An introduction to migrating apps with AWS SaaS Boost

What is AWS SaaS Boost?

AWS SaaS Boost is not a service or application you will find in your AWS management portal. It's a reference framework of code that developers can use to help move their applications to a SaaS model.

With SaaS Boost, you need access to an app's underlying code. If the application was purchased from a third party, then AWS SaaS Boost won't be an option.

AWS SaaS Boost is open source and can be found on GitHub. It has a healthy number of contributors.

Writing code from scratch is daunting in any environment, but in AWS, it's a nightmare. You need to find your way through a labyrinth of services and resources. Your SaaS-based application could use other Amazon services such as S3, CloudFront, Lambda and DynamoDB.

How to use Boost to migrate to SaaS

Where do the pieces of your application fit within the AWS framework? AWS SaaS Boost looks at the framework presented and highlights where key services and functionality could be called out. This isn't done as a casual aspect. In the code you will find statements such as:

Build your Docker image using the following command. For information on building a Docker file from scratch see the instructions here. You can skip this step if your image is already built:{" "}

This framework isn't just a framework. It's a set of instructions on how to move a SaaS app into AWS. This is for seasoned programmers who know how to write code but who don't necessarily know all the complexities of AWS. Instead of developers spending their time learning AWS, they can focus on the code aspect and use this framework to know where and how to work with different Amazon services.

This doesn't mean that you can input your code pieces in AWS SaaS Boost and expect everything to work. You'll need to work through changes, additions and other debugging. Still, it is always easier to modify your code rather than to start from nothing.

This is for seasoned programmers who know how to write code but who don't necessarily know all the complexities of AWS.

When working with AWS SaaS Boost, be aware of the services you consume and the amount that you consume. AWS S3 buckets, for example, can inflate your monthly bill a lot quicker than you might think.

AWS SaaS Boost is comprehensive in what it offers the developer. In fact, it's much more than what it appears on the surface. It is well written, well documented and well structured -- but it is not for beginners.

Think of it as a roadmap for the developer teams looking to move a monolithic application into an AWS SaaS platform. It is indispensable as the guide into the AWS framework. There isn't anything else comparable on the market. And being open source, SaaS Boost won't lead you into a lot of unwanted AWS sales pitches. This makes it an ideal tool for the developer.