Running a static blog on AWS S3 with Cloudfront

1. PRACTICAL SERVERLESS
RUNNING A STATIC BLOG ON S3 WITH CLOUDFRONT
(FOR FUN AND PROFIT)

2. BACKGROUND
Cloud Competencies – Pathfinder
“endorses our values and supports our belief in continuous
improvement by helping us identify opportunities for developing
and improving the work performance of our people”
• Sphere of Influence
• Flexibility
• Problem Investigation and Solving
• Depth of Technical Knowledge
• Communication

3. COMMUNICATION
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Clearly presents or writes
status and results of work,
including crisp problem
definition and conclusions.
Is effective at understanding
and interpreting vague or
incomplete instructions
through clarifying
questions. Learns what
resources are available
. Produces documentation
that is relevant to current
assignment.
Has mastered presentation and
writing skills, clearly presenting
concepts and data. Is able to
listen to complex inputs and
understand the underlying
deliverables. Recognizes need
for parsimony when
communicating to
managers/team members who
are inundated with information.
Interacts with clients and
customers to negotiate and
interpret Information. May
consult with senior
management.
Skilled at appropriately
tailoring communication to
the audience and
situation. Message delivery
is clean and efficient; during
presentations verbal and
written elements mesh
cohesively. Represents the
organization as a prime
contact on
projects. Interacts with
senior internal and external
personnel on project issues
often requiring coordination
across organizational lines.
Capable of delivering
politically/ technically sensitive
messages in an appropriate
fashion. Ensures clean,
focused communication to
upper management that sells
projects and accurately reflects
status quo. Serves as an
internal consultant to senior
management and external
spokesperson for the
organization on projects
and/or matters regarding
policy and practices.
Is regarded by peers,
supervisors, and customers
as being highly effective in
all aspects of
communication. Because of
skills is frequently asked to
deliver complex messages
to diverse groups. Uses
creative approaches to
communicate technically
complex info. Recognized as
a consultant/ spokesman.
Integrates
and communicates
information in all directions
(up, down, sideways).

4. COMMUNICATION
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Clearly presents or writes
status and results of work,
including crisp problem
definition and conclusions.
Is effective at understanding
and interpreting vague or
incomplete instructions
through clarifying
questions. Learns what
resources are available
. Produces documentation
that is relevant to current
assignment.
Has mastered presentation and
writing skills, clearly presenting
concepts and data. Is able to
listen to complex inputs and
understand the underlying
deliverables. Recognizes need
for parsimony when
communicating to
managers/team members who
are inundated with information.
Interacts with clients and
customers to negotiate and
interpret Information. May
consult with senior
management.
Skilled at appropriately
tailoring communication to
the audience and
situation. Message delivery
is clean and efficient; during
presentations verbal and
written elements mesh
cohesively. Represents the
organization as a prime
contact on
projects. Interacts with
senior internal and external
personnel on project issues
often requiring coordination
across organizational lines.
Capable of delivering
politically/ technically sensitive
messages in an appropriate
fashion. Ensures clean,
focused communication to
upper management that sells
projects and accurately reflects
status quo. Serves as an
internal consultant to senior
management and external
spokesperson for the
organization on projects
and/or matters regarding
policy and practices.
Is regarded by peers,
supervisors, and customers
as being highly effective in
all aspects of
communication. Because of
skills is frequently asked to
deliver complex messages
to diverse groups. Uses
creative approaches to
communicate technically
complex info. Recognized as
a consultant/ spokesman.
Integrates
and communicates
information in all directions
(up, down, sideways).

5. DEVELOPMENT TIME PROJECTS
• AWS CERTIFICATION.
1. BUILD AN ULTRA LOW-COST INSTANCES RUNNING A CMS AND LOCAL MYSQL.
2. IMPLEMENT CLOUDFRONT ON TOP OF SERVERLESS TECHNOLOGY.
3. LEARN THE BASICS OF CODEDEPLOY.
4. PROVISION WINDOWS SERVERS AT AWS WITH TERRAFORM, POWERSHELL, AND WHATEVER THE
CURRENT TOOLS ARE.
5. UPDATE MY PUPPET SKILLS.
6. UNDERSTAND JENKINS AT A LOW LEVEL AS A CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION TOOL.
7. GAIN A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF AZURE.
8. BUILD A KUBERNETES CLUSTER.

6. DEVELOPMENT TIME : PROJECT 2
• OBJECTIVE : LEARN THE BASICS OF SETTING UP CLOUDFRONT TO DISTRIBUTE CONTENT
GEOGRAPHICALLY USING TERRAFORM AND SERVERLESS PRINCIPLES.

7. DEVELOPMENT TIME : PROJECT 2
• THE PLAN: USE DEVOPS TOOLING TO SETUP A STATIC SERVERLESS BLOG, WITH THE SOURCE
STORED AND VERSIONED IN GITHUB, TO BE GENERATED TO STATIC (FAST, SUPER-SECURE, AND
LOW MAINTENANCE) WEBPAGES WITH HUGO, STORED IN AWS S3, AND DISTRIBUTED BY
CLOUDFRONT TO A GLOBAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION NETWORK. IT MUST BE VERY LOW COST.
• NICE-TO-HAVES ARE: NOT HAVING TO JUMP THROUGH MULTIPLE HOOPS - SO I’D ONLY NEED TO
GENERATE CONTENT AND IT MAGICALLY GOES FROM ONE END OF THE PIPELINE TO THE NEXT.

8. SETUP

9. THE MEATY BITS
TERRAFORM (aws)

10. TERRAFORM
(s3)

11. LAMBDA / PYTHON

12. LAMBDA / PYTHON

13. LAMBDA / PYTHON

14. TERRAFORM
(lambda)

15. TERRAFORM
(cloudfront)

16. TERRAFORM
(cloudfront)

17. Workflow