Module 10 - Challenge Lab: Automating Infrastructure Deployment

Scenario

Up to this point, the café staff created their AWS resources and configured their applications manually—mostly by using the AWS Management Console. This approach worked well as a way for the café to get started with a web presence quickly. However, they find it challenging to replicate their deployments to new AWS Regions so that they can support new café locations in multiple countries. They would also like to have separate development and production environments that reliably have matching configurations.

In this challenge lab, you will take on the role of Sofía as you work to automate the café's deployments and replicate them to another AWS Region.

Lab overview and objectives

In this lab, you will gain experience with creating AWS CloudFormation templates. You will use the templates to create and update AWS CloudFormation stacks. The stacks create and manage updates to resources in multiple AWS service areas in your AWS account. You will practice using AWS CodeCommit to control the version of your templates. You will also observe how you can use AWS CodePipeline to automate stack updates.

After completing this lab, you should be able to:

• Deploy a virtual private cloud (VPC) networking layer by using an AWS CloudFormation template
• Deploy an application layer by using an AWS CloudFormation template
• Use Git to invoke AWS CodePipeline, and to create or update stacks from templates that are stored in AWS CodeCommit
• Duplicate network and application resources to another AWS Region by using AWS CloudFormation

When you start the lab, the following resources are already created for you in the AWS account:

Note that in this challenge lab, you will encounter a few tasks where step-by-step instructions are not provided. You must figure out how to complete the tasks on your own.

Duration

This lab will require approximately 90 minutes to complete.

AWS service restrictions

In this lab environment, access to AWS services and service actions might be restricted to the ones that are needed to complete the lab instructions. You might encounter errors if you attempt to access other services or perform actions beyond the ones that are described in this lab.

Accessing the AWS Management Console

1. At the top of these instructions, choose Start Lab to launch your lab.

   A Start Lab panel opens, and it displays the lab status.

   Tip: If you ever need more time to complete the lab that is displayed on the timer, choose the Start Lab button again to restart the timer for the environment. Doing so will not delete resources you have created.