CIO guide to ColdFusion and AWS Cloud

Moving your ColdFusion app to the cloud with AWS (Amazon Web Services) sure has its perks.

You get a faster time to market considerations, much greater scalability, and a pretty decent cost of running. Not too shabby.

But did you know about some of the cool AWS tools that you can take full advantage of using ColdFusion and CFML?

Let’s talk about some of these tools and how you can utilize ColdFusion to access them.

 

Using the AWS Java SDK with ColdFusion

Before you start experiencing the fun to be had in AWS, you need to first have a reliable way to access and manipulate AWS. That answer lies within the AWS Java SDK.

According to TheServerSide.com, The AWS Java SDK is

“…a collection of tools for developers creating Java-based Web apps to run on Amazon cloud components such as Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) and Amazon SimpleDB.”

You may be wondering why you would utilize a Java suite through ColdFusion. It can be done. But just because it can, should it?

Here’s some major reasons to do so.

1. It’s easier to work AWS via their SDK’s than through pure http requests.

2. The Java SDK is kept up-to-date regularly.

3. It is wholly complete and proven to be reliable and effective.

However, making use of Java libraries through CF can be a bit tricky.

The first thing you will have to do is to compile the SDK into usable JAR files. This part of the process can be very taxing. The sheer size of the file alone will test the patience of even the most stoic developers. Using a third party tool such as Ubuntu can definitely help make this process easier.

But after this… things get much easier. Now that you have a usable version of the system, you must grant permissions. Create an IAM user that allows permissions to AWS components. Brian Klaas recommends not to grant blanket permissions. And I agree. Here’s why:

The reason you don’t want to grant unrestricted access is for security reasons. Let’s just say some disgruntled employee, coworker, or hacker gets ahold of your credentials… It could cost you and your company a fortune.

In order to get the most out of your AWS experience, you need to grant permission to the following:

• S3 — Simple Storage Service
• SNS — Simple Notification Service
• Lambda
• CloudWatch
• DynamoDB
• Step Functions
• Rekognition
• Transcribe
• Translate
• Polly

Once you have obtained your credentials, you can use a Basic Credentials object to connect to AWS. And then a Client Builder object to access each individual service.

AWS and Adobe ColdFusion 2018

For those of you who don’t believe Adobe is on our side… Just take a look at ColdFusion 2018. Every single day new discoveries are made about its capabilities and just how far Adobe has gone to make CF experiences delightful.

This is one of those times.

When setting up AWS services with CF2018, you don't need to add anything other than the AWS Java SDK .jar file to your cfusion/lib directory. Nothing else.

That’s right. One JAR and you’re ready to unleash the full capabilities of AWS.

CF2016 and earlier users must still compile the following:

• jackson-annotations-2.6.0.jar

• jackson-core-2.6.7.jar

• jackson-databind-2.6.7.1.jar

• joda-time-2.8.1.jar

• aws-java-sdk-1.11.xxx.jar

Using AWS Rekognition with CFML

The first step to use any of these tools is to connect as explained above. Now… AWS Rekognition.

AWS Rekognition is a machine vision tool. To simply, you know when someone tags you in a Facebook post and that little box appears around your picture automatically? That’s not necessarily a Zuckerberg spy but machine vision at work.

This can be super useful for any CIO. Aside from the super fun aspects of it, there are many different ways that this tech can be utilized including:

• Unsafe Content Detection
  • If there are any image uploads to your web platform that are deemed unsafe or inappropriate, they will be flagged for removal.
• Detecting and Matching Faces
  • This can be particularly useful for security purposes.
• Text in Images
  • This feature can be exceptionally beneficial to CIOs. Use this in conjunction with other tools to create audible versions of your website for those who are visually impaired. This could be a good alternative to large font text to accommodate elderly clients or visitors.

AWS Transcribe with ColdFusion

Another awesome AWS tool that you can access via your CFML is AWS Transcribe. Once again follow the process of connecting your credentials and creating a Client Builder object to access.
(This is why that pain in the butt setup is required in the beginning. It may be a bit tedious at first, but it makes everything run smoothly.)

Transcribe may be the most useful of all the AWS tools for CIOs. This tool must have been designed with business-oriented goals and accessibility in mind.  Here are just a few things that you can use Transcribe for:

• Creating transcriptions of audio and video files
  • This can help you meet the International Accessibility requirement and provide greater overall customer service to your clients.
• Use to create subtitles for your video presentations.
  • These are great for hard of hearing folks or those just sitting in the back of the conference room.
• Create a text searchable database of all your company’s recorded audio or video recordings.
  • This can come in handy when looking for a recorded lecture or training session.
• Analyze data for legal, call center, or BPO operations.
  • Cover your butt. Sometimes things are said and subsequently denied. Keep your records straight with this application.

AWS Translate via Adobe ColdFusion

AWS Translate simply put is a translation service. It offers many different languages that you can translate between to make international business transactions a breeze.

This is perfect for the global CIO. And when combined with AWS Transcribe, you can create a real-time translation device. (If only, they had Wookie or Klingon available…) Conducting business with your international partners has never been easier.

One of the best parts about this service is the price. It costs $15 per one million characters. But that’s only if you exceed the two million characters given to you for free each month. A real-time translator for $15 a month is a major win for any CIO.

However, with this particular service, there are certain limitations placed on our CFML. You see, all AWS services have limits. But Translate has a very particular set of limits.

1. 5,000 bytes of UTF-8 text in a single request

2. 10,000 bytes per 10 seconds per language pair

3. 20 transactions per second per language pair

If any of these limits are violated, you will trigger a service limit error. Thankfully, there is a way around it.

Loops must be created in order to not exceed the imposed limitations.

• Instead of processing 5000 bytes, have a chunk of 4900 bytes be processed instead.

• Loop back around to process the next chunk of 4900 bytes and so on and so forth.

• Make sure you also take into account the 10000 bytes per 10 second rule.

Now that you’ve created your loops, you will find that words have been cut off in the middle. Don’t fret though. AWS recognizes English words as individual entities. So this problem can be easily be solved in your translate.cfm.

if (len(chunkToTranslate) GTE 4900) {

  lastWord = ListLast(chunkToTranslate, " ");

  chunkToTranslate = left(chunkToTranslate, (len(chunkToTranslate) - len(lastWord)));

  currentEndPosition -= len(lastWord);

}

 

Using the above “if” statement can provide a simple solution to your word truncation problem.

Visit here if you need help with AWS ColdFusion.

Adobe ColdFusion and AWS: A Perfect Pair

As you can see, it is remarkably simple to utilize many neat AWS services through the use of ColdFusion. And even easier if it’s CF2018. For those CIOs out there looking to make some neat advancements in their companies, this could definitely be worth investigating.

Related: CFML Secrets with Patrick Quinn (AWS, Lucee and SeeFusion)

Adobe CF and AWS at CF Summit East 2019

Brian Klaas talks about AWS in depth, at the conference. I suggest you go ahead and make plans to go hear what he has to say.

Learn more about Brian and his work here

CF Summit East 2019 Full Agenda and the List of Speakers

Have you ever used AWS services in your business? If so, how so and how did they work out for you?

Share your experiences in the comments below. And… If what you like what you see, you can always follow us on Twitter @CFTeraTech and make sure you don’t miss an update.

Cheers!

Frequently Asked Questions About ColdFusion and AWS Cloud

What is ColdFusion AWS integration and why should CIOs care?

ColdFusion AWS integration enables you to leverage Amazon Web Services' powerful cloud infrastructure with Adobe ColdFusion applications. This combination offers faster time to market, enhanced scalability, and reduced operational costs. ColdFusion's modern capabilities make it ideal for cloud-native deployments,

allowing CIOs to modernize legacy applications while maintaining business continuity. According to AWS's official blog, ColdFusion applications can run efficiently on Amazon ECS with Fargate for containerized deployments.

How do I connect ColdFusion to AWS services?

To connect ColdFusion to AWS services, you need the AWS Java SDK and proper IAM credentials. First, compile the AWS Java SDK into usable JAR files and place them in your ⁠/cfusion/lib directory. Then, create an IAM user with specific permissions for services like S3, Lambda, Rekognition, and Transcribe. Use a Basic Credentials object to authenticate and a Client Builder object to access individual AWS services. For detailed setup instructions, Adobe provides official documentation on ColdFusion cloud integration. If you need professional assistance, our ColdFusion modernization services can help streamline your AWS integration.

What AWS services are compatible with ColdFusion?

ColdFusion is compatible with numerous AWS services including Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service), SNS (Simple Notification Service), Lambda, CloudWatch, DynamoDB, Step Functions, Rekognition, Transcribe, Translate, and Polly. Adobe has enhanced multi-cloud services support in modern ColdFusion versions, making it easier to integrate with AWS, Azure, and other cloud providers. The ColdFusion 2025 release includes even more robust cloud integration features.

Is ColdFusion 2018 better for AWS integration than earlier versions?

Yes, ColdFusion 2018 significantly simplifies AWS integration. Unlike CF2016 and earlier versions that require multiple JAR files (jackson-annotations, jackson-core, jackson-databind, joda-time), CF2018 only needs the single AWS Java SDK JAR file in your

⁠/cfusion/lib directory. This streamlined setup reduces configuration complexity and potential compatibility issues. Learn more about ColdFusion's evolution and modern features and why upgrading makes business sense.

How do I use AWS Rekognition with ColdFusion for image analysis?

AWS Rekognition provides machine vision capabilities through ColdFusion, enabling features like facial detection, unsafe content filtering, and text extraction from images. After establishing your AWS connection with the Java SDK, create a Rekognition client object and pass images for analysis. This is particularly useful for automated content moderation, security applications with facial recognition, and accessibility features like converting text in images to audio. For practical implementation guidance, explore our ColdFusion hosting recommendations that support AWS services.

What are the limitations of AWS Translate with ColdFusion?

AWS Translate has specific rate limits when

used with ColdFusion: 5,000 bytes of UTF-8 text per request, 10,000 bytes per 10 seconds per language pair, and 20 transactions per second per language pair. To work within these constraints, implement loops that process chunks of 4,900 bytes instead of the full 5,000, and use string manipulation to prevent word truncation at chunk boundaries. Despite these limits, the service is cost-effective at $15 per million characters beyond the free 2 million characters per month.

How much does it cost to run ColdFusion on AWS?

Running ColdFusion on AWS eliminates high upfront costs and offers pay-as-you-go pricing. Costs vary based on EC2 instance size, storage needs (S3), data transfer, and specific AWS services used with pre-configured AMIs. Individual services like AWS Translate offer generous free tiers (2 million characters monthly). For optimizing your cloud costs and deployment strategy, consider our ColdFusion cloud migration expertise.

Can I use AWS Transcribe with ColdFusion for video and audio transcription?

Yes, AWS Transcribe works seamlessly with ColdFusion for converting audio and video files to text. This service is valuable for meeting accessibility requirements, creating searchable databases of recorded content, generating video subtitles, and analyzing call center recordings. Simply upload your media files to S3, use the Transcribe client through ColdFusion's AWS Java SDK connection, and retrieve the transcribed text. This helps companies comply with international accessibility guidelines while improving content discoverability.

What security best practices should I follow for ColdFusion AWS integration?

blanket IAM permissions to your ColdFusion AWS integration. Create specific IAM users with granular permissions limited only to the services you need. This prevents costly security breaches if credentials are compromised. Store credentials securely using environment variables or AWS Secrets Manager rather than hardcoding them. Regularly audit your IAM policies and rotate credentials. Consider implementing VPC configurations for network isolation. Many organizations wonder if ColdFusion is still secure and modern – the answer is yes, especially when following AWS security best practices.

How do I deploy ColdFusion applications on AWS with containers?

You can deploy ColdFusion applications on AWS using Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service) with Fargate for serverless container management. This approach offers blue-green deployment capabilities for zero-downtime updates. AWS provides detailed guidance on running ColdFusion in containerized environments. Alternatively, you can use traditional EC2 instances with pre-configured ColdFusion AMIs from

AWS Marketplace. For microservices architectures, review the ColdFusion roadmap focusing on cloud-native development.

Join the CF Alive revolution

Discover how we can all make CF more alive, modern and secure this year. Join other ColdFusion developers and managers in the CF Alive Inner Circle today.

• Get early access to the CF Alive book and videos
• Be part of a new movement for improving CF's perception in the world.
• Contribute to the CF Alive revolution
• Connect with other CF developers and managers
• There is no cost to membership.