AWS 2020 Cloud Updates: Key Enhancements and New Features

AWS Cloud Overview

Cloud computing eliminates local storage constraints, enabling users to access data and services from remote servers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) delivers a reliable, scalable, and cost‑effective platform that blends Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) into a single, user‑friendly solution.

Notable 2020 Enhancements

AWS Elemental MediaPackage Live Endpoints Security

Direct access to MediaPackage is now restricted via CDN authentication, requiring a specific HTTP header and validation code before content is served.

Universal Administration Features on Amazon FSx File Systems

Data deduplication, user quota limits, and additional administrative capabilities are now available across all Amazon FSx for Windows File Server instances, regardless of creation date.

New Analytical Functions in Amazon QuickSight

QuickSight now supports advanced mathematical operations—log(), ln(), exp(), sqrt(), abs()—and enriched ranking functions such as RANK, DENSE_RANK, and PERCENTILE_RANK.

Private DNS Names for AWS PrivateLink

Services can now be accessed from within a VPC using custom private DNS names (e.g., mypersonalservice.myorganization.com), eliminating the need to modify application code for public DNS names.

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) Bring Your Own IP (BYOIP)

SES now allows users to send email through their own routable IP addresses, enhancing deliverability and compliance.

Amazon Comprehend Multi‑Label Custom Classification

Model training now supports assigning multiple labels to a single record, expanding classification flexibility beyond single‑label support.

Systems Manager Change Calendar

Plan and enforce maintenance windows to prevent infrastructure changes during critical business periods.

iBASEt Solumina Quick Start on AWS

Deploy the Solumina MES suite in 1.5–2 hours, accelerating manufacturing execution and operational visibility.

IBM Cloud Pak for Data Quick Start on Red Hat OpenShift

Automated deployment of a multi‑master IBM Cloud Pak for Data instance on Red Hat OpenShift 3.11 within an AWS VPC.

OpenShift Container Platform on AWS

Run OpenShift clusters natively in the AWS environment for hybrid cloud workloads.

Amazon Translate Batch Translation

Translate large volumes of text or HTML files stored in Amazon S3 with the new Batch Translation service.

SFTP Enhancements

• Whitelist IP addresses via VPC Security Groups.
• Associate Elastic IPs with server endpoints for firewall‑friendly access.

Well‑Architected Tool Workload Sharing

Easily share and collaborate on workloads across multiple AWS accounts.

Cross‑Region Backup

Replicate backups across regions, ensuring data resilience and compliance with geographic requirements.

Amazon EFS Item‑Level Recovery

Restore individual files or directories from EFS backups through a unified console.

AWS Storage Gateway on Linux KVM

Deploy the Storage Gateway appliance on KVM hypervisors for seamless integration with on‑premises environments.

HashiCorp Consul on AWS Quick Start

Leverage Consul for cloud‑native service discovery and configuration across distributed applications.

Elastic Beanstalk Supports Python 3.7 on Amazon Linux 2

Run Python 3.7 applications on the new Amazon Linux 2 beta platform.

Amazon GameLift 2020 Updates

Deploy, operate, and scale dedicated multiplayer game servers using AWS’s managed GameLift service.

Amazon RDS MariaDB 10.4 Support

All regions now support MariaDB 10.4, delivering enhanced performance, reliability, and security features.

EMR 6.0.0 Release

Includes Hadoop, Hive, HBase, Amazon Linux 2, and Docker support for streamlined Spark deployments.