Episode 40: Interview Werner Vogels

SOA Use

Amazon's internal operations heavily rely on a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), where all data is encapsulated by services. Werner Vogels explains that this approach ensures that the only way to access functionality or data is through a service interface, described in WSDL, but using Amazon's own transport and encapsulation mechanisms 1. This method allows Amazon to maintain a high level of control and flexibility over their systems.

Web services can start to do a lot for people, but take it step by step and build some good stuff there.

--- Werner Vogels

The use of SOA at Amazon is not just about technology but also about building an open community around their services, making it easier for developers to integrate and innovate 1.

   

Pizza Teams

The concept of 'pizza teams' at Amazon is a unique approach to agile team structure, emphasizing small, independent units. Werner Vogels describes these teams as being no larger than what two pizzas can feed, typically eight to ten people, to keep communication efficient and manageable 2. These teams are empowered to develop services autonomously, fostering innovation and rapid deployment.

The team should not be larger than what you can feed of two pizzas.

--- Werner Vogels

This structure supports Amazon's agile development philosophy, allowing for fast time-to-market and independence, with infrastructure that facilitates quick service building and deployment 2.