Summary of "Day 12 | Deploy and expose your First App to AWS | Feat. Kunal Verma | Live Project | #aws projects"

Summary of Video

Day 12 | Deploy and expose your First App to AWS | Feat. Kunal Verma | Live Project | #aws projects

Key Technological Concepts & Product Features Covered

1. Project Overview & Objective

Deploying a simple NodeJS application on an AWS EC2 instance.
Making the deployed app accessible over the internet by exposing the necessary ports.
Demonstrates real-world deployment steps useful for beginners and students.

2. Prerequisites & Tools

Basic knowledge of Git (cloning repositories, commands like git clone).
Familiarity with Linux terminal commands (cd, ls, touch, vim, chmod, cat).
NodeJS and npm (Node Package Manager) for running the application.
Use of VS Code as the development environment.

3. Application Setup Locally

Cloning the public GitHub repository containing the NodeJS app.
Setting up environment variables using a hidden .env file to securely store sensitive data like API keys.
Installing dependencies with npm install.
Running the app locally with npm run start.
Explanation of environment variables and their importance in production-grade applications.
Stripe payment gateway integration as part of the demo app (with guidance on obtaining test API keys).

4. AWS Concepts & Services Explained

AWS Console overview and account setup.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) to create users with restricted permissions instead of using root/admin accounts directly.
Role-based access control and best practices in AWS user management.
EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances as virtual servers with scalable compute resources.
AWS regions and availability zones for latency optimization.

5. Creating and Configuring EC2 Instance

Selecting Ubuntu Linux as the OS image.
Choosing instance type (T2 micro used here, eligible for AWS free tier).
Creating a key pair (.pem file) for secure SSH access.
Security groups and inbound rules for controlling network traffic.
Allowing SSH (port 22) and application port (3000) traffic for remote access.

6. Connecting to EC2 Instance via SSH

Using terminal commands to SSH into the EC2 instance using the .pem private key.
Changing file permissions on the key file (chmod 400).
Confirming connection and basic Linux commands on the remote server.

7. Setting up Application on EC2

Updating packages on Ubuntu (sudo apt update).
Installing Git, NodeJS, and npm on the EC2 instance.
Cloning the same GitHub repository on the EC2 instance.
Creating and editing .env file on the remote server using Vim.
Installing dependencies and running the NodeJS app on EC2.
Troubleshooting why the app is not accessible externally initially.

8. Exposing the Application to the Internet

Editing EC2 security group inbound rules to open port 3000 to the public.
Explanation of inbound/outbound traffic rules and IP whitelisting.
Testing the public IP address with port 3000 to access the running app from any device.

9. Additional Insights

Practical advice on cloud migration benefits: scalability, reduced maintenance overhead, and cost efficiency.
Encouragement to explore AWS documentation and DigitalOcean tutorials for deeper understanding.
Emphasis on learning from documentation and community resources.
Tips on handling environment variables securely.
Real-world examples of managing permissions and security in cloud environments.

Guides & Tutorials Provided

Step-by-step tutorial to deploy a NodeJS app on AWS EC2:
1. Clone GitHub repo locally.
2. Set environment variables in .env file.
3. Run app locally to verify.
4. Create IAM user with appropriate permissions.
5. Launch EC2 instance with Ubuntu.
6. SSH into EC2 using .pem key.
7. Update packages, install Git, NodeJS, npm.
8. Clone repo on EC2 and set .env file.
9. Install dependencies and start the app.
10. Modify security group inbound rules to expose port 3000.
11. Access app via EC2 public IP.
How to create and manage IAM users and roles in AWS.
How to generate and use SSH keys for secure access to EC2.
How to configure security groups and inbound traffic rules to expose applications.
How to obtain Stripe API keys for payment integration testing.

Main Speakers / Sources

Abhishek – Host and channel owner, guiding the session and providing clarifications.
Kunal Verma – Special guest, open-source contributor, DevRel intern at Devron, and Cube Simplify community ambassador. Main demonstrator of the deployment process and AWS concepts.

Conclusion

This video is a comprehensive beginner-friendly tutorial on deploying a NodeJS app to AWS EC2, covering essential DevOps skills such as Git usage, environment variable management, AWS IAM user creation, EC2 instance setup, SSH connection, package installation, and security group configuration for internet exposure. The session emphasizes learning through documentation, community support, and practical hands-on experience. The public GitHub repository and detailed walkthrough make it an excellent resource for students and aspiring cloud developers.