AWS Lambda Layer - Typescript - Runtime.ImportModuleError

Question

hope you are doing well. I am having an issue with employing lambda layers on a lambda that I have set up. I have tried 6 ways to Sunday to get this right, but have not been able to get anything working.

I can tell this is a fairly typical error, because I've encountered a number of articles on here, google etc.. about it. Regardless, there is something that is escaping me because despite how I apply those solutions, they are not working.

Please note, I am using Windows.

The error I am encountering is,

{
    "errorType": "Runtime.ImportModuleError",
    "errorMessage": "Error: Cannot find module 'aws-sdk'\nRequire stack:\n- /var/task/index.js\n- /var/runtime/index.mjs",
    "stack": [
        "Runtime.ImportModuleError: Error: Cannot find module 'aws-sdk'",
        "Require stack:",
        "- /var/task/index.js",
        "- /var/runtime/index.mjs",
        "    at _loadUserApp (file:///var/runtime/index.mjs:1061:17)",
        "    at async UserFunction.js.module.exports.load (file:///var/runtime/index.mjs:1093:21)",
        "    at async start (file:///var/runtime/index.mjs:1256:23)",
        "    at async file:///var/runtime/index.mjs:1262:1"
    ]
}

The lambda code, though I don't think it will help is below:

var AWS = require('aws-sdk');
AWS.config.update({region: 'US-East-1'})
var DynamoDBObject = new AWS.DynamoDB({apiVersion: '2012-08-10'})

exports.main = async function(event, context){
    console.log(event['Details']['ContactData']['CustomerEndpoint']['Address'])
    const numberNumber = parseInt(event['Details']['ContactData']['CustomerEndpoint']['Address'].replace("+1",""))

    console.log("I\'m working! Look at me: ", numberNumber)

    var params = {
        TableName: '{MyTableName}',
        Item: {
            'PhoneNumber': numberNumber
        }
    }
    DynamoDBObject.putItem(params, function(error, data){
        if(error){
            console.log("Error: ", error)
        } else {
            console.log("Success: ", data)
        }
    })
}

The architecture/deployment of the lambda and the information about the layer (which I set up manually in the console) is here:

import * as cdk from "aws-cdk-lib";
import { Construct } from "constructs";
import * as lambda from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-lambda";
import * as s3 from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-s3";
import path from "path";

export class LambdaService extends Construct {
    constructor(scope: Construct, id: string){
        super(scope, id);

        //comment

        const codeContainer = new s3.Bucket(this, "LambdaContainer")

        const lambdaLayer = lambda.LayerVersion.fromLayerVersionArn(this, "mylambdalayer", "{LayerARN}")

        new lambda.Function(this, "PhoneNumberInsert2", {
            code: lambda.Code.fromAsset(path.join(__dirname,"../../Lambdas")),
            runtime: lambda.Runtime.NODEJS_18_X,
            handler: "index.main",
            logRetention: 1,
            description: "Lambda that enters a new phone number into DynamoDB",
            environment: {
              BUCKET: codeContainer.bucketName
            },
            layers:[lambdaLayer]
          });
    }
}

And lastly, of course, here is the file structure of the layer I configured in AWS.

**'TOP' Directory**: nodejs.zip
**Second Directory**: nodejs (why is it that when you zip, it adds this directory on top?)
**Third Directory Layer**:
 1. Directory: 'node_modules'
 2. File: package.json
 3. File: package-lock.json

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Wishing you a great day!

Answer 1

If you're running node18 or higher, the lambda runtime doesn't contain the aws-sdk anymore by default, it has @aws-sdk modules instead. If this is the case, you have a couple of options:

1. downgrade to nodejs16.x. Caveat: nodejs16.x has a deprecation date of Jun 12, 2024
2. Refactor your lambda to use the new version of @aws-sdk. This is the proposed solution, if you don't have a lot of legacy refactoring to do.
3. Create an additional layer, which has the aws-sdk inside it, and then when you include both your layers you have aws-sdk available for import again. The caveat here is, that the additional layer increases the package size of your individual lambdas.