AWS DynamoDB Setup Guide

Overview

DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database. It requires no server provisioning, patching, or scaling configuration when using on-demand capacity mode. It is the recommended NoSQL database for AWS-based Superloom projects.

Key Concepts

• Table: A collection of items (rows)
• Partition Key: Primary key for item distribution
• Sort Key: Optional secondary key for ordering within a partition
• Capacity Mode: On-Demand (pay per request) or Provisioned (pre-allocated)

Table Creation

Tables are defined in the project's database schema and created via the AWS Console or CLI:

• Table Name: Follow the project's naming convention
• Partition Key: As defined in the schema
• Sort Key: As defined in the schema (if applicable)
• Capacity Mode: On-Demand (recommended for most cases)

Testing Tables

For unit testing, create tables prefixed with test_:

• Same schema as production tables
• Accessible only by the unit-tester IAM user
• Can be created and destroyed by test scripts

Local Development

Use DynamoDB Local for offline development and testing:

docker compose -f docs/dev/docker-compose.yml up dynamodb -d

DynamoDB Local runs on port 8000 and supports the same API as the cloud service.

Capacity Modes

Mode	Best For	Cost Model
On-Demand	Variable or unpredictable traffic	Pay per read/write request
Provisioned	Predictable, steady traffic	Pre-allocated capacity units

On-Demand is recommended for sandbox and most production workloads unless traffic patterns are well understood.

Security

• Access is controlled entirely through IAM policies
• No network configuration needed (DynamoDB is a public-endpoint service)
• Encryption at rest is enabled by default