AWS re:Invent 2024 – Which sessions I’ll try to attend.

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Franck Pachot

I've reviewed the AWS re:Invent 2024 catalog and noted my favorite sessions. The "Reserve a Seat" option will open soon, so I suggest acting quickly to avoid being placed on the waiting list and potentially missing out on a session because you have to rush between venues to arrive early.

There are 2400 sessions, and maybe more will come with new launches. I filtered by Session Type, Topic, and Level. I explore other sessions with the same speaker when I find engaging sessions.

• Type: I prefer Chalk Talks and Code Talks because they are interactive. I value the in-person interaction at physical conferences, especially the opportunity to listen to others' concerns, feedback, and questions. As a Developer Advocate, I like to know the technology and understand how users utilize the products. I'm also interested in Workshops and selected a few Breakout sessions.

• Topic: I'm particularly interested in topics related to databases, especially SQL databases. I'm also interested in Kubernetes, hybrid cloud, and distributed systems. I'm not very keen on GenAI talks—there is too much buzz about them.

• Level: I seek advanced and expert-level information and discussions. I want to gain insights that are not readily available elsewhere and learn from experienced individuals.

I try to stay close to the Venetian because that's where I'm staying, and connecting with people is more manageable given that this is where the main exhibition hall is. Moving from venue to venue is impractical, so limiting travel is better. I don't mind walking for 30 minutes to get fresh air away from the big hotels.

Here are some sessions I've bookmarked, and I recommend them if you have the same interests. There's some overlap, so I'll not attend all. And I always prioritize discussions with people, so I'll miss some sessions because of chatting in the hall.

Monday, Dec 02

• On the south end of The Strip, Global and Resilient databases, PostgreSQL, and some AI

DAT311-R | Design secure and resilient relational database architectures on AWS
Chalk talk | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST | MGM

DAT304 | Amazon Aurora HA and DR design patterns for global resilience
Breakout session | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM PST | Mandalay Bay

DAT423 | Best practices for querying vector data for gen AI apps in PostgreSQL
Breakout session | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PST | Mandalay Bay

• I can end the day with a Chalk talk on advanced storage for traditional databases:

STG336 | Lift-and-shift your database: Scalable, performant, and cost-efficient
Chalk talk | 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM PST | MGM

• On this topic, I may rather stay not far from Venetian for a workshop:

STG404-R | Increase your database agility with Amazon FSx
Workshop | 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM PST | Wynn

Nearby, I'll probably miss this sponsor talk, but I am curious about the use case:

DAT336-S | How Hard Rock Digital built a multi-region sportsbook
Sponsor | 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM PST | Wynn

• If I can't go to the workshop, I'll probably head to a chalk talk about breaking the monolith:

MAM317-R | Decomposing monolithic databases for scalability and agility
Chalk talk | 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM PST | Caesars Forum

Nearby, another Chalk Talk about NoSQL data modeling puzzles:

DAT302-R | Dive deep into Amazon DynamoDB using design puzzles
Chalk talk | 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM PST | Caesars Forum

Tuesday, Dec 03

• Matt Gorman's keynote speech is expected to unveil some innovations. AWS Heroes will know there when they can discuss what they've learned under NDA. It's also an excellent time to review the agenda, as there may be some new product launches.

KEY002 | CEO Keynote with Matt Garman](https://registration.awsevents.com/flow/awsevents/reinvent24/sessioncatalog/page/page?search=KEY002)
Keynote | 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM PST | Venetian

• If I attend some sessions about GenAI, it must be hands-on

DAT307 | Gen AI incident detection & response systems with Aurora & Amazon RDS
Workshop | 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM PST | Caesars Forum

• If I miss it, I may attend a chalk talk on Aurora Limitless.

DAT416 | Design scalable database solutions with Aurora Limitless Database
Chalk talk | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM PST | Caesars Forum

• If I can book a seat, I'll attend a code talk on my favorite subject in SQL databases: execution plans.

DAT411 | Dive deep into Amazon Aurora query plan management
Code talk | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM PST | Wynn

• If I can't get there, let's hear discussions about the latest features of Aurora

DAT405 | Deep dive into Amazon Aurora and its innovations
Breakout session | 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM PST | Venetian

DAT311-R1 | Design secure and resilient relational database architectures on AWS
Chalk talk | 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM PST | Caesars Forum

Wednesday, Dec 04

Those are great sessions near Venetian, which I have attended in past years.

DAT303-R | Making your Amazon Aurora cluster more resilient
Chalk talk | 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM PST | Caesars Forum

DAT404 | Advanced data modeling with Amazon DynamoDB
Breakout session | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST | Venetian

• I may head to the southern part of the Strip.

DAT312 | Essentials for migrating from Oracle to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL
Chalk talk | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST | Mandalay Bay

or

DAT304 | Amazon Aurora HA and DR design patterns for global resilience
Breakout session | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM PST | Mandalay Bay

• There are two sessions that I don't want to miss, for the topics and the speakers (MGM to Mandalay is 25 min walk):

CMP327 | Amazon Time Sync Service delivers microsecond-accurate time
Chalk talk | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PST | MGM

DAT334 | Build resilient, high-performance apps with Amazon Aurora innovations
Chalk talk | 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM PST | Mandalay Bay

• I'll probably miss the following ones nearby, but on overlapping times:

ARC403 | Try again: The tools and techniques behind resilient systems
Breakout session | 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM PST | Mandalay Bay

DAT420 | Achieving scale with Amazon Aurora Limitless Database
Breakout session | 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM PST | Mandalay Bay

DAT315 | Boost performance and reduce costs in Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS
Breakout session | 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM PST | MGM

• In case I missed all those and I'm back to Venetian:

DAT301-R | Build generative AI–powered search with Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS
Workshop | 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM PST | Venetian

or

STG410 | Boost database performance & availability with Amazon FSx for OpenZFS
Chalk talk | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM PST | Caesars Forum

Thursday, Dec 05

One keynote not to miss is from the CTO.

KEY005 | Dr. Werner Vogels Keynote
Keynote | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM PST | Venetian

• I would like to hear some Kubernetes but will probably not have time to go to the southern part of the strip, but if I do, there are a few sessions nearby.

NET315-R1 | Networking strategies for Kubernetes on AWS
Chalk talk | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST | MGM

DAT335 | Safer, simpler, faster upgrades with Amazon RDS Blue/Green Deployments
Chalk talk | 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM PST | Mandalay Bay

DAT325 | Scaling from monoliths to microservices with Amazon Aurora
Breakout session | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM PST | MGM

DAT325 | Scaling from monoliths to microservices with Amazon Aurora
Breakout session | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM PST | MGM

• Closer to Venetian, an exciting customer story

NFX305 | How Netflix autopilots migration from Amazon RDS to Aurora at scale
Chalk talk | 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM PST | Caesars Forum

Friday, Dec 06

• Let's finish with some GenAI

DAT301-R1 | Build generative AI–powered search with Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS
Workshop | 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM PST | Caesars Forum

Missing some sessions can be frustrating, but I can guarantee it will happen. Don't forget that the people you meet are most important.

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Franck Pachot