AWS Deployment

In this guide, I will use my JayBlog project folder as the material for deployment to AWS. You will also need your database commands to create tables in AWS database.

Initial requirements:

• An AWS Account: You have to sign up for an account on AWS, you will need a valid credit card and a phone number to validate your identity and finish signup process. But don't worry, as long as you stay in Free Tier, you won't be charged for your usage.
  • After having an account, sign in to AWS Services Console via this link: https://console.aws.amazon.com/console/home

• MySQL Workbench: A tool that allows for connecting from your local client machine to AWS RDS (database service). Click here to download.
• Project Package: Create an archive of your project folder in .zip extension. In my case it will be jayblog.zip

That's all we need. Please note that we will be using 2 services from this console:

• Elastic Beanstalk: A wizard that eases in creating a hosting environment and setting up a required platform to run your website.
• RDS: A relational database service which provides tools to create and control your database instance.

If you use a non-relational database for your project (ie. NoSQL), then I suggest you to use DynamoDB, but you will have less offers for Free Tier.

Stage 1: Create a database hosting instance for Relational Database.

There are 2 methods of creating database for your web deployment as below, follow method 1 if you will deploy project first, otherwise follow method 2 if you will deploy the database first.

• Method 1: Create a Database Instance from your Application Configuration. The advantage is that your website and database will be connected automatically, so you only need to configure your database to make it work. However I don't recommend this approach if you would deploy many projects to AWS.
• Method 2: Create a Database Intance from AWS RDS console, configure the database and connect it to your website. I prefer this approach because it's easy for me to recognise the database instances and tell which one belongs to which website, so I can easily maintain and update my work later.

So if you choose to go with method 1, continue to reading stage 2.

If you choose to go with method 2, navigate to AWS RDS on the AWS Management Console or click here. On Amazon RDS dashboard, navigate to Instances tab on the left-side navbar, select Launch DB instance button on the top-left conner. Then you can set up your database:

• Select engine: Select a database engine of your database. To stay in Free Tier, make sure you check the box at the below before clicking Next button.

• Specify DB details: Just leave everything in the section Instance specifications as is to stay in Free Tier. Scroll the page down to section Setting:
  • DB instance identifier: Enter a unique name for this databse instance that is not the same as any other database instances in your account.
  • Username & Password: These information are specific for your project so to make it simple, enter something relating to your project but you have to remember these information.

• Click on Save to go on next step: Configure advanced settings, set as default or recommended for all settings except:
  • Public accessibility: select Yes to allow yourself to access your database from your client machine so you can run SQL commands.

• Database name: Specify the unique name of your database.

• When you finish reviewing the options for your database configuration, click Launch DB instance button.
• Return to your Amazon RDS dashboard, wait until the status of your database becomes "available" before you continue.
  • Click on the database name to open its configuration details, then scroll the page down to Details card and look for these information: DB name, username and Endpoint, and remember the password you have just created.
  • Open the file in your project, which manages database connection, enter those details in the relevant places.
  • Place the file back into your project package .zip file.

Stage 2: Create an environment to host your application.

• Navigate to AWS Elastic Beanstalk by selecting it from AWS Management Console, or simply click here.
• On Elastic Beanstalk page, select Create New Application on the top-right corner, then enter your project title in the pop-up and hit Create. This step will create a blank container, on which we will configure an environment and upload our project to.

• Once the container is created, you will be redirected to your application management. Lets continue to set up an environment. Click on the link Create one now, then on the pop-up, make sure you select Web server environment.

• On the next page, don't worry if you see an error, that's because we haven't uploaded any project to the host. You will need to enter some details for your environment including:
  • Domain: A unique web link to your application (website), so make sure you check domain availability before going on, or you can simply leave it blank to have it auto-generated.

• Platform: You can only set up a Preconfigured Platform with Free Tier account. In the dropdown, select a platform of your project, for me it will be PHP.

• Application code: You will be uploading your project folder to the host from here. There are 3 options:
  • Sample application: An environment that contains a sample `welcome` page like Hello World.
  • Existing version: Select this if you have a project from another AWS host with the same environment as this setup that you want to migrate to this host. This option is disabled if you don't have a project or backup on the server.
  • Upload your code: select Upload button and browse to the archive zip that contains your project. You may need your version label to distinguish between deployments. I recommend you to use the Git tag of the deployed branch.

• Finally hit Create environment button to confirm your action.

• You might need to wait some times for the process to complete. Once it's done, you will see your environment dashboard as below:

• If you click on the website URL, you will get an error 403 Forbidden. That's because the server hasn't had an idea of where to access your project folder so it just open the default root folder of your user. So you need to specify your project folder:
  • Navigate to Configuration tab from the left navbar, select Modify on Software card.

• In the form that shows up, enter slash "/" followed by the same text as your archive .zip filename which was uploaded to the host (strictly matching). Then hit Save button.
• You will see Configuration tag again after clicking Save. Now confirm the changes by hitting Apply Configuration button on the top-right conner just below Actions dropdown button.

• You have finished setting up a hosting instance with a platform (environment) and deploying your project folder to the host. If you have followed method 2 in stage 1, please continue stage 4. However if your website homepage contains no back-end codes (ie. PHP, Ruby...), you can view your website by clicking on the URL.

If you have followed method 1 in stage 1, continue on stage 3.

Stage 3: Create a database instance for your project.

Now just select Modify on Database card from your Application Configuration. Next step is to set up database:

• Restore a snapshot: Select this action if you have an existing database or backup that can be used for your project.
• Database settings: You need to select an engine, an engine version, and then: (important)
  • Instance class: To stay in Free Tier, make sure you select db.t2.micro, which is the smallest class of database engine provided for free users.
  • Username & Passowrd: These information are specific for your project so to make it simple, enter something relating to your project but you have to remember these information.

• Click on Save if you finish your action, then select Apply configuration button and wait for the process to complete.
• Open Amazon RDS dashboard from your AWS Management console or click here. Then open the database that you have just created.
• Look for Security groups in the instance details and click on the link to open security configuration page.

• Click on Inbound tab, then click on Edit button.
• On the pop-up table, select All traffic for Type and Anywhere for Source, then hit Save button.

Stage 4: Set up your database on AWS RDS and run your website.

• Lets open MySQL Workbench, then click on (+) button next to MySQL Connections label.
• On the setup window: Enter a connection name as anything you like. Enter Endpoint to Hostname, 3306 to Port, your username and password of the database instance, and DB name to Default schema. Then Save and open the connection.
• Now you can run your database commands to create tables and set up everything in the database instance.

When you have done the last step, your website is ready to run on AWS. Lets open the site URL on your phones or tablets and enjoy your project on the internet!