Cloud engineering, infrastructure as code, and agentic AI insights by Stephen Joneshttps://sjramblings.io/en-auhttps://sjramblings.io/aws-config-30-new-resource-types-bedrock-agentcore/https://sjramblings.io/aws-config-30-new-resource-types-bedrock-agentcore/AWS Config now tracks Bedrock AgentCore Gateways, Memory, and 28 other resource types. What this means for AI agent governance, Cognito audit trails, and compliance at scale.Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/agent-plugins-marketplace-intelligence/https://sjramblings.io/agent-plugins-marketplace-intelligence/Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/pageindex-deep-dive-vectorless-rag/https://sjramblings.io/pageindex-deep-dive-vectorless-rag/What if everything we know about RAG is built on a flawed assumption? A deep dive into PageIndex's tree-based reasoning approach to document retrieval — no vectors, no chunking, no embedding databases.Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-acm-certificate-validity-shorter-lifetimes/https://sjramblings.io/aws-acm-certificate-validity-shorter-lifetimes/Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/is-infrastructure-as-code-the-next-abstraction-to-fall/https://sjramblings.io/is-infrastructure-as-code-the-next-abstraction-to-fall/Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-bedrock-open-weight-models-sydney-australian-sovereignty/https://sjramblings.io/aws-bedrock-open-weight-models-sydney-australian-sovereignty/Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-ec2-nested-virtualization-finally/https://sjramblings.io/aws-ec2-nested-virtualization-finally/Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/building-your-own-ai-agent-stack/https://sjramblings.io/building-your-own-ai-agent-stack/Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/build-vs-buy-just-flipped/https://sjramblings.io/build-vs-buy-just-flipped/Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/inference-tax-nobody-budgeted-for/https://sjramblings.io/inference-tax-nobody-budgeted-for/Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/get-shit-done-describing-what-you-want/https://sjramblings.io/get-shit-done-describing-what-you-want/Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-sts-identity-provider-claims-validation/https://sjramblings.io/aws-sts-identity-provider-claims-validation/Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/the-friction-was-the-point/https://sjramblings.io/the-friction-was-the-point/Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/chronos-forecasting-linkedin-post/https://sjramblings.io/chronos-forecasting-linkedin-post/Chronos forecasting from Amazon Science offers an end-to-end approach that brings consistency, speed, and reliability to multi-horizon forecasts.Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/marketing-skills-for-ai-agentswhy-builders-should-care/https://sjramblings.io/marketing-skills-for-ai-agentswhy-builders-should-care/If you are building with AI agents, you should also equip them with marketing skills. Not marketing in the cringe sense — marketing in the engineering sense.Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/network-application-centric-architecture/https://sjramblings.io/network-application-centric-architecture/Network infrastructure is no longer invisible plumbing. It's becoming intent-driven and application-aware. What this means for your architecture strategy.Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/bedrock-agentcore-policy-evaluations/https://sjramblings.io/bedrock-agentcore-policy-evaluations/AWS adds policy controls and quality evaluations to AgentCore. Finally, the operational discipline AI agents needed all along.Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/renaissance-developer-framework/https://sjramblings.io/renaissance-developer-framework/Werner Vogels' final keynote reveals the five qualities driving the next era of software engineering. Why this matters for your infrastructure strategy.Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-transit-gateway-flexible-cost-allocation/https://sjramblings.io/aws-transit-gateway-flexible-cost-allocation/AWS just launched flexible cost allocation for Transit Gateway, solving one of the biggest pain points in multi-account networking. Learn how to implement metering policies to properly allocate costs across your organization.Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/understanding-llm-prompt-injection/https://sjramblings.io/understanding-llm-prompt-injection/Explore LLM prompt injection vulnerabilities, from direct and indirect attacks to multimodal exploits. Learn practical mitigation strategies to secure your AI applications.Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/used-amazon-q-cli-build-feature-amazon-q-cli-mind-bending/https://sjramblings.io/used-amazon-q-cli-build-feature-amazon-q-cli-mind-bending/Ever wondered what it's like to use an AI tool to improve itself? I just spent 2 hours using Amazon Q CLI to build a new feature for Amazon Q CLI, and the...Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/multi-agent-orchestration-claude-code-when-ai-teams-beat-solo-acts/https://sjramblings.io/multi-agent-orchestration-claude-code-when-ai-teams-beat-solo-acts/Learn Claude Code multi-agent orchestration patterns. How to coordinate AI agent teams with architect, builder, validator, and scribe roles for complex software projects.Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-lands-in-new-zealand-what-the-ap-southeast-6-region-means-for-kiwi-cloud-builders/https://sjramblings.io/aws-lands-in-new-zealand-what-the-ap-southeast-6-region-means-for-kiwi-cloud-builders/Everything about the AWS New Zealand region (ap-southeast-6). Day-one services, pricing reality check, migration framework, and practical next steps for Kiwi cloud builders.Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-vpc-route-server-the-game-changer-for-dynamic-routing-youve-been-waiting-for/https://sjramblings.io/aws-vpc-route-server-the-game-changer-for-dynamic-routing-youve-been-waiting-for/AWS just dropped a networking feature that's going to change how we think about VPC routing forever. VPC Route Server brings dynamic routing capabilities...Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/building-ai-powered-life-management-systems-aws-infrastructure-approach/https://sjramblings.io/building-ai-powered-life-management-systems-aws-infrastructure-approach/Daniel Miessler just dropped a fascinating deep-dive into building what he calls a "Personal AI Infrastructure" (PAI) - essentially an AI-powered life...Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/building-personal-ai-infrastructure-beyond-tools-systems/https://sjramblings.io/building-personal-ai-infrastructure-beyond-tools-systems/Learn how to build your own Personal AI Infrastructure (PAI). A practical guide to creating AI systems that amplify human capabilities — architecture patterns, Claude Code integration, and real implementation.Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/the-bedrock-agentcore-toolkit-a-new-easy-button-for-ai-agents/https://sjramblings.io/the-bedrock-agentcore-toolkit-a-new-easy-button-for-ai-agents/Get started with the AWS Bedrock AgentCore Starter Toolkit. Deploy AI agents to AgentCore in 3 commands — configure, launch, test. Includes SAM CLI comparison and step-by-step walkthrough.Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-powered-tetris-building-a-retro-game-with-amazon-q-and-amplify/https://sjramblings.io/aws-powered-tetris-building-a-retro-game-with-amazon-q-and-amplify/There's something magical about the games we grew up with. The simple mechanics, the blocky graphics, and the maddeningly catchy music are etched into our...Sun, 15 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/cost-effective-workflow-automation-deploying-n8n-on-amazon-lightsail/https://sjramblings.io/cost-effective-workflow-automation-deploying-n8n-on-amazon-lightsail/Recently I've been trying out n8n as a workflow automation tool and I'm really enjoying the flexibility it offers. Of course, being an AWS Community Builder I...Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/unlocking-cloud-savings-your-guide-to-fsx-and-s3-intelligent-tiering-with-python-magic/https://sjramblings.io/unlocking-cloud-savings-your-guide-to-fsx-and-s3-intelligent-tiering-with-python-magic/Learn how to estimate fsx storage costs with s3 Intelligent-Tiering using Python and CloudWatch metrics. Bridge the gap between your fsx file system and potential cloud storage savings with data-driven insights and the AWS Pricing Calculator.Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/streamline-your-cloud-compliance-mastering-time-based-ami-copies-with-aws/https://sjramblings.io/streamline-your-cloud-compliance-mastering-time-based-ami-copies-with-aws/Hey there, Tech Friends! 👋Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/streamline-vault-operations-a-guide-to-mastering-auto-unseal/https://sjramblings.io/streamline-vault-operations-a-guide-to-mastering-auto-unseal/Complete guide to HashiCorp Vault auto unseal. Compare AWS KMS vs Transit secret engine methods with step-by-step configuration examples for production environments.Sun, 02 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/unleash-the-power-of-ebsight-for-optimal-aws-storage-management/https://sjramblings.io/unleash-the-power-of-ebsight-for-optimal-aws-storage-management/Hey there, tech aficionados! 👋Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/mastering-aws-security-why-you-should-avoid-using-the-root-user-for-everyday-tasks/https://sjramblings.io/mastering-aws-security-why-you-should-avoid-using-the-root-user-for-everyday-tasks/Hey there, tech enthusiasts! Ever felt that little thrill of power when you get root access on a system? It's like holding the keys to the kingdom, right?Sun, 16 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/a-reminder-of-the-power-of-aws-config/https://sjramblings.io/a-reminder-of-the-power-of-aws-config/Discover how AWS Config Aggregators unlock powerful insights across your entire AWS Organisation. Learn to audit security groups at scale using advanced queries instead of manual CLI commands on every account.Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/streamline-your-azure-devops-pipelines-harnessing-variables-and-makefile-magic/https://sjramblings.io/streamline-your-azure-devops-pipelines-harnessing-variables-and-makefile-magic/👋 Hey there!Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/secure-your-secrets-best-practices-for-hardening-hashicorp-vault-in-production/https://sjramblings.io/secure-your-secrets-best-practices-for-hardening-hashicorp-vault-in-production/The definitive HashiCorp Vault production hardening guide. Covers TLS, mTLS, audit logging, firewall rules, single-tenancy, and operational security best practices for enterprise deployments.Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/hashicorp-vault-the-key-to-secrets-management/https://sjramblings.io/hashicorp-vault-the-key-to-secrets-management/Complete guide to HashiCorp Vault secrets management best practices. Covers secret engines, dynamic secrets, secret rotation policies, and production configuration with real examples.Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-direct-connect-failover-testing-importanc/https://sjramblings.io/aws-direct-connect-failover-testing-importanc/👋 Hey there!Tue, 21 May 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/github-self-hosted-runners-on-aws-codebuild/https://sjramblings.io/github-self-hosted-runners-on-aws-codebuild/👋 Hey there!Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/creating-shared-github-actions/https://sjramblings.io/creating-shared-github-actions/* Workflow Before * Workflow After * The Workflow * Creating a shared (reusable) workflow + Workflow Repository + Adapt the workflow for reuse * Calling the...Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/do-not-default-to-pat/https://sjramblings.io/do-not-default-to-pat/👋 Hey there!Tue, 23 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/searching-github-organisations/https://sjramblings.io/searching-github-organisations/👋 Hey there!Thu, 07 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/windows-ssm-port-forwarding-too-eas/https://sjramblings.io/windows-ssm-port-forwarding-too-eas/👋 Hey there!Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/supercharge-your-aws-cloudwatch-metrics-with-lambda-powertools/https://sjramblings.io/supercharge-your-aws-cloudwatch-metrics-with-lambda-powertools/In this post, I'll show you how easy it is to publish custom metrics into AWS CloudWatch using AWS Lambda Powertools and the Cloudwatch EMU SpecificationMon, 07 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/how-to-sync-containers-from-ghcr-to-aws-ecs/https://sjramblings.io/how-to-sync-containers-from-ghcr-to-aws-ecs/Back in June last year I wrote about syncing containers from DockerHub to AWS ECS.Tue, 25 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/github-actions-in-codebuild/https://sjramblings.io/github-actions-in-codebuild/This month AWS released support for github-actions in CodeBuild.Fri, 14 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/getting_started_with_steampipe_on_azure/https://sjramblings.io/getting_started_with_steampipe_on_azure/It's been a while since I gave Steampipe a run, and wow, has it had some excellent updates!Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/route53_resolver_magic/https://sjramblings.io/route53_resolver_magic/This post covers some core concepts of Route 53 Resolvers and how they can help establish inbound and outbound name resoltion with your on-premise and AWS...Wed, 12 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/unlock-the-hidden-power-of-vpc-sharing-in-aws/https://sjramblings.io/unlock-the-hidden-power-of-vpc-sharing-in-aws/As rightly stated here by Aidan Steele (AWS Hero), VPC Sharing appears to be the forgotten superpower.Wed, 12 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-gp3-volumes/https://sjramblings.io/aws-gp3-volumes/AWS made the following announcement at Reinvent2020Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/cloudformation-firewallpolicy-update_failed/https://sjramblings.io/cloudformation-firewallpolicy-update_failed/While I have a fond love for Cloudformation, sometimes I find myself banging my head against a wall when trying to get past an error.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws_managed_prefixes/https://sjramblings.io/aws_managed_prefixes/Some time ago AWS released a new feature called Customer Managed Prefix Lists.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/build_a_terraform_community_org_on_github_enterprise/https://sjramblings.io/build_a_terraform_community_org_on_github_enterprise/Infrastructure as Code (IAC) is great, people can knock up some Terraform and smash out some stacks in next to no time, delivering value to the business...Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/config_conundrum/https://sjramblings.io/config_conundrum/At our organisation we use custom config rules to help us achieve near real-time compliance and remediation.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/bootstrap_terraform_on_aws/https://sjramblings.io/bootstrap_terraform_on_aws/Terraform is a great product for managing infrastructure on AWS however many people start by creating an iam user and sharing access keys into configuration...Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-config-rules-blessed-with-cloudformation-cfn-guard-support/https://sjramblings.io/aws-config-rules-blessed-with-cloudformation-cfn-guard-support/They said it was coming, and here it is! Support for defining custom cfn-guard rules for AWS Config via Cloudformation.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/getting-started-with-aws-network-firewall/https://sjramblings.io/getting-started-with-aws-network-firewall/This post is the first in a series to share my learnings as I get to grips with AWS Network Firewall.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/getting-started-with-cfn-guard/https://sjramblings.io/getting-started-with-cfn-guard/Learn AWS CloudFormation Guard (cfn-guard) for policy-as-code validation. Parse AWS Config resources, write Guard rules, and enforce compliance without Lambda functions.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/github-actions-aws-authentication-with-oidc-for-github-enterprise/https://sjramblings.io/github-actions-aws-authentication-with-oidc-for-github-enterprise/There are many blog posts about how to use github-actions OIDC with AWS; however, they all refer to using Github.com and don't provide some easy steps if you...Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/github-actions-how-did-i-not-see-that/https://sjramblings.io/github-actions-how-did-i-not-see-that/This post is about a mistake I made that wasted a fair bit of time on my side until the folks over in Support set me straight :)Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/github-actions-resource-not-accessible-by-integration/https://sjramblings.io/github-actions-resource-not-accessible-by-integration/Getting "Resource not accessible by integration" in GitHub Actions? Fix HTTP 403, GraphQL createPullRequest, and GITHUB_TOKEN permission errors. Step-by-step with real examples.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/github-runner-ecs-authentication/https://sjramblings.io/github-runner-ecs-authentication/Using this fantastic open-source project, we have enabled github-actions using ephemeral self-managed runners on AWS SPOT.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/hashicorp-packer-gotcha/https://sjramblings.io/hashicorp-packer-gotcha/While setting up packer for the first time in ages I found a little cracklib quirk when using amazon linux while following the instructions from the website.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/how-to-simplify-your-ci-cd-with-makefiles/https://sjramblings.io/how-to-simplify-your-ci-cd-with-makefiles/*Make is a build automation tool that automatically builds executable programs and libraries from source code by reading files called Makefiles which specify...Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/how-to-sync-containers-to-aws-ecs-the-easy-way/https://sjramblings.io/how-to-sync-containers-to-aws-ecs-the-easy-way/Back in November 2021 AWS announced that you can cache containers from DockerHub through to ECS.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/how-to-use-cfn-guard-with-aws-config/https://sjramblings.io/how-to-use-cfn-guard-with-aws-config/I'm not sure when but AWS Config now supports using Guard rules to determine the compliance of resources. This is a pretty neat integration and one of the...Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/prowler_on_aws/https://sjramblings.io/prowler_on_aws/Prowler is an awesome open source tool for auditing AWS settings within an account or many accounts across an organisation.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/security-hub-now-supports-custom-aws-config-rules/https://sjramblings.io/security-hub-now-supports-custom-aws-config-rules/AWS recently announced an integration that I'm a little excited about!Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/semgrep/https://sjramblings.io/semgrep/Build custom Semgrep rules for AWS and Azure infrastructure code. Enforce Terraform module pinning, variable descriptions, and security standards across your engineering team.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/terraform-github-actions/https://sjramblings.io/terraform-github-actions/I've posted here how to configure the OIDC AWS Provider & github Enterprise integration; however, nothing is better than an example of it working, and this...Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/up-and-running-with-aws-network-firewall-part-2/https://sjramblings.io/up-and-running-with-aws-network-firewall-part-2/The second post in my series as I share my learnings with AWS Network Firewall.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/when-forking-is-not-an-option-for-your-public-git-repos/https://sjramblings.io/when-forking-is-not-an-option-for-your-public-git-repos/I'm curious if this is an everyday use case, but I need to sync a public repo to our internal github Enterprise instance.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/when-legacy-cots-meets-cloud/https://sjramblings.io/when-legacy-cots-meets-cloud/So we've all seen the marketing slides....Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/up-and-running-with-aws-network-firewall-part-3/https://sjramblings.io/up-and-running-with-aws-network-firewall-part-3/The third post in my series as I share my learnings with AWS Network Firewall.Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/the-greatest-log-insights-cloudtrail-query-ever/https://sjramblings.io/the-greatest-log-insights-cloudtrail-query-ever/AWS CloudTrail has a wealth of information that often gets forgotten and unchecked.Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/the-power-of-self-hosted-github-actions/https://sjramblings.io/the-power-of-self-hosted-github-actions/github-actions is a CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) platform integrated into github, allowing users to automate software development...Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/integrating-github-with-aws-eventbridge/https://sjramblings.io/integrating-github-with-aws-eventbridge/Ever since I saw this announcement, I've been dying to get a chance to set it up and play with it. That time is now!Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/unleashing-the-power-of-aws-athena-on-transit-gateway-flow-logs/https://sjramblings.io/unleashing-the-power-of-aws-athena-on-transit-gateway-flow-logs/AWS Transit Gateway Flow Logs provide valuable insights into the traffic flowing through your network. However, analyzing this data can be challenging...Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/dude-scale-my-runners/https://sjramblings.io/dude-scale-my-runners/In our github Enterprise Instance, we use the super-linter to keep all our users honest and lint everything.Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/process-github-workflow-events-with-aws-stepfunctions/https://sjramblings.io/process-github-workflow-events-with-aws-stepfunctions/This is the next part of integrating github Enterprise Managed User events into the AWS Serverless ecosystem.Thu, 09 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://sjramblings.io/aws-prefix-list-for-the-organization/https://sjramblings.io/aws-prefix-list-for-the-organization/this is meta descriptionThu, 09 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT