Introduction to Amazon DynamoDB

Lab overview
Amazon DynamoDB is a fast and flexible NoSQL database service for all applications
that need consistent, single-digit millisecond latency at any scale. It is a fully
managed database and supports both document and key-value data models. Its flexible
data model and reliable performance make it a great fit for mobile, web, gaming,
ad-tech, Internet of Things (IoT), and many other applications.

In this lab, you will create a table in DynamoDB to store information about a music
library. You will query the music library and then delete the DynamoDB table.

Topics covered
In this lab, you will:

Create an Amazon DynamoDB table

Enter data into an Amazon DynamoDB table
Query an Amazon DynamoDB table
Delete an Amazon DynamoDB table
Duration
This lab requires approximately 35 minutes to complete.

Accessing the AWS Management Console

At the upper-right corner of these instructions, choose Start Lab

Troubleshooting tip: If you get an Access Denied error, close the error box, and
choose Start Lab again.

The lab status can be interpreted as follows:

A red circle next to AWS at the upper-left corner of this page indicates the lab
has not been started.
A yellow circle next to AWS at the upper-left corner of this page indicates the
lab is starting.
A green circle next to AWS at the upper-left corner of this page indicates the lab
is ready.
Please wait for the lab to be ready before proceeding.

At the top of these instructions, choose the green circle next to AWS

This option will open the AWS Management Console in a new browser tab. The system
will automatically sign you in.

Tip: If a new browser tab does not open, a banner or icon at the top of your
browser will indicate that your browser is preventing the site from opening pop-up
windows. Choose the banner or icon, and choose Allow pop-ups.

Arrange the AWS Management Console tab so that it displays along side these
instructions. Ideally, you should be able to see both browser tabs at the same time
so that you can follow the lab steps.

Do not change the lab Region unless specifically instructed to do so.

Task 1: Create a new table

In this task, you create a new table named Music in DynamoDB. Each table requires a
partition key (or a primary key) that is used to partition data across DynamoDB
servers. A table can also have a sort key. The combination of a partition key and
sort key uniquely identifies each item in a DynamoDB table.

In the AWS Management Console, choose the Services menu. Under Database, choose
DynamoDB.

Choose Create table.

For the Table name, enter Music

For the Partition key, enter Artist and leave String selected in the dropdown list.

For Sort key - optional, enter Song and leave String selected.

Your table will use the default settings for indexes and provisioned capacity.

Scroll down, and choose Create table.

The table will be created in less than 1 minute. Wait for the Music table to be
Active before moving on to the next task.

Task 2: Add data

In this task, you will add data to the Music table. A table is a collection of data
on a particular topic.

Each table contains multiple items. An item is a group of attributes that is

uniquely identifiable among all of the other items. Items in DynamoDB are similar
in many ways to rows in other database systems. In DynamoDB, there is no limit to
the number of items you can store in a table.

Each item consists of one or more attributes. An attribute is a fundamental data

element, something that does not need to be broken down any further. For example,
an item in a Music table contains attributes such as song and artist. Attributes in
DynamoDB are similar columns in other database systems, but each item (row) can
have different attributes (columns).

When you write an item to a DynamoDB table, only the partition key and sort key (if
used) are required. Other than these fields, the table does not require a schema.
This means that you can add attributes to one item that may be different than the
attributes for other items.

Choose the Music table.

Choose Actions, and then choose Create item.

For the Artist value, enter Pink Floyd

For the Song value, enter Money

These are the only required attributes, but you now add additional attributes.

To create an additional attribute, choose Add new attribute.

In the dropdown list, select String.

A new attribute row will be added.

For the new attribute, enter the following:

FIELD: Album
VALUE: The Dark Side of the Moon
To add another new attribute, choose Add new attribute.

In the dropdown list, choose Number.

A new number attribute will be added.

For the new attribute, enter the following:

FIELD: Year
VALUE: 1973
Choose Create item.

The item has now been added to the Music table.

Similarly, to create a second item, use the following attributes:

Attribute Name Attribute Type Attribute Value

Artist String John Lennon
Song String Imagine
Album String Imagine
Year Number 1971
Genre String Soft rock
This item has an additional attribute called Genre. This is an example of each item
being capable of having different attributes without having to pre-define a table
schema.

To create a third item, use the following attributes:

Attribute Name Attribute Type Attribute Value

Artist String Psy
Song String Gangnam Style
Album String Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1
Year Number 2011
LengthSeconds Number 219
Once again, this item has a new LengthSeconds attribute identifying the length of
the song. This demonstrates the flexibility of a NoSQL database.

There are also faster ways to load data into DynamoDB, such as using AWS Command
Line Interface, programmatically loading data, or using one of the free tools
available on the internet.

Task 3: Modify an existing item

You now notice that there is an error in your data. In this task, you will modify
an existing item.

In the DynamoDB dashboard, under Tables, choose Explore Items.

Choose the Music button.

Choose Psy.
Change the Year from 2011 to 2012.

Choose Save changes.

The item is now updated.

Task 4: Query the table

There are two ways to query a DynamoDB table: query and scan.

A query operation finds items based on the primary key and optionally the sort key.
It is fully indexed, so it runs very fast.

Expand Scan/Query items, and choose Query.

Fields for the Artist (Partition key) and Song (Sort key) are now displayed.

Enter the following details:

Artist (Partition key): Psy

Song (Sort key): Gangnam Style
Choose Run.

The song quickly appears in the list. You might need to scroll down to see this
result.

A query is the most efficient way to retrieve data from a DynamoDB table.

Alternatively, you can scan for an item. This option involves looking through every
item in a table, so it is less efficient and can take significant time for larger
tables.

Scroll up on the page, and choose Scan.

Expand Filters, and enter the following values:

For Attribute name, enter Year

For Type, choose Number.
For Value, enter 1971
Choose Run

Only the song released in 1971 is displayed.

Task 5: Delete the table

In this task, you will delete the Music table, which will also delete all the data
in the table.

In the DynamoDB dashboard, under Tables, choose Update settings.

Choose the Music table if it is not already selected.

Choose Actions, and then choose Delete table.

On the confirmation panel, enter delete and choose Delete table.

The table will be deleted.

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