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AWS

Wednesday, September 30, 2026 · 7 stories, curated & summarized — click any story for the source.

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AWS What's New awsdatabase

Amazon RDS exposes full snapshot size in Console and API

Amazon RDS now provides visibility into the logical size of incremental snapshots via the new FullSnapshotSizeInBytes field. This value represents the total data covered by a snapshot, including blocks referenced from previous snapshots, rather than just the physical storage used. The information is accessible through both the AWS Console and the DescribeDBSnapshots API for programmatic integration.

  • Use FullSnapshotSizeInBytes to accurately estimate restore times and storage requirements.
  • Access logical snapshot size programmatically via the DescribeDBSnapshots API.
  • View full snapshot size directly in the RDS Console for quick operational checks.
  • Clarifies cost estimation by distinguishing logical size from incremental physical usage.
CHECKLISTLeverage New RDS Snapshot DataEstimate restore times using logical sizeCheck storage requirements accuratelyAccess data via API programmaticallyView details in RDS ConsoleDistinguish logical from physical usage
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AWS What's New awsdatabase

SageMaker Unified Studio adds Iceberg REST and DocumentDB IAM auth

Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio now supports connections to external Apache Iceberg catalogs via the REST specification, including Snowflake Polaris and Databricks Unity Catalog. It also introduces IAM-based authentication for Amazon DocumentDB, enabling credential-less access. These updates allow data teams to integrate governed data sources directly into the platform.

  • Connect to external Iceberg catalogs using the REST specification
  • Supports Snowflake Polaris, Databricks Unity Catalog, and generic IRC
  • Enable IAM authentication for Amazon DocumentDB connections
  • Browse and query governed data sources directly in Data Explorer
  • Reduce credential management with standardized auth mechanisms
CHECKLISTNew SageMaker IntegrationsConnect via Iceberg REST specSupport Snowflake PolarisSupport Databricks Unity CatalogEnable DocumentDB IAM authQuery governed data sources
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InfoQ generaldevops

AWS Launches CloudWatch Omni for AI Agent Observability

Amazon has introduced CloudWatch Omni, an AI-first platform aimed at monitoring and troubleshooting both traditional applications and autonomous AI agents within a single environment. This release marks a shift toward agent-centric observability, allowing teams to evaluate performance across unified workloads without context switching. The tool is designed to handle the unique telemetry and complexity associated with autonomous AI systems.

  • CloudWatch Omni targets AI agents alongside standard apps, unifying monitoring workflows.
  • Platform supports evaluation and troubleshooting for autonomous AI workloads.
  • Represents AWS's move toward AI-first observability infrastructure.
  • No separate agent installation required beyond the new platform integration.
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Hacker News (100+ points) general

Backblaze Q2 2026 drive stats show shifting failure rates

Backblaze released its quarterly drive reliability report for Q2 2026, continuing its long-running analysis of hard drive failure rates across its massive storage fleet. The data provides updated annualized failure rates for various drive models and manufacturers, reflecting the current state of enterprise and consumer-grade storage hardware. This report serves as a real-world benchmark for storage reliability trends in large-scale deployments.

  • Quarterly failure rate data offers real-world reliability benchmarks for storage planning
  • Manufacturer and model-specific stats help identify problematic drive generations
  • Long-term trends indicate how drive technology maturity affects failure probabilities
  • Data supports capacity planning and replacement cycle decisions for storage admins
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The Register general

Spectre variant targets JIT engines via stale branch prediction entries

Researchers have discovered a new Spectre variant that exploits stale indirect branch prediction entries within Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation engines. This attack vector allows adversaries to recover sensitive data by manipulating the CPU's branch predictor state during dynamic code execution. The finding highlights a persistent vulnerability in how modern processors handle speculative execution in dynamic environments.

  • JIT engines are now a confirmed attack surface for Spectre-style branch predictor attacks
  • Stale indirect branch predictions can leak data from previously executed dynamic code
  • Runtime mitigations must account for branch predictor state leakage in JIT contexts
  • Existing CPU-level fixes may not fully cover this specific JIT-targeted variant
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AWS What's New awsdatabase

AWS DRS now supports Graviton-based source servers for arm64 DR

AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery now automatically detects and protects arm64 source servers, recovering them onto Graviton instances to preserve architecture. This update brings parity to disaster recovery coverage for Graviton workloads, matching the experience currently available for x86 servers. The feature is enabled by default with no additional configuration required and is available in all supported regions at no extra cost.

  • Graviton workloads can now be protected and recovered using AWS DRS.
  • Automatic detection ensures arm64 sources recover to Graviton targets.
  • No extra configuration is needed to enable this capability.
  • Available in all AWS DRS regions at no additional cost.
TRADE-OFFDRS Architecture Parityx86 SupportAutomatic detection enabledRecovery to x86 instancesStandard coverage availableGraviton (arm64) SupportAutomatic detection enabledRecovery to Graviton instancesParity now achievedvs
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AWS What's New awsdatabase ↺ since 09-27

EC2 M8i and M8i-flex expand to AWS European Sovereign Cloud Germany

Amazon EC2 M8i and M8i-flex instances are now available in the AWS European Sovereign Cloud (Germany) region. Powered by custom Intel Xeon 6 processors exclusive to AWS, these instances deliver up to 2.5x more memory bandwidth than previous generations. They offer up to 20% better performance than M7i instances, with significant speedups for PostgreSQL, NGINX, and AI workloads.

  • M8i instances are now live in the AWS European Sovereign Cloud (Germany) region.
  • Custom Intel Xeon 6 processors provide up to 2.5x memory bandwidth over prior gen.
  • PostgreSQL databases see up to 30% performance improvement on M8i vs M7i.
  • AI deep learning recommendation models gain up to 40% speedup.
  • NGINX web applications are up to 60% faster compared to previous generation.
COMPARISONM8i Performance GainsMemory Bandwidth2.5xGeneral Performance20%PostgreSQL Speed30%AI Speedup40%
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