Automating AWS with PowerShell: EC2, Lambda, and Beyond (Phil Bossman)

📝 Synopsis:

Last month we got the foundation in place. Now it's time to build on it. Join us as we pick up right where we left off and go hands-on with two of the most powerful services in the AWS ecosystem, EC2 and Lambda, all from your PowerShell
prompt.

📘 Description:

If you were with us in April, you already know how to set up the AWS CLI, install the necessary modules, authenticate securely, and manage IAM users and S3 buckets without ever touching the AWS console. This session picks up right where we left off.

This time, we're heading into compute territory. We'll walk through spinning up EC2 instances from scratch—picking the right AMI, configuring security groups, and managing instance lifecycle with just a few clean lines of script. You'll see how to start, stop, and terminate instances programmatically, and why that matters when you're managing resources at scale.

From there, we'll shift gears to Lambda, where you'll see how to invoke serverless functions, pass payloads, and pull CloudWatch logs directly from your terminal—no browser required. It's the kind of automation that makes your future self very happy.

As always, expect live demos, real-world scenarios, and at least one moment where something doesn't go quite as planned—which, as it turns out, is usually the most useful part. Whether you were with us last month or are jumping in for the first time, you'll walk away with working scripts, a clearer picture of what's possible, and patterns you can actually take back to work on Monday.

📰 Extra credit:

Bring your questions, your war stories, and your curiosity. This is a space for PowerShell enthusiasts to learn, share, and build together.