aws Archives | XOAP https://dev.xoap.io/tag/aws/ Platform for IT infrastructure and workplace automation Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:32:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://dev.xoap.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32x32.png aws Archives | XOAP https://dev.xoap.io/tag/aws/ 32 32 The AWS European Sovereign Cloud: Insights from our podcast ep. 06 https://dev.xoap.io/aws-european-sovereign-cloud-insights-from-our-podcast/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 11:20:12 +0000 https://dev.xoap.io/?p=26633 In Episode 06 of the Automation Talks podcast, we dive deep into the AWS European Sovereign Cloud with Tobias Tomandl from Ingram Micro.

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In Episode 06 of Cloud Meets Hybrid | The Automation Talks by XOAP, our co-founder Mario Istuk sat down with Tobias Tomandl, Senior Pre-Sales Consultant at Ingram Micro and AWS Community Builder. Tobias enables AWS partners across the DACH region and is deeply engaged in the AWS community, from speaking at user groups to writing technical content and contributing to whitepapers.

This episode centered on one topic dominating European cloud conversations right now: the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

What sovereignty really means

Cloud sovereignty often gets confused with simply storing data in the EU. Tobias explains that data residency is only part of sovereignty. True sovereignty also includes operational autonomy — meaning who runs the cloud and under which legal framework they operate.

In other words:

Sovereignty isn’t just where the data lives, it’s who controls access and operations.

AWS European Sovereign Cloud: A separate cloud for Europe

AWS announced the European Sovereign Cloud (ESC), and it isn’t just another region. It is a completely separate AWS partition, with its own:

  • Identity and access management
  • Billing system
  • Metadata control
  • Operational processes
  • Security governance

All of it fully operated by EU-based personnel under EU law.

AWS is even building separate DNS and root certificate authorities in Europe to avoid any dependency on US-controlled systems.

This means:

  • No dependency on US operations
  • No shared global metadata or IAM
  • Continued operation even if US cloud becomes unreachable
  • Legal compliance enforced within the EU

That’s sovereignty at the architecture level, not just policy.

📌 Watch episode: Automation Talks ep. 06: The AWS European Sovereign Cloud

Built with European regulators

AWS is defining sovereignty standards with European authorities, particularly Germany’s BSI, to ensure the cloud meets European legal and compliance expectations.

This isn’t about marketing. It’s about building trust with governments and regulated industries.

Who needs this?

Even today, many regulated workloads run on standard AWS EU regions using strong encryption and key controls. But for organizations with elevated compliance, public sector workloads or strong regulatory pressure, the ESC aims to remove the last barrier: perceived geopolitical risk.

Think public sector, healthcare, financial services, critical infrastructure or mid-market companies sensitive to US jurisdiction.

For many, the ESC is the missing trust layer they’ve been waiting for.

Why not use local EU cloud providers?

There are European providers like StackIT and Hetzner. However, Tobias points out the key difference: hyperscaler capabilities.

AWS provides:

  • ~300 services
  • Deep integration and automation
  • Modern cloud-native services (not just servers)
  • Mature developer experience

Many local providers can’t yet match that scale or service integration depth. The ESC gives Europe both sovereignty and hyperscaler innovation.

Adoption path & timing

The European Sovereign Cloud is expected end of 2025. Early adopters should expect:

  • Higher pricing (~15–20% potential premium)
  • Not all services on day one
  • Separate FinOps and monitoring tooling ramp-up
  • Some redeployment required rather than “lift & shift”

Infrastructure-as-code will be key to smooth adoption.

📌 Read also: How XOAP automates AWS operations, security and migration

Watch now

This episode made one thing clear: Europe wants to innovate in the cloud on its own terms.

The AWS European Sovereign Cloud is not just a new region. It’s a strategic investment in European digital independence, built with regulators and designed to address long-standing trust and legal concerns.

If you haven’t listened yet, tune in to Episode 06 to hear the full conversation with Tobias, packed with real-world insights into Europe’s sovereign cloud future.

 

Cloud Meets Hybrid | Automation Talks ep. 06
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🎙 Check also:

→ Listen to Automation Talks on Spotify
→ Now available on Apple Podcasts
→ Watch all episodes on YouTube

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]]> How to automate AWS without using Terraform https://dev.xoap.io/how-to-automate-aws-without-using-terraform/ Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:52:34 +0000 https://dev.xoap.io/?p=25916 Script your infrastructure and operations across accounts. No HCL, no state files. Just fast, flexible automation from a single UI.

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If you’re managing AWS infrastructure, there’s a good chance Terraform is on your radar or already part of your pipeline.

However:
a) It’s not always necessary.
b) You might not need it at all.

The effort of writing HCL, managing state files and stitching together modules can slow things down, especially for operational tasks, account bootstrapping or cross-environment scripting.

If you want fast, simple and flexible AWS automation, XOAP can be a great option, with or without Terraform.

Is Terraform really necessary?

While Terraform is great for building infrastructure, not every task is about provisioning VPCs or load balancers.

Much of what DevOps and cloud teams do looks more like this:

• Applying security settings at scale.
• Running scripts across multiple accounts.
• Automating patching, updates or cleanup.
• Enforcing compliance across environments.
• Configuring operating systems or installing apps.

📌 Read more about Securing AWS accounts automatically

Using XOAP

XOAP can provision infrastructure, not just manage existing environments. It does this through Scripted Actions and prebuilt automation templates that let you create and configure:

• EC2 instances.
• IAM roles and policies.
• VPCs and security groups.
• S3 buckets and encryption settings.
• GuardDuty, Config, CloudTrail and other AWS services.

Instead of declaring resources in HCL, you write scripts – or use ready-made ones available in your XOAP Workspace – that tell AWS exactly what to do, which gives you:

• More flexibility to define infrastructure your way.
• Easier cross-account and multi-region provisioning.
• The ability to use conditional logic, loops and dynamic inputs.
• Simpler onboarding with no need to learn Terraform internals.

XOAP can be your provisioning engine and your operations tool, especially if you prefer scripting over declarative IaC.

What this means in practice for AWS automation

By using your own scripts or XOAP’s pre-built templates, you can automate AWS tasks directly, across any number of accounts:

• Connect your AWS environments easily (via access key or role).
• Create production-ready Landing Zones fast.
• Run Scripted Actions using PowerShell, CLI or your preferred language.
• Apply changes instantly or schedule them across time zones and regions.
• Automate configuration, security, updates and more.

No IaC or state files. Just automation that works at scale.

📌 Read more about Automating entire AWS operations

Example: Automating patching across all your EC2s

Let’s say you want to update EC2 instances with security patches across five AWS accounts.

With Terraform, that means modeling your EC2 fleet declaratively, managing dependencies and state updates, and possibly writing a custom provider or pulling in external data.

With XOAP, it’s a Scripted Action: you select a patching script, pick the accounts and hit run.

Scripted Actions can also be scheduled to keep it fully automated.

This way, you get:

➜ Secure access to each account.
➜ Parallel execution across regions.
➜ Logging, audit trails and notifications.

📌 Read more about Automating Amazon DCV deployment

Already using Terraform? Even better!

If your team already uses Terraform for provisioning, keep going. XOAP isn’t here to replace it, but to complement it.

While Terraform covers infrastructure provisioning, XOAP handles:

• Day-2 operations like updates, restarts or application installations.
• Cross-account orchestration, particularly when it involves configuration that goes beyond the platform’s capabilities.
• Conditional flows based on runtime state, like remediation scripts.
• Orchestration of operational sequences.
• Central view of execution history and logs.

You can even trigger XOAP actions via API to keep your workflows clean and modular.

Try XOAP now

If you’re spending time on repetitive tasks, dealing with multi-account complexity or just want a simple path to automation, XOAP can help. And if you’re already deep into Terraform, XOAP goes a step beyond.

💡 Read also:

→Automating entire AWS operations
→Securing AWS accounts instantly
→Automating Amazon DCV deployment

Terraform is a registered trademark of HashiCorp, Inc. XOAP is not affiliated with or endorsed by HashiCorp.
Results may vary depending on AWS account configuration, access permissions and workload complexity.

Simple and flexible automation

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]]> How to automate AWS CIS hardening https://dev.xoap.io/automatically-harden-aws-accounts-with-cis-benchmarks/ Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:00:39 +0000 https://dev.xoap.io/?p=25631 If you manage cloud environments, you know how time-consuming it is to secure every new AWS account. XOAP changes that. The moment you connect an account, it’s automatically hardened to meet CIS benchmarks.

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If you manage cloud environments, you already know that security is non-negotiable, but it can slow everything down – especially when you’re spinning up new AWS accounts.

Every time you add a new account, there’s a long list of things to do: configure logs, enable GuardDuty, tweak IAM policies, block public S3 access… and so on. It’s tedious, time-consuming, and easy to get wrong.

So we built a better way! With XOAP, your AWS accounts can be CIS compliant the moment you connect them.

Why the CIS AWS benchmark matters

The CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark is a set of best practices designed to help secure AWS environments. It covers things like:

  • Logging and monitoring
  • Identity and access management
  • Network protections
  • Encryption settings
  • Regional coverage

Following these guidelines helps reduce risk and improve your security posture. The problem? Actually applying all of this manually isn’t simple.

📌 Read more about CIS compliance

The problem with manual hardening

Here’s how it usually works:

  1. A new AWS account gets created.
  2. Someone (usually a DevOps or security engineer) goes through a checklist.
  3. They set up CloudTrail, enable Config, turn on GuardDuty, enforce MFA, etc.
  4. Repeat for every region and every new account.

This process is not only repetitive, but it also introduces inconsistencies, especially as your environment grows.

The fix: XOAP’s automated AWS CIS hardening

Instead of doing all that manually, XOAP lets you automate the entire process in just a few clicks. Here’s how it works:

Steps for AWS CIS hardening with XOAP

1. Connect your AWS account

Head to your XOAP Workspace, go to Connections and add your AWS account. The setup only takes a few minutes.

2. Choose the CIS hardening script

Open Scripted Actions, click New, and select the Resource: aws-ps-account-hardening.ps1. It’s pre-built and ready to go.

3. Run now or schedule it

Run the action immediately or schedule it to run automatically at the desired time (your choice).

4. Done! Start using your hardened AWS account

That’s it. The script applies all CIS-aligned settings behind the scenes. No extra tools needed.

What XOAP configures for you

When you run the CIS hardening script, XOAP automatically configures:

  • CloudTrail: Multi-region, KMS-encrypted, with log file validation
  • AWS Config: Recording and delivery set up across your regions
  • Security Hub: Enabled per region and subscribed to the CIS standard
  • GuardDuty: Turned on and actively managed
  • S3: Public access blocked; SSL-only enforced via bucket policies
  • EBS/EC2: Default encryption enabled with your customer-managed keys
  • VPC: Flow logs on; optional tightening of admin ports
  • IAM: Strong password policy; optional MFA enforcement for console access.

All of this happens automatically, in minutes.

Why this makes a difference

Cloud teams today are moving fast and security can’t be an afterthought. With XOAP:

  • New accounts are secured instantly – no lag, no risk.
  • You get consistency at scale – the same secure setup across all environments.
  • Compliance is easier – CIS-aligned settings are mapped and exportable.
  • You don’t need to write scripts – we’ve already done that part.

Whether you’re managing a few accounts or hundreds, this saves time and reduces mistakes significantly.

📌 Read more about CIS-ready AWS accounts

Try it now

There’s no reason to spend hours manually securing every new AWS account. It’s repetitive and pulls your team away from more valuable work.

With XOAP, CIS hardening becomes automatic. The moment an account is connected, it’s configured with security best practices: no guesswork, no delays. You get consistent, reliable security at scale without slowing anything down.

It’s a straightforward fix to a real problem. If you’re managing cloud environments and care about getting security right from day one, this is how you do it.

Please note: The hardening script is automatically available for all new XOAP accounts. If you’re an existing XOAP user, please contact us to get the script.

We cover instant AWS account security in the Automation Talks podcast
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💡 Helpful info:

→How to connect your infrastructure
→Automate your entire AWS operations
→Centralized script automation

CIS-ready AWS accounts

Start for free
Book a demo

The post How to automate AWS CIS hardening appeared first on XOAP.

]]> Automate Azure & AWS infrastructure with command line https://dev.xoap.io/automate-azure-amp-aws-infrastructure-with-command-line/ Wed, 12 Jun 2024 12:20:17 +0000 https://dev.xoap.io/?p=13046 Get an overview of the key automated deployment possibilities for Azure and AWS. Know how to choose the best tools for your needs.

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Automating infrastructure deployments in cloud environments like Azure and AWS is essential for achieving efficiency, consistency and scalability. Both platforms offer a variety of tools and services that facilitate automated deployments, catering to different needs and preferences.

This blog post provides an overview of the key automated deployment possibilities for Azure and AWS, helping you understand the options available and choose the best tools for your requirements.

Automated deployments in Azure

Azure CLI

Azure CLI is a cross-platform command-line tool designed to manage Azure resources. It offers a straightforward syntax for interacting with Azure services and can be run on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The key features of this software include support for shell scripting for automation. It also offers simplicity and ease of use. The syntax is simple and intuitive, making it easy for users familiar with command-line interfaces. Additionally, it’s cross-platform and runs on multiple operating systems, enhancing its versatility.

➕ Pros

  • Great for quick, ad-hoc tasks and scripting.
  • Integrates well with CI/CD pipelines.
  • User-friendly and straightforward command structure.
  • Excellent documentation and community support.

➖ Cons

  • Limited to Azure services.
  • Not as powerful for complex deployments compared to ARM, Bicep or other automation solutions like Terraform/OpenTofu.
  • For complex automation, it might require combining with other tools.

Azure PowerShell

Azure PowerShell is a set of cmdlets for managing Azure resources directly from the PowerShell command line. It leverages the familiar PowerShell scripting environment and seamlessly integrates with the broader PowerShell ecosystem.

It also has advanced scripting capabilities, meaning it supports complex scripting and automation tasks. Additionally, it is module-based and can be extended with additional modules for specific Azure services.

➕ Pros

  • Powerful and flexible scripting capabilities.
  • Familiar environment for Windows administrators.
  • Supports advanced automation scenarios.

➖ Cons

  • Primarily designed for Windows, though it works on macOS and Linux with PowerShell Core.
  • Steeper learning curve for non-PowerShell users.

Automated deployments in AWS

AWS CLI

Next on our list is AWS CLI, a unified tool to manage AWS services. It provides a consistent interface for interacting with AWS resources and is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

AWS CLI has a simplified command structure, cross-platform compatibility and is automation-friendly – ideal for scripting and integrating into CI/CD pipelines.

➕ Pros

  • Easy to use and learn.
  • Great for quick, ad-hoc tasks and scripting.
  • Integrates well with CI/CD pipelines.
  • Consistent and predictable command syntax.

➖ Cons

  • Not as powerful for complex deployments compared to CloudFormation or other automation solutions like Terraform/OpenTofu.
  • May require jq or other tools for complex JSON manipulations.

AWS PowerShell

Another option is AWS PowerShell. It provides cmdlets for managing AWS services from the PowerShell command line and brings AWS management to the PowerShell environment.

AWS PowerShell has a PowerShell integration and leverages the PowerShell environment for AWS resource management. Furthermore, it has advanced scripting and supports difficult automation tasks with PowerShell’s scripting capabilities. On top of that, the comprehensive AWS service coverage provides thorough support for AWS services.

➕ Pros

  • Powerful and flexible scripting capabilities.
  • Familiar environment for Windows administrators.
  • Powerful scripting environment for advanced automation.

➖ Cons

  • Primarily designed for Windows, though compatible with PowerShell Core on macOS and Linux.
  • Steeper learning curve for non-PowerShell users.

Popular CI/CD tools

To automate Azure CLI and AWS CLI scripts effectively, you have several options depending on your specific needs, environment and existing tools. Below are some of the best options.

Using continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines is a robust way to automate CLI scripts. Popular CI/CD tools include:

GitHub Actions: It can be used to create workflows that automate running Azure and AWS CLI scripts. You can define jobs in a YAML file that specify when and how the scripts should run.

Azure DevOps Pipelines: It can automate the deployment of applications to Azure and AWS. You can create pipeline YAML files to define the steps.

AWS Lambda: Functions can include AWS CLI commands and trigger them based on events or schedules.

AWS CodeDeploy: A deployment service that automates application deployments to various compute services like Amazon EC2, AWS Lambda, and on-premises servers.

By choosing the right tool you can efficiently automate Azure CLI and AWS CLI scripts to streamline your cloud operations.

Be aware of the fact that running pipelines, storing the code in repositories for versioning and collaboration reasons and defining coding guidelines and standards is a whole different topic that needs a lot of experience and work.

⚡ For a quick start look at our Scripted Actions repository on GitHub.

How to choose the right tool?

Choosing the right tool for your infrastructure deployment depends on your specific needs and existing skill set.

🎯 Here’s a quick guide:

→ For simplicity and cross-platform needs in Azure use Azure CLI.

→ For advanced scripting and integration in Azure opt for the Azure PowerShell.

→ For comprehensive AWS service management and cross-platform use choose AWS CLI.

→ For advanced automation and familiarity with PowerShell in AWS go with AWS PowerShell.

Each tool has its strengths and understanding these will help you leverage the best of what Azure and AWS have to offer. Whether you are managing resources, automating deployments or integrating into CI/CD pipelines, there’s a tool that fits your workflow and maximizes productivity.

Enjoyed this article? Pass it on to a friend who loves IT automation!

Start automating with XOAP

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]]> Access 1000s of AWS & Azure Marketplace images from one place https://dev.xoap.io/access-1000s-of-aws-amp-azure-marketplace-images-from-one-place/ Fri, 10 May 2024 08:04:49 +0000 https://dev.xoap.io/?p=11334 Select more than 50,000 OS images per cloud provider. Speed up your VM deployment and cover all your unique use cases.

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Our Image Management module (image.XO) is one of the most popular XOAP modules. And that’s not surprising! Why, you may ask? Because it allows quick creation of operating system image templates using different functions combined in groups and roles.

One of the greatest benefits of image.XO is that we can use the same function sets to configure and deploy images on the two biggest cloud providers – Azure and AWS. More information about Image Management can be found on our Docs page.

In pursuit of continuous improvement, we decided to:

Dynamically show all possible AWS and Azure regions and the available operating systems and instance sizes.

Now you can select thousands of different operating systems per cloud provider. To make it easier for you, we also implemented some new filter options to help you tackle the amount of operating systems.

Whether you are trying to create image templates for Azure Virtual Desktops, Windows Server environments or Linux-based workloads, we’ve got you covered. 😎

See it in action 👇

If you haven’t done it already, create your free XOAP account. Once your Workspace is ready, navigate to Image Management → Operating Systems.

OS list in image.XO

In the upper right corner click the green + button to add a new operating system entry to your list of operating systems.

Ad OS in image.XO

Select your preferred cloud provider, Azure or AWS. Depending on the selected provider, Region, Platform Details, Virtualization Type and Architecture you will have different amount of options available.

The following Azure example shows 3532 entries:

Azure example

And the AWS example shows 7954 entries:

AWS example

As this is still a huge amount of data, we implemented a simple search and an advanced filter option. The simple search is looking for a text in any column of the shown data table, and with the advanced filter, you can narrow your results down to the desired operating system.

Search bar in Add OS

The advanced filter lets you define different filter types per column. This enables a lot of options when searching for the exact entry. When you’re done configuring your filter, click Apply filters to show the filtered list. 

Filtering in Add OS

The last thing to do is to select the desired operating system entry, scroll down and click Save.

List of all OS

Once saved, your OS will be visible in the operating systems table. This way you can configure your library of operating systems that you can customize to your own needs.

Added OS visible in image.XO

This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video.

Check out our YouTube channel for more videos like this!

A powerful tool at your fingertips

With the availability of the Azure and AWS marketplace images, you have new possibilities in image provision. 

Now, you can select one of the many available operating systems. This will help you cover all of your unique use cases. In combination with the dynamic regions, instance sizes and the latest updates to the builders and provisions, you have a powerful tool at your fingertips. 🚀

And the best thing about it – there’s no need to code anything to automate your image build. XOAP handles it all! If you want to learn more or need additional help with Marketplace images book a demo. 

Start your custom image build creation

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