Hey everyone! I'm working on a service that directly integrates API Gateway with DynamoDB. I'm thrilled about the speed, and authentication seems solid, but I'm facing a few challenges. For instance, VTL is just so convoluted, and I've noticed that missing context in the API Gateway request can lead to incorrect PK/SK values without any validation in DynamoDB. Also, there doesn't appear to be a way to effectively throttle incoming data into DynamoDB. Has anyone else tried this direct integration? I'd love to hear about your experiences, successes, or any tips you might have!
2 Answers
Direct API Gateway to DynamoDB can be really effective since it cuts out the Lambda costs and is super fast. However, you'll need to implement your own guardrails. Here are some tips:
- **VTL can be a pain**. Keep your templates small and use ConditionExpressions in DynamoDB instead of relying too much on VTL.
- **To avoid bad PK/SK values**, enable Request Models and Validation in API Gateway. Always derive your keys from trusted contexts.
- **Throttle your requests** using API Gateway settings and consider using AWS WAF to prevent overloading DynamoDB.
- **Be mindful of hot partitions**; if your key design is skewed, you could run into serious performance issues.
Overall, keep your direct integration but ensure you validate inputs and limit incoming requests properly!
This is fantastic information! I didn’t consider the hot partition issue, but I can see how that would be crucial.
I've tried using direct integration for a small project, but honestly, I've switched back to using a Lambda in between. While it's got its pros and cons, my main issue was maintainability. Having to embed logic into API Gateway was a bit of a hassle. That said, if your setup is straightforward and won't need many changes, direct integration can work really well!
Thanks for these insights! I wasn’t aware of the ConditionExpressions option, and it's super handy to know the importance of deriving keys from trusted sources.