In Cloud Computing This Week [May 22nd 2020]

Hello cloud land, we've read all the cloud news again this week, so you don't have to.  

The theme of the week seems to be new ways to access and monitor existing services.

On the Hava front, a couple of significant releases made their way off the roadmap and into GA this week.

The new search functionality including Deep Search went live. You can read about that here:

https://www.hava.io/blog/expanded-search-enables-easy-creation-of-custom-cloud-diagrams

We also added ElasticBeanstalk, DynamoDB and Cloudfront to the list of visualized AWS resources as well as adding the new Milan & Cape Town regions. Read More:

https://www.hava.io/blog/hava-adds-elastic-beanstalk-dynamo-db-cloudfront-visualization-and-two-new-aws-regions

Enjoy.

New account review process in the AWS Support Center for Amazon SES and Amazon Pinpoint 

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) and Amazon Pinpoint have processes and systems in place to help protect AWS customers from issues that could damage their reputations as email senders. These systems alert customers about sending issues as early as possible. Examples of these issues can include high bounce rates, high complaint rates, or a large number of messages sent to spamtraps. In some cases, AWS may pause a customer’s account if the issue represents a significant risk or damage to their sender reputation.

To resolve these sending issues, customers work directly with the AWS team. Previously, the customer communicated resolution plans with AWS over email. However, the contact used to manage this process was the root email address of the customer’s AWS account. Many customers told AWS this process was inconvenient.

In order to make this process easier, AWS have migrated all customer communication on account reviews to the AWS Support Center. Effective immediately, if an account is placed under review or is subject to a sending pause, the Amazon SES and Amazon Pinpoint teams automatically create a Support Center case. To access the AWS Support Center, start by signing in to the AWS Management Console at https://console.aws.amazon.com. Then, on the Support menu, choose Support Center.

If AWS open one of these cases on your account, you can use the Support Center to communicate with their team about the issue. In each case, AWS provide information about the nature of the issue. They also describe the information that they need you to provide them to resolve the issue. You can update the case with actions you have taken directly in the Support Center case.

These account reviews and sending pause events are rare. However, AWS hope that this improved process makes it easier to be successful with Amazon SES and Amazon Pinpoint.

https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/messaging-and-targeting/new-account-review-process-in-the-aws-support-center-for-amazon-ses-and-amazon-pinpoint/

AWS CLI v2 now available for Linux ARM 

With the release of 2.0.15 of the AWS CLI v2, AWS are excited to announce the availability of aarch64 builds of the AWS CLI v2. This launch includes a new Linux ARM installer to add to the current AWS CLI v2 installation mechanisms:

• Linux x86 installer
• MacOS PKG installer
• Windows MSI installer
• Docker image

The Linux ARM installer supports 64-bit ARM-based platforms such as Amazon EC2 M6g instances with the most recent distributions of Amazon Linux 2, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, or CentOS.

https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/developer/aws-cli-v2-now-available-for-linux-arm/

End of support for .NET Standard 1.3 in AWS SDK for .NET 

Microsoft announced the end of support for .NET Core 1.0 and 1.1 platforms on June 27th, 2019. Given that the .NET Standard 1.3 target of the AWS SDK for .NET is only used for .NET Core 1.0 and 1.1 platforms, AWS will be removing the .NET Standard 1.3 target in AWS SDK for .NET, and focus on making the best support for .NET Standard 2.0, which has become the baseline for .NET platforms, and beyond.

The .NET Standard 1.3 version of AWS SDK for .NET will continue receiving regular service updates and security fixes until October 1st, 2020. After that AWS will support the .NET Standard 1.3 version of AWS SDK for .NET with security and critical fixes only. On December 31st, 2020 .NET Standard 1.3 will reach the end of life. and AWS will remove NET Standard 1.3 target from AWS SDK for .NET.

https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/developer/announcing-end-of-support-for-net-standard-1-3-in-aws-sdk-for-net/

AWS Artifact service launches new user interface 

AWS Artifact service introduces a new user interface (UI) that provides a more intuitive experience in searching and saving AWS compliance reports, and accepting agreements. The new UI includes AWS Artifact home page equipped with information and videos on how to use the AWS Artifact service for your compliance needs. Additionally, the Reports and Agreements console now provides keyword search capability allowing you to accurately search the artifact you are looking for rather than scrolling through the entire page. The new UI is supported on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or widescreen monitor, resizing the on-screen content dynamically. 

https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/security/aws-artifact-service-launches-new-user-interface/

Cloud Functions, meet VPC functionality

You probably don’t think of advanced VPC networking features and developer-friendly serverless platforms as things that typically play well together, but increasing numbers of organizations want to use serverless platforms in more traditional IT environments. Google Cloud, want you to have your serverless cake and eat it too, so are announcing support for new networking controls for Google Cloud Functions, including ingress settings and VPC service controls. 

Serverless VPC Access has been generally available since December, 2019, allowing Cloud Functions to reach into the private IP space of VPC networks. This allows you to route all or internal-only egress traffic to the connected VPC. Today GCP are extending that with the support of ingress settings, which allows you to control what traffic reaches your Cloud Functions, allowing you to run "private" Cloud Functions. GCP also supports integrating Cloud Functions with VPC Service Controls and organization policies to control the movement of your company's data.

https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/serverless/learn-how-to-use-advanced-vpc-functionality-with-your-cloud-functions

Zero-trust remote admin access for Windows VMs on Compute Engine

It’s more important than ever for IT administrators to be able to securely access resources from wherever they are. Exposing VM instances to the public internet can be risky, potentially giving bad actors a direct access path to your network. But solutions such as VPN tunnels or jump (bastion) hosts to access these systems can be cumbersome and may not provide the precise access control admin tasks demand.

To help solve this dilemma, GCP are introducing a new open-source tool to help Windows users and administrators to access and manage Windows VMs running in Compute Engine—conveniently and securely. 

IAP Desktop is a Windows application that allows you to manage multiple Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections to Windows VM instances running on Google Cloud. IAP Desktop, builds on GCP's existing Identity-Aware Proxy service, which can help you control access to your applications and VMs running on Google Cloud. IAP works by verifying a user’s identity and the context of a request to determine if that user should be allowed to access an application or a VM

https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/identity-security/zero-trust-remote-access-for-windows-vms

Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes preview and new ecosystem partners 

In November 2019, Microsoft announced the preview of Azure Arc, a set of technologies that unlocks new hybrid scenarios for customers by bringing Azure services and management to any infrastructure across datacenters, edge, and multi-cloud. Based on the feedback and excitement of all the customers in the private preview, Azure are able to deliver Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes in preview to customers. With this, anyone can use Azure Arc to connect and configure any Kubernetes cluster across customer datacenters, edge locations, and multi-cloud.

Over the last few months through private preview, organizations across a wide range of industries have experienced the power of Azure Arc for Kubernetes. Retail customers are deploying applications and configurations across their branch locations with guaranteed consistency. Financial institutions and healthcare providers are using Azure Arc to manage Kubernetes instances in geographic regions with custom data sovereignty requirements. Across several application scenarios and deployment environments, customers are embracing the diversity of the Kubernetes ecosystem. Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes is uniquely positioned through its openness and flexibility to help our customers meet their business challenges using the tools of their choice.

With today’s preview of Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes, support for most CNCF-certified Kubernetes distributions works out of the box. In addition, Azure are also announcing their first set of Azure Arc integration partners, including Red Hat OpenShift, Canonical Kubernetes, and Rancher Labs to ensure Azure Arc works great for all the key platforms customers are using today.

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-arc-enabled-kubernetes-preview-and-new-ecosystem-partners/

Google Cloud scores huge Department of Defense computing contract

Google Cloud has announced that it has won a new contract with an organization within the US Department of Defense (DoD) to build a secure cloud management solution to detect, protect against and respond to worldwide cyber threats.

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is focused on scaling commercial technology across the DoD and the new multi-cloud solution will be built on Anthos to allow the DIU to run web services and applications across Google Cloud, AWS and Microsoft Azure, though it will be centrally managed from the Google Cloud Console.

The solution will provide the DIU with real-time network monitoring, access control and full audit trails and this will enable the organization to maintain its strict cloud security posture without compromising speed or reliability.

https://www.techradar.com/au/news/google-cloud-scores-huge-department-of-defense-computing-contract

Google Cloud Next ’20: OnAir now a free 9-week online series

Google Cloud is turning its annual partner and customer conference into a nine-week digital event series focusing on cloud technology and innovation.

Google Cloud Next ’20: OnAir will run from July 14 through September 8, the cloud computing provider announced this week

“Google Cloud Next ’20: OnAir" will be a much-needed opportunity to connect, collaborate and get inspired as a community to solve the most important challenges facing business today,” Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said in a statement posted to the event’s web page.

Each week of Google Cloud Next ’20: OnAir will feature a new topic, starting with industry highlights from Google Cloud executives the first week, followed by productivity and collaboration, infrastructure, security, data analytics, data management and databases, application modernization, cloud artificial intelligence and then business application platform in the ninth week.

https://www.crn.com.au/news/google-cloud-next-20-onair-now-a-free-9-week-online-series-548321