftsy.com -> ELB1 (production a), ELB2 (production b)

A: Yes, if you use non-simple routing policy (weighted, latency or failover). 

Fixed MAC address for EC2 instances

Some software licenses require a fixed MAC address to exist.  Running on AWS EC2 the instance will get a new MAC address on reboot or shutdown or restart.  I way to ensure the new EC2 instance will get the same MAC address is to use an Elastic Network Interfaces (ENI).  ENI is like an additional network card that have fixed IP address (internal and external) and fixed MAC address.

Tape migration to AWS Glacier

Here is a new offering from CA that bundles Riverbed software and AWS Glacier to provide the capability to move tape to AWS Glacier for long term archiving:

https://portal.reinvent.awsevents.com/connect/search.ww#loadSearch-searchPhrase=&searchType=session&tc=0&sortBy=daytime&dayID=32&p=&i(10007)=10020&i(10007)=10024

RDS cross region snapshots

Great news for AWS RDS users looking to provide extra DR protection to their SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL databases: http://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2013/10/31/announcing-point-and-click-copy-of-amazon-rds-db-snapshots-across-aws-regions/

AWS Oracle RDS partner program

Check out this new Oracle RDS partner ecosystem:
https://aws.amazon.com/rds/partners/