Create an SNS Topic

Task 3: Create an SNS Topic

In this task, we’ll create an Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) topic to facilitate communication between our Lambda functions. This is a crucial step in our serverless architecture for converting blog posts to audio.

Why Use SNS?

Our application’s architecture splits the text-to-speech conversion process into two Lambda functions for several reasons:

  1. Asynchronous Processing: This allows users to receive immediate confirmation of their post submission without waiting for the audio conversion to complete.

  2. Scalability: It enables our system to handle posts of varying lengths efficiently, from short snippets to lengthy articles.

  3. Decoupled Architecture: By separating the post creation and audio conversion processes, we create a more flexible and maintainable system.

SNS acts as the glue between these two functions, enabling seamless communication and triggering the audio conversion process.

Steps to Create an SNS Topic:

  1. Access SNS in AWS Console

    • Open the AWS Management Console
    • In the search bar at the top, type “SNS” and select “Simple Notification Service”

  2. Navigate to Topics

    • In the left navigation pane, choose “Topics”
    • Note: You may need to expand the navigation pane by clicking the menu icon

  3. Create a New Topic

    • Click “Create topic”
    • Configure the following details:
      • Type: Choose “Standard”
      • Name: Enter “new_posts”
      • Display name: Enter “New Posts”

  4. Finalize Topic Creation

    • Scroll to the bottom of the page
    • Click “Create topic”

  5. Save the Topic ARN

    • After creation, you’ll see the Topic ARN (Amazon Resource Name)
    • Copy this ARN and save it in a text editor for later use
    • The ARN will look similar to this:
      arn:aws:sns:us-west-2:123456789012:new_posts

Important Note

You’ll use this Topic ARN when configuring the Lambda functions in subsequent tasks. It’s crucial for establishing the communication link between your functions.

Next Steps

With your SNS topic created, you’re now ready to move on to the next task in building your serverless blog-to-audio application. This SNS topic will play a vital role in triggering the audio conversion process for each new blog post.