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πŸš€ DevOps Week 3: AWS Services, Configuration Management & IaC

A complete guide covering top AWS services, Ansible fundamentals, and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) for DevOps beginners.

Updated
β€’14 min read
πŸš€ DevOps Week 3: AWS Services, Configuration Management & IaC
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πŸ‘‹ Hi, I’m Hritik Ranjan β€” a B.Tech CSE student and a passionate tech enthusiast focused on Quality Engineering, AI/ML, Cybersecurity, and DevOps. πŸ’‘ I enjoy building and testing scalable, secure, and intelligent systems that solve real-world problems. My expertise and interests include: πŸ”Ή Quality Assurance & Testing Hands-on experience in manual and automation testing using Selenium & Java, ensuring high-quality and reliable applications. πŸ”Ή Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Exploring advanced algorithms and developing intelligent systems for practical use cases. πŸ”Ή Cybersecurity Focused on vulnerability assessment, security testing, and system hardening. πŸ”Ή Web Development Building responsive and user-friendly applications using modern technologies. πŸ”Ή Data Science Analyzing complex data to extract actionable insights. πŸ’Ό Key Projects: πŸš€ Blindness Detection System Applied computer vision techniques to detect blindness-related conditions. πŸš€ AI-Powered Rail Madad Enhancement Developed an intelligent complaint management system to improve railway customer service. πŸš€ Interactive Applications Built multiple projects like quiz apps, calculators, and productivity tools. 🌱 I’m continuously learning and improving my skills in DevOps, Cloud, and Automation to become a well-rounded engineer. 🀝 Open to collaborations, internships, and opportunities in QA, DevOps, AI/ML, and Cybersecurity. πŸ“« Let’s connect: hritikranjan1408@gmail.com

πŸ”Ή 1. Why These AWS Services Matter?

  • AWS has 200+ services, but DevOps engineers don’t need all

  • Focus should be on:

    • πŸš€ Deployment

    • βš™οΈ Automation

    • πŸ”’ Security

    • πŸ“Š Monitoring

πŸ‘‰ These 15 services help you build, deploy, secure, and monitor applications in real-world projects


🧱 2. Foundational Infrastructure (Base of Everything πŸ”₯)


πŸ”Ή EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)

πŸ‘‰ What it is:

  • A virtual server in the cloud

πŸ‘‰ What you do with it:

  • Host websites

  • Run backend apps

  • Install software

πŸ‘‰ Real-world:

  • Like renting a computer on the internet

πŸ”Ή VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)

πŸ‘‰ What it is:

  • Your private network in AWS

πŸ‘‰ What you do:

  • Create subnets

  • Control traffic using security groups

πŸ‘‰ Real-world:

  • Like your company’s private office network

πŸ”Ή EBS (Elastic Block Storage)

πŸ‘‰ What it is:

  • Storage attached to EC2

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Store OS, database, application data

πŸ‘‰ Real-world:

  • Like a hard disk for your cloud server

πŸ”Ή S3 (Simple Storage Service)

πŸ‘‰ What it is:

  • Object storage

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Store images, backups, logs

πŸ‘‰ Features:

  • Highly scalable

  • Durable

πŸ‘‰ Real-world:

  • Like Google Drive but for applications

πŸ”Ή IAM (Identity & Access Management)

πŸ‘‰ What it is:

  • Security system of AWS

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Create users

  • Assign permissions

πŸ‘‰ Example:

  • Developer β†’ access EC2

  • Admin β†’ full access

πŸ‘‰ Real-world:

  • Like assigning roles in a company

πŸ“Š 3. Monitoring & Management


πŸ”Ή CloudWatch

πŸ‘‰ What it does:

  • Monitors AWS resources

πŸ‘‰ Tracks:

  • CPU usage

  • Logs

  • Errors

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Alerts when system fails

πŸ‘‰ Real-world:

  • Like a health monitor for your server

πŸ”Ή CloudTrail

πŸ‘‰ What it does:

  • Records all API activity

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Security auditing

  • Track β€œwho did what”

πŸ‘‰ Example:

  • Who deleted EC2 instance?

πŸ”Ή AWS Config

πŸ‘‰ What it does:

  • Tracks configuration changes

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Ensure resources follow rules

πŸ‘‰ Example:

  • Check if security group is open or not

πŸ”Ή Billing & Cost Management

πŸ‘‰ What it does:

  • Tracks AWS spending

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Avoid unexpected bills

πŸ‘‰ Example:

  • Alert if cost > β‚Ή5000

βš™οΈ 4. Automation & CI/CD (DevOps Core πŸ”₯)


πŸ”Ή Lambda (Serverless Computing)

πŸ‘‰ What it is:

  • Run code without managing servers

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Automation

  • Event-driven tasks

πŸ‘‰ Example:

  • Upload file β†’ automatically process

πŸ”Ή CodePipeline

πŸ‘‰ What it is:

  • CI/CD pipeline tool

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Automate build β†’ test β†’ deploy

πŸ”Ή CodeBuild

πŸ‘‰ What it does:

  • Builds your code

πŸ‘‰ Example:

  • Convert source code β†’ executable

πŸ”Ή CodeDeploy

πŸ‘‰ What it does:

  • Deploys code to servers

πŸ‘‰ Example:

  • Push new version to EC2

πŸ”Ή KMS (Key Management Service)

πŸ‘‰ What it does:

  • Manage encryption keys

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Secure sensitive data

πŸ“¦ 5. Containers & Logging


πŸ”Ή EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service)

πŸ‘‰ What it is:

  • Managed Kubernetes

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Run container apps at scale

πŸ‘‰ Best for:

  • Large applications

πŸ”Ή ECS (Elastic Container Service)

πŸ‘‰ What it is:

  • AWS container service

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Run Docker containers

πŸ‘‰ Simpler than Kubernetes


πŸ”Ή ELK Stack (Elasticsearch)

πŸ‘‰ What it does:

  • Centralized logging

πŸ‘‰ Use:

  • Store logs

  • Analyze errors

πŸ‘‰ Example:

  • Debug microservices

βš”οΈ Important Comparisons (Interview Questions πŸ”₯)


πŸ”Ή EC2 vs Lambda

Feature EC2 Lambda
Type Server Serverless
Control Full control Limited
Use Long-running apps Short tasks
Management Manual Automatic

πŸ‘‰ Simple:

  • EC2 = Full machine

  • Lambda = Run code only


πŸ”Ή EKS vs ECS

Feature EKS ECS
Technology Kubernetes AWS native
Complexity High Low
Flexibility High Moderate
Setup Complex Easy

πŸ‘‰ Simple:

  • EKS = Advanced (industry standard)

  • ECS = Beginner-friendly


πŸ”„ 6. Real DevOps Workflow Using AWS

πŸ‘‰ End-to-end flow:

  1. Developer pushes code

  2. CodePipeline triggers

  3. CodeBuild builds code

  4. CodeDeploy deploys to:

    • EC2 / ECS / EKS
  5. Data stored in S3 / EBS

  6. IAM manages access

  7. CloudWatch monitors system

  8. CloudTrail logs activity



Configuration Management (Ansible)


πŸ”Ή 1. What is Configuration Management?

πŸ‘‰ Configuration Management = Automating server setup, updates, and maintenance


❌ Problem (Before Tools)

  • Manual work:

    • Install software

    • Update servers

    • Apply security patches

πŸ‘‰ Issues:

  • Time-consuming

  • Errors

  • Not scalable (100+ servers)


βœ” Solution

πŸ‘‰ Use tools like:

  • Ansible

  • Puppet

  • Chef

  • Salt

πŸ‘‰ These tools:

  • Automate configuration

  • Manage multiple servers easily


πŸ”Ή 2. What is Ansible?

πŸ‘‰ Ansible = Configuration Management Tool

πŸ‘‰ Used for:

  • Server setup

  • Application deployment

  • Automation


βœ” Key Features

  • Agentless (no software needed on server)

  • Uses SSH (Linux)

  • Uses WinRM (Windows)

  • Simple to use



βœ” 1. Push Mechanism

πŸ‘‰ Ansible works on Push model

  • Control machine β†’ sends commands to servers

πŸ‘‰ Easy to manage


βœ” 2. Agentless Architecture

πŸ‘‰ No need to install agent on servers

πŸ‘‰ Just:

  • SSH connection

πŸ‘‰ Benefits:

  • Easy setup

  • Less maintenance


βœ” 3. Simple Language (YAML)

πŸ‘‰ Uses YAML (easy to read)

Example:

- name: Install nginx
  hosts: servers
  tasks:
    - name: Install package
      apt:
        name: nginx
        state: present

πŸ‘‰ Easy for beginners


πŸ”Ή 4. Ansible Architecture

πŸ‘‰ Components:

  • Control Node β†’ where Ansible runs

  • Managed Nodes β†’ servers

  • Inventory β†’ list of servers

  • Playbook β†’ instructions (YAML file)


πŸ”Ή 5. Ansible vs Puppet (Important πŸ”₯)


βš”οΈ Push vs Pull

Feature Ansible Puppet
Working Push Pull
Agent Not required Required
Language YAML Custom language
Setup Easy Complex

πŸ‘‰ Simple Understanding:

  • Ansible = Simple + Fast + Beginner friendly

  • Puppet = Complex + Enterprise level


πŸ”Ή 6. Limitations of Ansible

  • Slightly slower for very large systems

  • Debugging can be tricky


πŸ”Ή 7. Ansible Community

πŸ‘‰ Strong community support

  • Ansible Galaxy πŸ‘‰ Ready-made roles available

πŸ”Ή 8. Programming Languages

  • Python β†’ Backend

  • YAML β†’ Playbooks


πŸ”Ή 9. Cloud Support

πŸ‘‰ Ansible is Cloud Agnostic

Supports:

  • AWS

  • Azure

  • GCP

πŸ‘‰ Works anywhere with SSH/WinRM


πŸ”Ή 10. OS Support

  • Linux β†’ SSH

  • Windows β†’ WinRM


πŸ”Ή 11. Real DevOps Use Case

πŸ‘‰ Example:

Instead of:

  • Installing software manually on 100 servers

πŸ‘‰ Use Ansible:

  • Run one command

  • Setup all servers automatically


πŸ”Ή 12. Key Interview Points πŸ”₯

  • What is configuration management?

  • What is Ansible?

  • Push vs Pull model?

  • Why Ansible is agentless?

  • YAML vs Puppet language?



Infrastructure as Code (IaC)


πŸ”Ή 1. Problem with Traditional Infrastructure ❌

πŸ‘‰ Earlier, infrastructure was managed:

  • Manually (clicking in UI)

  • Or using cloud-specific tools


❌ Issues:

  • Time-consuming

  • Human errors

  • Not scalable

  • Hard to manage multiple environments


❌ Bigger Problem (Very Important πŸ”₯)

πŸ‘‰ Every cloud has its own tools:

  • AWS β†’ CloudFormation

  • Azure β†’ ARM Templates

  • GCP β†’ Deployment Manager

πŸ‘‰ If company switches cloud:

  • Need to learn new tools again

  • Maintain different scripts

πŸ‘‰ This creates complexity & dependency


πŸ”Ή 2. What is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)? βœ”

πŸ‘‰ IaC = Managing infrastructure using code instead of manual work


βœ” What you do:

  • Write code to:

    • Create servers

    • Setup networks

    • Configure storage

πŸ‘‰ Instead of clicking β†’ just run code


βœ” Benefits:

  • Automation

  • Consistency

  • Reusability

  • Faster deployment


πŸ”Ή 3. Role of Terraform πŸ”₯

πŸ‘‰ Terraform = IaC tool (by HashiCorp)


βœ” Why Terraform?

  • Works with:

    • AWS

    • Azure

    • GCP

πŸ‘‰ Single tool for all clouds


βœ” Key Advantage:

πŸ‘‰ No need to learn:

  • CloudFormation

  • ARM Templates

πŸ‘‰ Just learn Terraform once


πŸ”Ή 4. How Terraform Works?

πŸ‘‰ Terraform uses: API as Code concept


πŸ”Ή 5. What is API as Code?

πŸ‘‰ API = Bridge to communicate with services


βœ” Example:

Instead of:

  • Clicking in AWS UI

πŸ‘‰ Terraform:

  • Sends API requests automatically

βœ” Flow:

Terraform Code β†’ API Calls β†’ Cloud Provider β†’ Resources Created

πŸ‘‰ Example:

  • Write code β†’ EC2 created

  • Write code β†’ S3 bucket created


πŸ”Ή 6. Why IaC is Important in DevOps?

πŸ‘‰ DevOps focuses on:

  • Automation

  • Speed

  • Consistency

πŸ‘‰ IaC helps achieve all three


βœ” Real Example:

Without IaC:

  • Setup server manually (30 min)

With IaC:

  • Run script β†’ done in seconds

πŸ”Ή 7. Key Advantages of IaC

  • πŸš€ Faster deployment

  • ⚑ Automation

  • πŸ” Repeatable setup

  • 🐞 Less human error

  • 🌐 Multi-cloud support


πŸ”Ή 8. Terraform vs Cloud-Specific Tools

Feature Terraform Cloud Tools
Multi-cloud Yes No
Learning One tool Multiple tools
Flexibility High Limited

πŸ”Ή 9. Real DevOps Workflow (IaC)

  1. Write Terraform code

  2. Run command (terraform apply)

  3. API calls sent

  4. Infrastructure created automatically


Project link - https://github.com/hritikranjan1/first\_terraform\_project.git


πŸš€ Continue Your Learning Journey

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

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Creating detailed technical content, tutorials, guides, and learning resources takes significant time and effort.

If you find my articles helpful and would like to support my work, you can do so through the following platforms:

⭐ Become a GitHub Sponsor

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πŸ”— https://github.com/sponsors/hritikranjan1


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Enjoying my content? Consider buying me a chai and supporting future tutorials, guides, and educational resources.

πŸ”— https://www.chai4.me/hritikranjan


πŸ‘¨β€πŸ’» Connect With Me

Hritik Ranjan

πŸ’‘ AI Enthusiast ☁️ DevOps Learner πŸ” Cybersecurity Advocate πŸ’» Software Developer

Connect & Follow

πŸ”— GitHub: https://github.com/hritikranjan1

πŸ”— LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hritikranjan1


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Thank you for reading and being part of this learning journey.

Keep Learning. Keep Building. Keep Growing. πŸš€

DevOps Learning Journey πŸš€

Part 3 of 14

Documenting my step-by-step journey of learning DevOps β€” from basics to advanced concepts. In this series, I’ll share weekly notes, hands-on practice, tools, and real-world insights as I grow in DevOps.

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DevOps Week 4: Containers & Docker Fundamentals/Project Management

A complete beginner-friendly guide to containers, Docker architecture, and building your first Docker image.

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