Tutorial / Cram Notes

AWS CodeDeploy automates code deployments to any instance, including Amazon EC2 instances, on-premises servers, AWS Lambda functions, or Amazon ECS services. It helps developers and DevOps engineers to release new features rapidly, avoid downtime during application deployment, and handle the complexity of updating applications.

Key Features of CodeDeploy:

  • Automated Deployments: CodeDeploy fully automates your application deployments across your development, test, and production environments.
  • Centralized Control: It offers a centralized dashboard to track application deployments status.
  • Minimization of Downtime: It features a rolling update mechanism, which helps in minimizing downtime during application updates.
  • Support for Various Platforms: CodeDeploy supports a plethora of platforms like EC2, Lambda, and on-premises servers.
  • Rollback Capability: In case of a deployment failure, it has the functionality to roll back to the last successful state automatically.

Below is an example of an appspec.yml file which is used by AWS CodeDeploy to determine how to deploy your application:

version: 0.0
os: linux
files:
– source: /build/output/
destination: /webapps/myapp/
hooks:
BeforeInstall:
– location: scripts/cleanup.sh
timeout: 180
AfterInstall:
– location: scripts/setup.sh
timeout: 180
ApplicationStart:
– location: scripts/start_server.sh
timeout: 180
ValidateService:
– location: scripts/check_service.sh
timeout: 180

EC2 Image Builder

EC2 Image Builder simplifies the creation, management, and deployment of customized, secure, and up-to-date “golden” server images. It is a fully managed AWS service that makes it easier to automate the building of virtual machine (VM) images for Amazon EC2.

Key Features of EC2 Image Builder:

  • Streamlined Image Building: EC2 Image Builder simplifies the process of creating and maintaining secure and up-to-date images.
  • Customization: You can define image recipes that specify the source image and components to install.
  • Automated Pipeline: Image Builder enables the creation of an automated pipeline for image building and testing.
  • Security: Images are built according to AWS best practices and recommendations, helping ensure compliance.
  • Version Control: It maintains the history of your images with version control capabilities.

An example of EC2 Image Builder usage is creating an image recipe. A typical recipe includes components such as the source image, which defines the base OS, and a set of steps to be performed. For instance, an image recipe for a Web Server could look like this:

  1. Use a specific Amazon Linux 2 AMI as the base image.
  2. Update the system packages to the latest version.
  3. Install and configure the Apache HTTP Server.
  4. Validate that the web server is running.
  5. Output the custom image for use.

When comparing AWS CodeDeploy and EC2 Image Builder:

Feature AWS CodeDeploy EC2 Image Builder
Primary Purpose Automated application deployments to various targets. Automated building and maintenance of server images.
Supported Targets Amazon EC2, AWS Lambda, Amazon ECS, on-premises servers. Amazon EC2 and container images.
Rollback Capabilities Supports automated rollbacks to previous deployment. No direct rollback; typically a new image is built.
Installation & Configuration Requires appspec.yml for configuration. Uses image recipes for image customization.
Automation Level Highly automated with several deployment options. Provides automated pipelines for image creation and maintenance.
Use Case Best for continuous delivery and deployment of applications. Ideal for maintaining standardized baseline images for deploying instances.

Understanding these tools is vital for AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional candidates. They need to grasp how to integrate these services into various application lifecycle stages, such as development, deployment, and infrastructure management to design, implement, and manage continuous delivery systems and methodologies on AWS.

Practice Test with Explanation

True or False: AWS CodeDeploy can deploy application content that runs on AWS Lambda.

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: AWS CodeDeploy is a service that automates code deployments to any instance, including AWS Lambda functions.

Which AWS service allows you to create automated workflows for building and deploying container images?

  • AWS CodeCommit
  • AWS CodePipeline
  • Amazon ECR
  • AWS CodeBuild

Answer: AWS CodePipeline

Explanation: AWS CodePipeline is a continuous integration and continuous delivery service that automates build, test, and deploy phases for your application.

True or False: AWS CodeDeploy can only deploy applications to Amazon EC2 instances.

  • True
  • False

Answer: False

Explanation: AWS CodeDeploy can deploy applications to several targets, including Amazon EC2 instances, AWS Lambda, and your on-premises servers.

Which service would you use to create consistent machine images for multiple AWS accounts?

  • AWS CodeDeploy
  • EC2 Image Builder
  • AWS OpsWorks
  • AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Answer: EC2 Image Builder

Explanation: EC2 Image Builder allows you to create and manage EC2 machine images (AMIs) at scale across multiple AWS accounts and regions.

True or False: AWS CodeDeploy requires downtime of the application during the deployment process.

  • True
  • False

Answer: False

Explanation: AWS CodeDeploy supports in-place deployment (where the application may remain online) and blue/green deployments (where traffic is shifted incrementally) to minimize downtime.

Which of the following can be used to trigger a deployment in AWS CodeDeploy?

  • An update to a GitHub repository
  • A manual push through the AWS Management Console
  • An Amazon S3 upload
  • All of the above

Answer: All of the above

Explanation: AWS CodeDeploy can be triggered by updates to a GitHub repository, manual push using the AWS Management Console, or an Amazon S3 file upload.

True or False: EC2 Image Builder can only build AMIs for Linux-based operating systems.

  • True
  • False

Answer: False

Explanation: EC2 Image Builder can build AMIs for both Linux and Windows-based operating systems.

What AWS service can be used to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of docker containers?

  • AWS Fargate
  • Amazon ECS
  • Amazon EKS
  • Both B and C

Answer: Both B and C

Explanation: Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service) and Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service) can both be used to automate deployment, scaling, and management of docker containers. AWS Fargate is a compute engine for Amazon ECS that allows you to run containers without managing servers or clusters.

True or False: AWS OpsWorks is not compatible with Chef and Puppet for configuration management.

  • True
  • False

Answer: False

Explanation: AWS OpsWorks provides managed instances of Chef and Puppet, which are automation platforms that allow you to use code to automate the configuration of servers.

Which of the following is NOT a feature of AWS CodeStar?

  • Team access and management
  • Integrated development environment (IDE)
  • Managed database services
  • Integration with AWS CodeCommit, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy

Answer: Managed database services

Explanation: AWS CodeStar is a cloud-based service for creating, managing, and working with software development projects on AWS. It integrates with CodeCommit, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy but does not directly manage database services.

True or False: The AWS CodeBuild service automatically provisions and scales build servers and provides pre-packaged build environments.

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: AWS CodeBuild is a fully managed build service that compiles source code, runs tests, and produces software packages that are ready to deploy. It handles provisioning, scaling, and managing build servers and offers pre-packaged build environments.

Which AWS service is specifically designed for automating the deployment of applications to the AWS cloud and on-premises servers?

  • AWS Lambda
  • AWS CodeDeploy
  • AWS CloudFormation
  • Amazon Lightsail

Answer: AWS CodeDeploy

Explanation: AWS CodeDeploy is the service designed to automate the deployment of applications to both the AWS cloud and on-premises servers.

Interview Questions

What is AWS CodeDeploy, and how does it handle failed deployments?

AWS CodeDeploy is a service that automates code deployments to any instance, including Amazon EC2 instances, on-premises instances, or serverless Lambda functions. When a deployment fails, CodeDeploy by default stops the deployment and rolls back to the last successful deployment state. Additionally, it provides options for retrying failed deployments, rolling back, or deploying without considering the failure, based on the configuration of the deployment group.

Can you explain how AWS EC2 Image Builder helps with the code distribution process?

AWS EC2 Image Builder automates the creation, management, and deployment of customized EC2 machine images. The service supports consistent and repeatable processes for building and testing images, including the ability to include code, configurations, and updates. It facilitates the distribution of images by allowing users to build images that can be quickly launched with the bundled code and settings, streamlining deployment and scalability.

Describe a situation where you would use AWS Lambda as a distribution mechanism for your code.

AWS Lambda is ideal for distributing and running code in response to events, without provisioning or managing servers. One would use Lambda to execute code in response to triggers such as changes in data in an S3 bucket, updates to a DynamoDB table, or as compute service backend for REST API methods in Amazon API Gateway. It’s particularly useful for lightweight, stateless, event-driven microservices or tasks.

What role does Amazon S3 play in code distribution practices?

Amazon S3 can serve as a repository for storing and retrieving version-controlled code binaries, scripts, or artifacts. It is often used in conjunction with other services like AWS CodeDeploy and Lambda where these services can pull the code package from an S3 bucket and deploy it to the target environments. S3 enables a highly durable and accessible storage solution for code distribution workflows.

How can AWS Systems Manager be used to distribute code across a fleet of EC2 instances?

AWS Systems Manager provides capabilities such as Run Command and State Manager that can be used to distribute and execute code across a fleet of EC2 instances. These tools allow for automated and remote execution of scripts or commands, enabling code updates, configurations, or deployments to be uniformly applied to groups of servers without the need for direct access or manual intervention.

What are the benefits of using AWS CodePipeline in combination with CodeDeploy for code distribution?

AWS CodePipeline automates the build, test, and deployment phases of the release process every time there is a code change. By attaching AWS CodeDeploy as a deployment provider in CodePipeline, you can establish a continuous delivery pipeline. This combination ensures that the latest code commits trigger automated workflows, leading to consistent, reliable, and repeatable code distribution to the targeted environments.

How do you secure your code artifacts and ensure only authorized deployments in an AWS environment?

To secure code artifacts, you should store them in encrypted Amazon S3 buckets with proper identity and access management policies in place. IAM roles should be used to control who has the authority to initiate and carry out deployments, ensuring that only authorized AWS CodeDeploy, EC2 instances, and other service roles can access and execute the deployment process. Additionally, using AWS Key Management Service (KMS) for encryption keys management adds an extra layer of security for the code artifacts.

How does AWS CodeArtifact complement code distribution in a multi-account AWS environment?

AWS CodeArtifact is a managed artifact repository service that makes it easier for organizations to securely store, publish, and share software packages used in their development, deployment, and coding processes across multiple accounts. By integrating with developer tools and CI/CD pipelines, CodeArtifact allows teams to share code and binaries efficiently while implementing fine-grained access control and tracking package versions across all AWS accounts in an organization.

Describe how rollback works with AWS CodeDeploy in the event of a deployment failure.

When a deployment fails in AWS CodeDeploy, the service automatically attempts to roll back to the last successful deployment if the rollback configuration is enabled. This involves redeploying the last healthy set of application files and configuration to the affected target instances. Rollbacks in CodeDeploy can be configured for EC2/On-Premises deployments and are prompt to minimize downtime and impact on application availability.

Can you integrate third-party tools for code distribution with AWS services, and what is one approach for doing so?

Yes, AWS allows for integration with third-party tools for code distribution. One way to achieve this is by using AWS Lambda to invoke custom code in response to hooks or triggers from the third-party tool. For example, a Git push to a repository hosted on GitHub can trigger a webhook that invokes an AWS Lambda function, which in turn initiates a CodeDeploy deployment. Another approach is using the AWS SDKs to interface directly with services like CodePipeline or CodeBuild from within the third-party tools.

What is a “deployment group” in AWS CodeDeploy, and how would you use it for targeted code distribution?

A deployment group in AWS CodeDeploy is a set of individual instances or Lambda functions, EC2 tags, or Auto Scaling groups that are targeted for deployment. Deployment groups allow for more refined control over which instances get updated during a deployment, enabling targeted distribution. They are useful for scenarios such as blue/green deployments or canary releases where code updates need to be rolled out in a controlled and phased manner.

Explain how AWS CodeBuild aids in code distribution and what critical features it provides.

AWS CodeBuild is a fully managed continuous integration service that compiles source code, runs tests, and produces software packages ready for deployment. CodeBuild simplifies code distribution by automating the build and packaging process, and it can integrate into CI/CD pipelines. Key features include automatic scaling, build environment customization, integration with other AWS and third-party tools, and the ability to produce secure, auditable artifacts with logs for every build stage.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
23 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Nabor Santos
6 months ago

Great post on AWS tools! I’ve been using CodeDeploy for a while now and it’s been amazing.

Darlene Washington
7 months ago

Thanks for this tutorial! EC2 Image Builder has simplified our AMI creation process significantly.

Josiane da Mata
5 months ago

I’ve had some issues with CodeDeploy. It sometimes fails with generic error messages.

Karen Thomas
7 months ago

This is incredibly useful. I now feel more confident tackling the DevOps Engineer Professional exam.

Sippie Koop
5 months ago

Nice overview! How does CodeDeploy handle rollback scenarios?

Jardel Alves
7 months ago

We’ve started integrating EC2 Image Builder with Jenkins. Anyone has experience with that setup?

Akshita Singh
6 months ago

Thanks for the info! Our team is considering EC2 Image Builder for our CI/CD pipeline.

Eléna Bonnet
6 months ago

Anyone knows how CodeDeploy compares with Jenkins for code deployment?

23
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x