AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) Reviews

I am currently working with AWS CloudWatch, EventBridge, Lambda functions, and DynamoDB. 

On the development side, I use AWS CDK, the Cloud Development Kit. I use it mainly in our cloud infrastructure, and it has been a significant part of my work.

One of the most valuable aspects of CDK is its ability to integrate various components seamlessly, such as Lambda functions, API Gateway, DynamoDB, and EventBridge. It feels almost like working in a local environment. 

CDK has greatly improved my workflow by reducing boilerplate code and enhancing maintainability with custom constructs. Its integration capabilities with other AWS services, such as EventBridge and DynamoDB, work seamlessly together, something I haven't experienced with other platforms.

There is room for improvement in the use of EventBridge and the initial setup of CDK, which can be a bit challenging. The IAM policies could be simplified to make the setup process more straightforward. AWS could also improve the transparency of Lambda's internal processes and provide more visibility into Lambda logs.

I have been working with AWS CDK for about a year and a half.

CDK is very resilient, and I have not experienced any downtime or significant stability issues.

CDK is scalable, however, it can be expensive. It can scale to millions of users, but it is not the most cost-effective solution.

I have not personally contacted AWS support. I have seen a couple of tickets related to CDK. However, I did not escalate any questions myself.

Positive

Previously, I worked with Microsoft Azure, however, it was more challenging to integrate various services. AWS CDK offers seamless integration, which was a significant factor in choosing it for cloud computing.

The initial setup was complex and took about a week. IAM policies added difficulty, but using a framework like Serverless could simplify this.

The initial implementation involved a team of 12 developers at the first startup I worked for. In my current company, there are above 100 developers involved, with abundant resources.

I have seen measurable benefits from CDK. It allows me to integrate and utilize cloud resources efficiently. There is no other way I could have replicated the success I've had with CDK.

Over time, I expect AWS to become more cost-efficient and resilient. Although the pricing is currently high, I hope they continue to improve their system, which will lead to cost reductions.

During the evaluation process, I considered Azure, but AWS CDK's seamless integration made it the better choice.

I would definitely recommend CDK to others planning to integrate several components on a platform, especially an event-driven architecture. It is one of the best tools available for cloud computing. 

I rate CDK an eight out of ten due to the unavailability of the Ross language in CDK.