Overview

Updated in May 2025. This course now features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. This course offers a comprehensive dive into AWS DynamoDB, equipping you with the skills to work with this NoSQL database service. By the end, you’ll be able to design, implement, and manage DynamoDB tables and indexes for a variety of real-world use cases. You'll start by setting up your development environment and AWS account, then proceed with creating and managing DynamoDB tables using the AWS Management Console and AWS CLI. The course continues with a thorough exploration of DynamoDB's core features and its pricing model, providing a foundation for understanding how to scale and optimize your database solutions. You’ll then get hands-on experience with various tools, including the AWS CLI and SDK, allowing you to create, update, and delete tables and data programmatically. Additionally, you’ll explore the process of interacting with DynamoDB tables using the AWS SDK in Python, gaining valuable experience with programmatic access to DynamoDB. As you progress, you'll delve deeper into advanced concepts like creating and managing indexes, including Local and Global Secondary Indexes (LSI & GSI). The course also covers optimization strategies for indexes, ensuring efficient data retrieval. You'll understand how to design keys and indexes that align with your access patterns and business decisions to ensure high performance. This course is ideal for developers, system administrators, and IT professionals who want to harness the power of AWS DynamoDB. Prior knowledge of basic cloud computing and database concepts will be helpful, but is not strictly required. By the end of the course, you will have a solid understanding of DynamoDB and be well-equipped to deploy efficient, scalable NoSQL database solutions.

Syllabus

Introduction

In this module, we will introduce the prerequisites and foundational knowledge needed to succeed in this course. We will also provide an overview of the course layout, including the key topics and skills you will gain throughout the lessons.

Development Environment Setup

In this module, we will guide you step-by-step through setting up your development environment. This includes installing Visual Studio Code (optional) and ensuring your system is ready to interact with AWS DynamoDB.

AWS Account Creation & Setting up AWS CLI

In this module, we will walk you through the process of creating an AWS account, setting up IAM users with proper permissions, and configuring the AWS CLI for seamless interaction with DynamoDB from the command line.

AWS DynamoDB Fundamentals Deep Dive

In this module, we will dive deep into the fundamentals of AWS DynamoDB, covering its features, components, and pricing. You will also explore the differences between NoSQL and SQL databases and gain insight into how DynamoDB works behind the scenes.

Tools for Interacting with AWS DynamoDB - AWS CLI and AWS SDK

In this module, we will explore both the AWS CLI and SDK for interacting with DynamoDB. You will learn through hands-on exercises how to manage DynamoDB tables and items using both the CLI and programmatic approaches.

Interacting with DynamoDB Table with AWS SDK

In this module, we will focus on using the AWS SDK, particularly in Python, to manage DynamoDB tables. You will gain hands-on experience with CRUD operations and advanced querying techniques using the SDK.

AWS DynamoDB Indexes - Deep Dive

In this module, we will explore the powerful indexing capabilities of DynamoDB. You will gain an understanding of Local and Global Secondary Indexes, how to create them, and how they enhance query performance.

Optimizing Indexes for Efficiency

In this module, we will focus on advanced techniques for optimizing DynamoDB indexes. You will learn best practices for partition and sort key design and gain insights into structuring secondary indexes for maximum efficiency.

Wrap Up

In this module, we will guide you through cleaning up your AWS resources and congratulating you on your progress. We will also suggest next steps for further exploration and mastering AWS DynamoDB.