Goodbye AWS CodeCommit and Workdocs, Why Sunsetting Services Matter

There’s a saying, “If you love something, let it go”. While this might be the mantra spoken and lived by in your favorite cheesy romcom, it doesn’t quite have the same appeal in the world of tech.

It was found that AWS stopped onboarding new customers for their popular AWS CodeCommit service, providing guidance for migration to a new Git service. A similar situation was seen occurring a couple months ago with WorkDocs; CodeCommit and WorkDocs represent only a small fraction of the services that AWS has quietly removed support from. 

Product sunsetting is not a new occurrence. Whether sunsetting involves removing your favorite, obscure snack from shelves, or finally ending support for an old game, sunsetting happens often and for varying reasons. In the context of software sunsetting, ending support for a solution can come as a result of:

• Lackluster solution performance
• Outdated technology
• Financial implications

The resources and support for these older solutions are often put into creating new solutions that better fit customer needs while enabling companies to stay innovative and competitive. Sunsetting technology from an organizational standpoint might reap more benefits than losses, but what does it mean for the end user?

In the case of CodeCommit AWS, AWS WorkDocs, and many other AWS services, devout users found themselves blindsided and disappointed by the sheer spontaneity of these decisions. These users are confronted with two problems: finding an alternative solution quickly, and moving their data from AWS before service depreciation permanently deletes it.

Sunsetting meaning varies depending on perspective. For companies, sunsetting can be an exciting time, reinvigorating internal growth and innovation. For users, sunsetting can mean new, modern tech coming soon, but can also ring in a time of uncertainty. 

Depreciated Services: AWS Cloud9, AWS QLDB, Amazon CloudSearch, and More 

Sunsetting services is not a new practice at all, though the action of doing so always takes users by surprise. Here are just some of the services that were depreciated in 2024:

AWS CodeCommit

AWS CodeCommit is the cloud computing giant’s in-house source control services, enabling teams to collaborate on code while hosting GIT based repositories. CodeCommit is fully managed, removing the need to maintain the control system or worry about the underlying infrastructure. What defines CodeCommit as a premier source control system is its scalability. With no limits on repository sizing, CodeCommit is highly scalable and works seamlessly with other AWS solutions, enhancing the overall developer experience.

Outside of high scalability, source control service is extremely secure and available, letting you store anything inside CodeCommit repositories. 

Amazon WorkDocs

Amazon WorkDocs is the tech giant’s document and content sharing service. Like CodeCommit, WorkDocs is fully managed and extremely scalable, offering secure cloud storage that works directly with AWS. Through Amazon WorkDocs, users are able to securely share files throughout their organizations, allowing for role-based file shares and increased collaboration.

AWS Cloud9

AWS Cloud9 is an integrated development environment (IDE) that offers code-editing interface within a web browser. With Cloud9, users can write, run, and debug their code with a variety of tools, compiling these features within an approachable UI.

AWS QLDB

AWS Quantum Leader Database (QLDB) is a managed ledger database equipped with a transparent transaction log. AWS QLDB allows users to track changes within their data in real time, with this data being immutable.

Amazon CloudSearch

Amazon CloudSearch, or AWS CloudSearch, is a fully managed service that makes searching within your website or application extremely easy. Through CloudSearch, you’re able to search through large sets of data, with users having the ability to add more search features if they deem fit. Removing the need for search experts, CloudSearch provides much needed flexibility and scalability to web searching, molding to meet your needs.

These, along with countless other AWS services- AWS Snowmobile and AWS Forecast to name a few- face the end of their lifeline this year. Because of this, many users have looked towards alternatives that can match their needs- luckily there are quite a few.

AWS Service Alternatives

With some AWS services becoming depreciated at a moment’s notice, it’s in good faith to know solutions that can replicate and even surpass the performance of the AWS version. Here are some service alternatives to know:

GitLab

An alternative to AWS CodeCommit, GitLab is an open source code repository and software development platform. Aimed towards DevOps and DevSecOps teams, GitLab encourages high collaboration at every stage of the software development lifecycle (SLDC). GitLab is currently free for individuals.

GitLab is a prominent code repository for a variety of reasons:

• GitLab offers both public and private repositories
• GitLab can automate every step of the SDLC with their strong CI/CD
• GitLab offers strong security capabilities and is industry compliant
• GitLab enables prioritized planning and progress tracking
• GitLab is open source and constantly evolving

And so much more, all within a single platform.

For users that found themselves confused after the depreciation of AWS CodeCommit, GitLab is the perfect code repository option.

ownCloud

For users looking to migrate from Amazon WorkDocs, ownCloud is a great alternative, hosting many of the capabilities of the AWS service but with an open source foundation. ownCloud is an open source software that enables teams to share and sync files and content, encouraging collaboration.

Cloud based storage is all the rage, with services from AWS, Google, and Dropbox gaining popularity due to sheer convenience and accessibility. What sets ownCloud apart from this approach is that it’s not only a platform, but a file server, allowing for secure file sharing capabilities that are compliant, but also free from observation from third parties.

Outside of web and mobile file sharing and collaboration, ownCloud also hosts features like:

• Action auditing
• Document scanning
• Activity streams

And more, making ownCloud a great alternative to Amazon WorkDocs.

Visual Studio Code

Like AWS Cloud9, Visual Studio Code is a code editor that lets developers go through the code-build-debug lifecycle with ease. Unlike AWS Cloud9, Visual Studio Code is open source and free, open to modifications and community-built updates.

Outside of the features of a classic source code editor, Visual Studio Code supports all major programming languages and can even integrate with GitHub Copilot to produce code faster. The code editor also hosts an integrated debugger and Live Share, a collaborative tool that allows collaborators to see code context. 

Visual Studio Code is currently available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Percona Everest

An extremely competent alternative to AWS QLDB, Percona Everest is the latest innovation from Percona. 

Percona Everest is an open source cloud native database platform aimed at streamlining the provisioning and management of databases both on premise and in the cloud. Percona Everest is able to automatically provision enterprise-grade MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB database clusters, letting you customize and configure these deployments to your needs. From automatic provisioning to automated scaling, Percona Everest is aimed at making the software development and deployment process as smooth as possible.

Percona Everest is a great database platform that offers strong data capabilities at a fraction of the typical cost, hosting features like:

• Multi-database hosting
• Secure backups and point-in-time recovery
• Integration with Percona Monitoring and Management
• Automated backups

And so much more.

Percona is creating exciting things with Percona Everest, for users removed from AWS QLDB, the latest from Percona is a great alternative that will take care of your needs and more.

OpenSearch

For users removed from Amazon CloudSearch, OpenSearch is the perfect option. OpenSearch is an open source search and analytics suite, with use cases only limited by the user’s imagination. The solution is extremely scalable, able to digest large volumes of data while still being flexible enough for any use. 

OpenSearch is made up of a data and storage engine (OpenSearch), an integrated visualization tool and UI (OpenSearch Dashboards), and a data collector (Data Prepper). Because of its open source foundation, OpenSearch can be enhanced with a variety of plugins and extensions, providing much needed flexibility to data practices. Users enjoy OpenSearch because of its ability to search, ingest, view, and analyze data, while being secure through encryption, authentication, RBAC, and more. 

What’s exciting about OpenSearch is their roadmap, giving us insight into what we can expect from the suite in the near future.

Cloud Servicing with Lyrid

Discontinuing services and solutions plays a role in the overarching strategy of companies. Sunsetting older services can bring about newer innovations and more capital to unlock those breakthroughs. While the implications are beneficial towards the companies ceasing services, users who depended on these services suddenly have to migrate their solutions and data elsewhere.

Many alternatives exist that host the same functionalities of AWS services, perhaps even better in some cases. Whether you’re looking for a new managed database option or a means of automated development and deployment, look no further than Lyrid!

Lyrid hosts a variety of solutions that can find most needs. From Managed Kubernetes to Managed Databases and object storage, Lyrid has something for everyone. Through the Lyrid platform, you’re able to provision infrastructure and environments in minutes, speeding up your development cycles and bringing your ideas to life faster! Our platform is a one stop solution for all things cloud native, whether you’re looking to securely store your data or automate your infrastructure.

Learn more about Lyrid by booking a demo with one of our product specialists today!