AWS CDK: A Beginner’s Guide with a Dash of Humor

Amaresh Pelleti

Alright, fellow cloud adventurers! So, you’ve heard about this magical land called the Cloud Development Kit, or CDK for short. It’s like the Harry Potter of cloud provisioning – a wand that allows you to conjure AWS resources with a wave of your programming spells. But hey, let’s break it down with a bit of fun and a sprinkle of humor!

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Cloud

So, you’re at the Cloud’s front door, holding your favorite programming language as the key to enter. AWS CDK is like your VIP pass to the cloud party, letting you speak the language of Python, TypeScript, Java, or other enchanting dialects to build your cloud kingdom.

# Behold! Using the power of Python to summon an S3 bucket
from aws_cdk import core
import aws_cdk.aws_s3 as s3

class MyFirstCDKStack(core.Stack):
    def __init__(self, scope: core.Construct, id: str, **kwargs) -> None:
        super().__init__(scope, id, **kwargs)

        # Casting a spell to create an S3 bucket
        my_bucket = s3.Bucket(self, "MyFirstBucket",
            versioned=True,
            removal_policy=core.RemovalPolicy.DESTROY
        )

Chapter 2: Spells of Infrastructure

You’re no longer a mere mortal but a cloud sorcerer. Want an EC2 instance? IAM roles? VPCs? No worries, CDK’s got your back!

# Commanding AWS to summon an EC2 instance and an IAM role
import aws_cdk.aws_ec2 as ec2
import aws_cdk.aws_iam as iam

# Crafting a VPC and casting a subnet spell
vpc = ec2.Vpc(self, "MyVpc", max_azs=2)
public_subnet = ec2.SubnetConfiguration(name="PublicSubnet", subnet_type=ec2.SubnetType.PUBLIC)
private_subnet = ec2.SubnetConfiguration(name="PrivateSubnet", subnet_type=ec2.SubnetType.PRIVATE)

vpc.add_subnet_configuration(public_subnet)
vpc.add_subnet_configuration(private_subnet)

# Weaving an IAM role
my_role = iam.Role(self, "MyRole",
    assumed_by=iam.ServicePrincipal("ec2.amazonaws.com"),
    managed_policies=[iam.ManagedPolicy.from_aws_managed_policy_name("AmazonS3FullAccess")]
)

Chapter 3: Balancing Act – Public vs. Private

Imagine your VPC as a home – you’ve got your private spaces and your jazzy public areas. CDK can help place your EC2 instances strategically. But wait, the private one wants to reach the world! Fear not, we’ll open the window to the internet, securely.

# Unveiling the dance of public and private instances in a VPC
ec2_public = ec2.Instance(self, "EC2Public",
    # Instance details here...
    vpc=vpc,
    vpc_subnets=ec2.SubnetSelection(subnet_type=ec2.SubnetType.PUBLIC),
    role=my_role
)

ec2_private = ec2.Instance(self, "EC2Private",
    # Instance details here...
    vpc=vpc,
    vpc_subnets=ec2.SubnetSelection(subnet_type=ec2.SubnetType.PRIVATE),
)

So there you have it, a whimsical adventure with AWS CDK! Keep experimenting, mixing, and conjuring cloud resources to build your own magical kingdom.

Remember, it’s not just about infrastructure as code, but also about the joy of learning and creating. Happy cloud-spelling, my wizarding friends!