Module 11: Automating

Question 1

Why automate ?

Answer 1

Because manual processes are error prone, unreliable and inadequate to support agile business

Question 2

Risk of manual processes

Answer 2

Not repeatable at scale
No version control
Lacks audit trails
Inconsistent configurations

Question 3

Benefits of automation

Answer 3

Reduce manual intervention and access
Allows reproduicle environments
Improves productivity
automates testing and scaling

Question 4

What is IaC

Answer 4

Infrastructure as Code

Question 5

What is the principle of infrastructure as code

Answer 5

it’s the practice to enable creation, deloyment and maintenance of infrastructure in a programmatic way.

Question 6

IaC definition

Answer 6

Infrastructure as code (IaC) is an industry term that refers to the process of provisioning and managing cloud resources by defining them in a template file that is both human-readable and machine-consumable

Question 7

IaC benefits

Answer 7

Rapidly deploy complex environment with consistency
Propagate change to all stacks by modifying the template
Easy clean up…

Reusable, repeatable, maintainable.

Question 8

What is Cloudformation?

Answer 8

Cloudfromation provisions resources by using infrastructure as code.

Question 9

Services working with cloudformation

Answer 9

AWS Beanstalk: SaaS to manage web apps programmed in Go, Java, .Net, Node JS PHP r Python. You send your app to beanstalk and it will fully manage the cloud ressources for you.

AWS Quick starts: Automated ref archtitecture based on template.

AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM): To build serverless architecture

AWS Amplify: A dev framework for full stack web and mobile app, with a facilitated code

AWS Cloud Dev Kit: Open source dev framework to model and provision resources through cloudformation

Question 10

How does cloud formation work?

Answer 10

You define the resources in a template and create the template from scratch or use a prebuilt template. You upload the template or store it and then you create the stack action. Then you observe the progress, and once created you get to use the stack to manage the created ressources centrally

Question 11

What is the trick when developing an automation where cloud formation is not supported ?

Answer 11

Go through a lambda function to reach the service

Question 12

What is the syntax of Cloudformation template ?

Answer 12

YAML or JSON
(YAML optimized for readability and supports embeded comments)
(JSON widely used, data in JSON can be used by many sysems, less complex to parse and generate than YAML)

Question 13

How should I manage my templates ?

Answer 13

Like I would do source code. I store them in a repository

Question 14

Example of YAML formated template.
+
What is the only mandatory field in a template?

Answer 14

Resources is the only mandatory field

AWSTemplateFormatVersion: “version date” Description: StringMetadata: template metadataParameters: set of parametersRules: set of rulesMappings: set of mappingsConditions: set of conditionsTransform: set of transformsResources: set of resourcesOutputs: set of outputs

Question 15

Where can I design my templates

Answer 15

Any text editor to right code or AWS Cloud Formation Designer, A template editor helping in the build with a canvas as a drag and drop interface to create code

Question 16

Why is it a clever thing to do to use a single template for creating dev and prod environment?

Answer 16

Because like that, same application bnaries same Java version same db version. Far easier to manage.

Question 17

OK my dev and prod environment are on the same template… But what if I need to update my databse. I can’t test ? What is the tool that allows to test new configurations?

Answer 17

Yes you can test new conf by usinga “change set”.
You create xour change set. You examine how it responds. Once happy you run the change set and tadaaa!

Question 18

Nice thing to do when using change set is to organise deletion policy so as not to have build up

Answer 18

That’s just it. re-read again if you don’t know it.

Question 19

What is the use of the “Detect Drift” Function ?

Answer 19

Sometimes the application that you push through the template is changed by someone manually. A detect drift will tell you if your app deviates from the original template

Question 20

As the org grows and you have more template you will have need for what?

Answer 20

Some order and organisation because it can get messy. AWS gives some good practices on the topic.

Question 21

What is AWS quick start for ?

Answer 21

It provides Cloud formation template and are best practices standard for security and high availability

Question 22

Added benefits of Quick start ?

Answer 22

You get a deployment guide with the template

Question 23

Infrastructure as code has benefits but:

Answer 23

Coding can be tricky. Human error, differing skill levels, size and complexity, sec vulneraiblities…

Question 24

What is Amazon Q developer for

Answer 24

Gen AI coding assistant

Question 25

Amazon Q developer helps you accross your dev lifecycle, but what is the dev lifecycle ?

Answer 25

Plan
Create
Test and secure
Operate
Maintain and modernise

Question 26

What is the Well architected pillar that is the closest to IaC?

Answer 26

Operational Excellence

Question 27

What are Operational Excellence principles for IaC

Answer 27

Use IaC, frequent small and reversible changes, fully automate integration and deployment

Question 28

SECURITY and IAC

Answer 28

Automate security best practices

Question 29

Reliability and IAC

Answer 29

Deploy changes with automation
Use automation when obtaining or scaling resources