Is AWS Mobile Hub ready for prime time?
Recently I happened to develop a small community app. This is a React-Native based app. I have been trying out several frameworks for my web application. React-Native seem to be promising and less learning curve if you are coming from React.js or Vue.js.
My favorite Cloud platform is AWS, undoubtedly they have made some developer friendly tools, pricing and specifically product lines that are suitable for get go. One such tool is mobile hub. It is more like basket of their AWS service bundled under one umbrella. Also, I did not find any mobile backend provider without coughing large upfront or recurring cost.
Initially, all is well. I created APIs, backend databases, Analytics, Lambda functions. Development, testing everything went well. Now the time to put it for market…
Google Play Store…fine, validation with iTunes Store…fine but it was time for App review thats when it hits on your face…Apple folks gave a report that my app was not responding in ipv6 only environment. Root cause…API Gateways are not IPV6 compatible…
Back to drawing board…I had to scramble for the answers to make it ipv6 compatible. On top of this, I was using AWS community grown mobile SDK ‘Amplify’. That’s when it dawned me…AWS wants their share money. They are so gentle about it that they don’t mention anywhere. Solution, traffic needs to go through their Cloudfront distribution. Ah Ha…!
I ended up adding unnecessary hops to enable IPv6 with Custom Domain. Their API Gateway Custom Domain Cloudfront distribution is not IPv6 either. So you need to add one more CF distribution in front of Custom Domain Distribution. ‘Amplify’ don’t allow Custom API domain, their Sig4 calculates wrong signature if you pass query string.
I really started asking the question, does anyone even use this platform? Don’t they face hurdle as basic as IPv6 compatible questions from Apple?
Although, my app is finally compatible, approved and live now, in hindsight if I had known these bottlenecks, I would have explored different platform perhaps opted it before investing my time, codebase, money in AWS Mobile Hub. I still adore AWS Platform but I don’t think Mobile Hub as a MBaaS provides professional grade service. It is good for ‘Hello World!’ nothing more!
Thats my 2 cents…