AWS Cloud Exercises

Gaining hands-on experience with AWS services is essential for understanding cloud concepts and preparing for certifications. At The Coding College, we’ve curated these practical exercises to help you solidify your AWS skills. Each exercise is designed to simulate real-world scenarios, providing valuable experience in managing AWS resources.

Prerequisites

  1. AWS Free Tier Account: Sign up for an AWS account if you don’t have one.
  2. Basic Understanding: Familiarity with AWS core services like EC2, S3, and IAM.
  3. Access to a Terminal: Install the AWS CLI for command-line operations.

Hands-On AWS Cloud Exercises

1. Setting Up an EC2 Instance

Objective: Launch and configure a virtual server.

  • Step 1: Log in to the AWS Management Console.
  • Step 2: Navigate to EC2 and click “Launch Instance.”
  • Step 3: Choose the Amazon Linux 2 AMI.
  • Step 4: Select the t2.micro instance type (free tier eligible).
  • Step 5: Configure security groups to allow SSH (port 22).
  • Step 6: Launch the instance and connect using your terminal.

Outcome: Learn to create and access EC2 instances for scalable computing.

2. Creating and Managing an S3 Bucket

Objective: Store and manage files using Amazon S3.

  • Step 1: Open the S3 service and create a new bucket.
  • Step 2: Name the bucket and choose a region.
  • Step 3: Upload a file and configure access permissions.
  • Step 4: Enable versioning to track changes.
  • Step 5: Use the AWS CLI to interact with your bucket.

Outcome: Understand object storage, bucket policies, and CLI commands.

3. Configuring IAM Roles and Policies

Objective: Implement secure access control.

  • Step 1: Navigate to the IAM console.
  • Step 2: Create a new IAM user with limited permissions.
  • Step 3: Create a policy to grant S3 access.
  • Step 4: Assign the policy to the IAM user.
  • Step 5: Test access by logging in with the IAM user credentials.

Outcome: Learn to manage user permissions and secure resources.

4. Setting Up Auto Scaling

Objective: Implement dynamic scaling for EC2 instances.

  • Step 1: Create a launch template for your EC2 instance.
  • Step 2: Define an Auto Scaling Group and specify scaling policies.
  • Step 3: Set minimum, maximum, and desired instance counts.
  • Step 4: Trigger scaling events by simulating load using stress testing tools.

Outcome: Understand how AWS ensures high availability with Auto Scaling.

5. Building a Serverless Function with Lambda

Objective: Deploy and test a serverless function.

  • Step 1: Open the Lambda service and create a new function.
  • Step 2: Choose “Author from scratch” and configure basic settings.
  • Step 3: Write a simple function in Python (e.g., return “Hello World”).
  • Step 4: Test the function using a sample payload.
  • Step 5: Integrate the Lambda function with an S3 event trigger.

Outcome: Explore serverless computing and event-driven architectures.

6. Monitoring with CloudWatch

Objective: Track resource usage and set alerts.

  • Step 1: Open CloudWatch and create a new dashboard.
  • Step 2: Add metrics for your EC2 instance (e.g., CPU utilization).
  • Step 3: Set an alarm to notify you when CPU usage exceeds 80%.
  • Step 4: Test the alarm by generating load on the instance.

Outcome: Learn to monitor resources and configure alerts for better management.

7. Exploring AWS Cost Management Tools

Objective: Analyze and optimize cloud costs.

  • Step 1: Navigate to the AWS Cost Explorer.
  • Step 2: Review cost breakdown by service and time.
  • Step 3: Create a budget and set spending alerts.
  • Step 4: Use the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate future costs.

Outcome: Gain insights into cost optimization and budgeting.

Advanced Exercises

  • Deploy a Multi-Tier Web Application: Use EC2, RDS, and a Load Balancer.
  • Integrate DynamoDB with Lambda: Create a serverless backend for a web app.
  • Configure AWS CloudFormation: Automate resource provisioning with templates.

Conclusion

These hands-on exercises provide a practical foundation for AWS mastery, whether you’re preparing for certification or managing real-world cloud projects. Remember, consistent practice is key to becoming proficient in AWS.

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