Externalize Common Gradle Functions

Content of helpers/common-methods.gradle:

// Define methods as usual
def commonMethod1(param){
    return true
}
def commonMethod2(param){
    return true
}

// Export methods by turning them into closures
ext{
    commonMethod1 = this.&commonMethod1
    otherNameForMethod2 = this.&commonMethod2
}
And this is how I use those methods in another script:

// Use double-quotes, otherwise $ won't work
apply from: "http://myhelpers.com/helpers/common-methods.gradle"

// You can also use URLs
//apply from: "https://bitbucket.org/mb/build_scripts/raw/master/common-methods.gradle"

task myBuildTask{    
    def myVar = commonMethod1("parameter1")
    otherNameForMethod2(myVar)    
}

Trust Relationship and Policies for AWS API Gateway and Lambdas

Your Policy for the lambda should set up everything your lambda is allowed to do. This includes passing a role.

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Sid": "Stmt1470153553000",
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "dynamodb:*"
            ],
            "Resource": [
                "arn:aws:dynamodb:us-west-2:439753510372:table/YoYoDyne_Products"
            ]
        },
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "lambda:InvokeFunction"
            ],
            "Resource": [
                "*"
            ]
        },
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "logs:CreateLogGroup",
                "logs:CreateLogStream",
                "logs:PutLogEvents"
            ],
            "Resource": [
                "arn:aws:logs:*:*:*"
            ]
        },
        {
            "Sid": "Stmt1449789105000",
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "iam:PassRole"
            ],
            "Resource": [
                "*"
            ]
        }
    ]
}

Your policy also needs to have a trust relationship.

{
   "Version": "2012-10-17",
   "Statement": [
       {
           "Sid": "",
           "Effect": "Allow",
           "Principal": {
               "Service": ["lambda.amazonaws.com", "apigateway.amazonaws.com"]
           },
           "Action": "sts:AssumeRole"
       }
   ]
}

Java HTTPS Over VPN: Unrecognized SSL message, plaintext connection?

Many times a VPN will screw around with the IPV4 settings for secure connections.

javax.net.ssl.SSLException: Unrecognized SSL message, plaintext connection?
    at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.InputRecord.handleUnknownRecord(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.InputRecord.read(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.readRecord(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.performInitialHandshake(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(Unknown Source)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.afterConnect(Unknown Source)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.AbstractDelegateHttpsURLConnection.connect(Unknown Source)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsURLConnectionImpl.connect(Unknown Source)

Add these VM options to avoid problems:

-Djsse.enableSNIExtension=false
-Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true