This week: EC2 enables nested virtualization on virtual instances for KVM and Hyper-V workloads, Aurora now encrypts all new clusters by default, and new HPC8a instances deliver 40% higher performance for compute-intensive workloads. Plus Bedrock adds reinforcement fine-tuning for open-weight models and ACM shortens certificate validity to 198 days.
Compute
- EC2: Nested virtualization on virtual instances (KVM, Hyper-V)
- EC2 HPC8a: 40% faster, 25% better price-perf vs HPC7a, 192 cores
Database
- Aurora: Encryption by default on new clusters (AWS-owned keys)
- Aurora MySQL 3.12: MySQL 8.0.44 compatibility
- Aurora DSQL: Go/Python/Node.js connectors with auto IAM auth
- Aurora DSQL: Kiro + AI agent skills integration
- DocumentDB 5.0: Long-term support available
Analytics
- OpenSearch: i7i instances, 23% better compute, 10% better price-perf
- OpenSearch: Graviton 4 (C8g/M8g/R8g), 30% faster than G3
- MSK: Dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 on existing clusters
- Clean Rooms: Iceberg catalog federation, no ETL needed
AI/ML
- Bedrock: Reinforcement fine-tuning for Qwen 3 32B, GPT-OSS 20B
Security & Compliance
- ACM: 198-day certs (was 395), price drop to $7/domain
- Managed Grafana: Customer-managed KMS encryption
Healthcare
- HealthImaging: Granular CloudWatch metrics for storage monitoring
Backup & Storage
- AWS Backup: PrivateLink for SAP HANA on EC2
Contact Center
- Connect Cases: Multi-line text fields, Service Quotas integration
- Connect Scheduling: Time-off requests visible in draft schedules
Messaging
- SNS: SMS in AP New Zealand and Taipei regions
- Amazon MQ: ActiveMQ 5.19 support
Database Updates
- RDS Oracle: Jan 2026 RU for 19c/21c, Spatial Patch Bundle
AWS News Feed: Whats new at AWS
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For detailed show notes check out awsnewsweekly.com
