Introduction
Incorporating Lambda functionality into your Slack opens endless possibilities for automation.
The commands may provide a quick method to store the information such as "/todo" and "/memo" as well as very sophisticated methods to "/deploy" some code, or "/reserve" assets.
With some additional work, the commands such as "/predict" or "/classify" could call on machine learning models.
The options are truly unlimited and can serve your team, or you individually.
If you constantly add the new automation skills to your repertoire, it is going to give you that extra "edge" in the hyper-competitive world.
For ideas on constantly building your set of skills, read my article on Singularity on Medium.com.
For ideas on constantly building your set of skills, read my article on Singularity on Medium.com.
Basic Architecture
- The individual user, or a team, interact with the Slack client app or website.
- The particular Slack team is identified by a unique token
- The commands are identified by a leading /slash
- The AWS API Gateway is able to provide:
- monetization for the API
- DDOS attack protection
- throttling the frequency of received API calls
- There can be an AWS Lambda function to verify the token and delegate tasks which might limit the security exposure of the system
- AWS Lambda functions fulfill a very particular skill and connect to other AWS services or APIs as needed.
- Over many years you can have thousands of skills that you could progressively perfect and monetize
Cost Considerations
- AWS API Gateway costs $3.50 per month per million requests. The first million is free.
- AWS Encryption costs about $1 per month
Create an AWS "IAM" role for this service
Create role step 1
select Lambda
Create role step 2a
Search and select "AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole"
Create role step 2b
Search and select "AmazonDynamoDBFullAccess"
Create role step 3
Name the role
Go to the Slack you are an ADMINISTRATOR for:
e.g. https://ukidlucas.slack.com/apps
Search for "Slash Commands"
https://ukidlucas.slack.com/apps/[....]-slash-commands
It should display something like:
Click "Add Configuration"
Choose a Command: "/HelloWorld"
Click "Add Slash Command Integration"
From the "Outgoing Data" copy token=LONG_ALPHA_NUMERIC
Save the token value for next step.
Open AWS new Lambda with "slack-echo-command-python" blueprint
You can search and navigate to this blueprint, or click the link below.
https://console.aws.amazon.com/lambda/home?region=us-east-1#/create/new?bp=slack-echo-command-python
Lambda Function: Basic Information
Updating "Execution Role"
- At first, the created role was not available, but later when I edited the Lambda Function it showed up:
Lambda Function: Slack Token
- Paste the previously saved Slack token
Configuring Triggers: API name
Save the Lambda Function
- Click on the "API Gateway" trigger block
- Copy the API endpoint URL
- Paste that URL into the Slack
- Save the Slack Configuration
Try Calling the /helloworld from Slack
slackbot [10:12 AM]
Darn - that slash command didn't work (error message: `502_service_error`). Manage the command at text.
Go to AWS CloudWatch (your logs) by clicking Monitoring
https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/
You can see that the initialization error has occurred having to do with Encryption
slackbot [10:12 AM]
Darn - that slash command didn't work (error message: `502_service_error`). Manage the command at text.
Go to AWS CloudWatch (your logs) by clicking Monitoring
https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/
You can see that the initialization error has occurred having to do with Encryption
The extra level of encryption using KMS:
Set the token value as the "kmsEncryptedToken" value
Create Customer Master Key (CMK):