Demystifying AWS CloudFormation: Crafting Amazon ECS Task Definitions for Optimal AWS Fargate Deployment

Introduction :-

AWS CloudFormation template is designed to facilitate the provisioning of an #Amazon ECS Task Definition suitable for #AWS Fargate. The template includes parameters for customizing the task definition, such as CPU and memory allocation, Docker image, port mappings, and environment variables. It also provides options for securely managing sensitive information using #AWS Secrets Manager and configuring CloudWatch Logs for container logging.

Resources: In this section, you can define AWS resources like I#AM roles and the ECS Task Definition itself. Be sure to customize the permissions and policies for the IAM roles according to your application’s needs.

Deployment Steps

Follow these steps to upload and create the CloudFormation stack using the AWS Management Console:

1. Sign in to the #AWS Management Console: Log in to your AWS account if you haven’t already.

2. Navigate to #CloudFormation: Go to the #AWS CloudFormation service from the AWS Management Console.

3. Click the “Create stack” button.

4. Upload the CloudFormation template file (YAML).

AWSTemplateFormatVersion: '2010-09-09'
Description: An AWS CloudFormation template defining an Amazon ECS Task Definition with CloudWatch Logs configuration.

Parameters:
  ApplicationName:
    Type: String
    Description: The name or family of the task definition.
  ContainerCpu:
    Type: String
    Description: The amount of CPU to allocate to the container.
  ContainerMemory:
    Type: String
    Description: The amount of memory to allocate to the container.
  ContainerImage:
    Type: String
    Description: The Docker image to use for the container.
  ContainerPort:
    Type: String
    Description: The port to map from the container to the host.
  EnvironmentName:
    Type: String
    Description: The value for the NODE_ENV environment variable.
  AurorMySQLUserArn:
    Type: String
    Description: The AWS Secrets Manager ARN for the database user.
  AurorMySQLPasswordArn:
    Type: String
    Description: The AWS Secrets Manager ARN for the database password.
  CloudwatchLogsGroup:
    Type: String
    Description: The name of the CloudWatch Logs group for container logs.

Resources:
  EcsTaskExecutionRole:
    Type: AWS::IAM::Role
    Properties:
      # Define the permissions and policies for the execution role.

  EcsTaskRole:
    Type: AWS::IAM::Role
    Properties:
      # Define the permissions and policies for the task role.

  EcsTaskDefinition:
    Type: AWS::ECS::TaskDefinition
    Properties:
      Family: !Ref ApplicationName
      Cpu: !Ref ContainerCpu
      Memory: !Ref ContainerMemory
      NetworkMode: awsvpc
      RequiresCompatibilities:
        - FARGATE
      ExecutionRoleArn: !GetAtt EcsTaskExecutionRole.Arn
      TaskRoleArn: !GetAtt EcsTaskRole.Arn
      ContainerDefinitions:
        - Name: !Ref ApplicationName
          Cpu: !Ref ContainerCpu
          Memory: !Ref ContainerMemory
          Image: !Ref ContainerImage
          StopTimeout: 60
          PortMappings:
            - ContainerPort: !Ref ContainerPort
              HostPort: !Ref ContainerPort
          Environment:
            - Name: NODE_ENV
              Value: !Ref EnvironmentName
          Secrets:
            - Name: PS_USER
              ValueFrom: !Ref AurorMySQLUserArn
            - Name: PS_PW
              ValueFrom: !Ref AurorMySQLPasswordArn
          LogConfiguration:
            LogDriver: awslogs
            Options:
              awslogs-group: !Ref CloudwatchLogsGroup
              awslogs-region: !Sub "${AWS::Region}"
              awslogs-stream-prefix: ecs

Outputs:
  TaskDefinitionArn:
    Description: The ARN of the created Amazon ECS Task Definition.
    Value: !Ref EcsTaskDefinition

5. Specify Stack Details:

• Enter a Stack name for your deployment.

• Provide parameter values as needed.

• Review and acknowledge the capabilities .

• You can set additional stack options or tags if necessary.

6. Review and Create:

• Review the stack details and configuration.

• Click “Create stack” to initiate the deployment.

7. Monitor Stack Creation:

• The CloudFormation stack creation process will begin.

• Monitor the stack events in the AWS Management Console.

Conclusion :-

By using this CloudFormation template, you can streamline the process of setting up and managing ECS task definitions for your containerized applications. The template provides a structured and easily customizable way to specify key parameters and resources, facilitating the deployment of containers on #AWS Fargate with integrated logging and secret management.