Power up your devops by integrating your AWS Lambda control functions with Amazon Alexa. This presentation covers using Alexa to call remote Lambda functions, and demonstrates how the technique can be extended to any arbitrary functionality. It covers building the Alexa skill, adding the appropriate intents, constructing the handlers, developing application logic in a remote lambda function, then wiring the two together using the Backand SDK.

1. Calling AWS Lambda from Amazon Alexa
Matt Billock
matt@backand.com

2. A quick demo

3. Basic pattern
● Call to alexa lambda function
● Alexa lambda function calls to Back&
Lambda function
● Can expand to run any arbitrary
function

4. Architecture
● One Lambda Function for Alexa Skill
● Two Backand Lambda Functions
○ One calls Yelp to get restaurants
○ One calls OpenTable to see if
restaurant is available

5. Structuring the Intents
● Create Intent in skill builder
○ name of intent = name of handler
● Add intent handler to skill's Lambda
function
● Implement behavior
● Return Alexa-enabled result

6. Configuring an Intent

7. Handling Intents
● Using Alexa SDK
● Add intent name to handler list
● Ensure intent responds with Alexa
action

8. Handling Intents - ListRestaurants

9. Expanding Functionality
● Add a "random restaurant" intent
● Accepts city name in command
● Fetches list from yelp and chooses
one at random
● Returns spoken result to user via
alexa voice

10. Process
● Add Intent to Lambda *first*
○ Takes a while to "compile"
● Add new Backand Lambda function
○ Fetches from Yelp and shuffles
● Add handler to Alexa Lambda
function

11. Adding new intent
● Alexa Skills Builder
● Add intent name
● Add invocation phrases
● Configure contextual parameters

12. New Intent - RandomRestaurant

13. ● Use Backand CLI
● Use pre-built code to fetch list from
Yelp
● Choose a random list member
Add New Backand Lambda Function

14. Backand CLI

15. Pick Random from Yelp

16. Add Handler for RandomRestaurant

17. Code Tour and Demo
In Action

18. ● Source code:
○ https://github.com/backand/alexa_lambda_skill_demo
● More info on Alexa Custom Skills
○ https://developer.amazon.com/alexa
● More info on Backand
○ www.backand.com
○ Live demo every other Wednesday
More Information

19. THANK YOU
https://github.com/backand
matt@backand.com
@matt_billock