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Section 10 Main Menu

• Knowledge Review
• Using the AWS CLI
• Troposphere (Python) to Generate CF Templates
• DeletionPolicy
• Custom Resources with AWS Lambda
• Best Practices for CloudFormation
• Cost Estimate for Your Templates
• Next Steps

Knowledge Review

https://www.udemy.com/aws-cloudformation-master-class/learn/v4/t/lecture/8149166?start=0

Ready to Use CloudFormation templates from AWS

• https://github.com/awslabs/aws-cloudformation-templates
• https://github.com/awslabs/aws-cloudformation-templates/blob/master/aws/solutions/WordPress_Single_Instance.yaml
• Easier to download it from here: WordPress_Single_Instance.yaml

Using the AWS CLI

https://www.udemy.com/aws-cloudformation-master-class/learn/v4/t/lecture/8149190?start=0
More information from AWS Solutions Architect training

• We can use the AWS CLI to create, update or delete CloudFormation templates.
• It is convenient when you start automating your deployments
• It is also useful for managing parameters in a file.

Installing the AWS Command Line Interface

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/installing.html

Install AWS CLI (Easy way)

Ubuntu

sudo apt install -y awscli

Install AWS CLI via Python (Hard way)

Ubuntu:

sudo apt -y install python3
curl -O https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py
python3 get-pip.py --user

Add the executable path to your PATH variable:
Install the AWS CLI

pip install awscli --upgrade --user

Create a Profile

• Console > Username > My Security Credentials > [Continue to Security Credentials]
• Under “Your Security Credentials” > Access keys (access key ID and secret access key) > [Create New Access Key]
• [Download Key File] (rootkey.csv)
• Configure your profile

aws configure --profile profilename

• Enter the Access Key, Secret Access Key Id and default region as prompted

Create your Parameters.json file

This file will allow you to pre-populate any parameters required

[
 {
  "ParameterKey": "InstanceType",
  "ParameterValue": "t2.micro"
 },
 {
  "ParameterKey": "KeyName",
  "ParameterValue": "mykey"
 },
 {
  "ParameterKey": "DBPassword",
  "ParameterValue": "!4U2n0"
 }
]

Run your template

aws cloudformation create-stack StackName --template-body file://path/to/template.yaml --parameters file://my-parameters.json --profile profilename --region us-east-2

Troposphere (Python) to Generate CF Templates

https://www.udemy.com/aws-cloudformation-master-class/learn/v4/t/lecture/8149192?start=0

Best understood by reading the example: 1-troposphere-example.py

• Troposphere allows you to leverage Python to write your CF templates: https://github.com/cloudtools/troposphere
• Advantages
  • You can start using types in your templates
  • The generated CloudFormation will be valid
  • You can dynamically generate CloudFormation (loops, conditions, etc.)
  • You’re allowed to have complex conditions to generate exactly what you need.
• Disadvantages
  • Two step process
    • Write Python to generate JSON
    • Upload JSON
  • It requires an understanding of Python vs. plain YAML

Install Troposphere

*Requires Pythod, duh!

pip install troposphere

Create the code

python filename.py

DeletionPolicy

Custom Resources with AWS Lambda

Best Practices for CloudFormation

Cost Estimate for Your Templates

Next Steps