The Author Spotlight series offers a glimpse into the journeys of some of AWS’s most accomplished authors. Continue reading to learn more about Alex Rivers’ experiences, in his own words!
At Amazon Web Services (AWS), we often discuss “super powers.” Everyone possesses them! I’ve realized that mine lies in transforming complex technical subjects into actionable insights for builders and stakeholders, whether they are internal or external.
As the Principal Reliability Solutions Architect for AWS Well-Architected, I collaborate with customers on critical subjects such as disaster recovery, resilience assessment, and chaos engineering. One aspect of this role I truly value is the constant learning. Customers present new challenges regularly, and I thrive on discovering innovative solutions for them. During events like AWS Global Summits or AWS re:Invent, I cherish the opportunity to engage with customers directly, particularly when I lead Chalk Talks where I address audience questions regarding cloud reliability.
Before joining AWS, I worked as a Solutions Architect for one of AWS’s leading clients—Amazon.com! My role required me to travel globally, working directly with Amazon developers in locations such as Japan and Luxembourg to modernize their workloads on AWS and maximize the benefits of AWS technologies, including serverless and containers. Assisting them face-to-face in utilizing these technologies was both rewarding and educational.
I also served as a Principal Engineer with Amazon Fresh grocery delivery and Amazon International Technology. These roles were distinct, yet both involved collaborating with development teams worldwide, guiding them in software design, agile methodologies, and career development. You may have noticed a recurring theme in my career, right?
Looking further back, I spent about five years at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, during a pivotal time for the company as it transitioned from a “box product” focus to a software services model. I take pride in having contributed to that transformation!
Interestingly, I am a “boomerang” employee, having originally worked with Amazon before my tenure at Microsoft and returning afterward. In my initial role at Amazon, I was part of the founding team that launched what eventually became Prime Video. Back then, it was a download-only service called “Amazon Unbox.” Witnessing its evolution to what it is today is truly remarkable.
Throughout my career, the driving force for me has been the opportunity to assist builders and stakeholders in solving their complex problems. There’s nothing more fulfilling than receiving feedback from individuals or teams indicating that I was able to make a positive impact.
Alex’s Favorite Posts!
- What’s New in the Well-Architected Reliability Pillar?
This was my very first AWS blog post! The real challenge was updating the AWS Well-Architected Reliability Pillar itself. I enjoyed collaborating with brilliant experts across AWS to incorporate their diverse perspectives into the pillar update. Check it out! - Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS series
- Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS, Part I: Strategies for Recovery in the Cloud – Learning best practices for disaster recovery (DR) is a common request from AWS customers. The cloud provides the flexibility to implement DR strategies tailored to your business needs, and this blog post outlines how to get started.
- Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS, Part II: Backup and Restore with Rapid Recovery – Although backup and restore may sometimes receive criticism for being less sophisticated than other strategies, simplicity can be advantageous! I refer to this as the Swiss Army knife of DR strategies, applicable in various situations. Discover more here.
- Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS, Part III: Pilot Light and Warm Standby – These strategies offer rapid recovery with low RTO and RPO, striking a balance without the complexity of active/active architecture.
- Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS, Part IV: Multi-site Active/Active – Combining high availability with the fastest DR recovery you can achieve, this approach delivers the best of both worlds!
- Building Resilient Well-Architected Workloads Using AWS Resilience Hub
I was thrilled with the launch of AWS Resilience Hub (and honored to contribute to its development). Now, many best practices I discuss with clients can be automatically evaluated against their workloads, complete with tailored recommendations. - Creating a Multi-Region Application with AWS Services series
- Creating a Multi-Region Application with AWS Services – Part 2, Data and Replication – Building on Part 1, implementing multi-AZ (Availability Zone) is essential for high availability. However, certain workloads can also benefit from a multi-Region strategy (layered defense). This blog shares the nuances of deploying and utilizing AWS data stores and databases across multiple AWS Regions.
- Creating a Multi-Region Application with AWS Services – Part 3, Application Management and Monitoring – If you’re going multi-Region, it’s crucial to have the right monitoring and governance tools in place. This post guides you through the implementation process.
For further reading, you can check out this insightful blog post here, and for authoritative insights on the topic, visit this link. For excellent resources, consider exploring this job opportunity as well.
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