The document provides instructions for creating an AWS CloudFormation template that deploys a single node of DataStax Enterprise. It includes hints for forking a GitHub repository as a starting point, installing DSE on Debian or Redhat using provided scripts, downloading DSE from the DataStax Academy site, and invoking a bash script from the CloudFormation template to install DSE using cloud-init or a similar solution. The completed template should be submitted as a pull request to the provided GitHub repository. The purpose is to introduce the participant to technologies like CloudFormation that may be new, as building CFn templates will be an important responsibility for a new Partner Architect role at DataStax.

1. Objective
Create an ​AWS Cloud Formation​ (CFn) template that deploys a single node of ​DataStax
Enterprise (DSE)​. This will need to include a bash script to invoke the template. The result of
the exercise should be submitted as a pull request.
Hints
1. Fork and then clone this repo as a starting point
a. https://github.com/DSPN/amazon­cloudformation­dse
2. These scripts may provide some hints about how to install on Debian or Redhat based
operating systems. You can chose either.
a. https://github.com/DSPN/install­datastax­ubuntu
b. https://github.com/DSPN/install­datastax­redhat
3. You do not need to build your own AMI for this. In fact, you should not build an AMI as
it’s preferable for the solution to use an AWS platform AMI.
4. You will need an AWS account.
5. To download DSE you will need to sign up for an account at:
a. https://academy.datastax.com/downloads
6. The CFn template will need to invoke a bash script on startup to install DSE. That might
use cloud_init or an alternative solution.
7. Submit the completed exercise as a pull request to
a. https://github.com/DSPN/amazon­cloudformation­dse
Motivation
This exercise touches on technologies that should be familiar such as git, github, Java, apt/yum,
json and bash. It also introduces a technology that is probably new, CFn. That’s intentional as
much of the Partner Architecture role is quickly learning unfamiliar technologies. This exercise
is also very real world as the new Partner Architect will be responsible for building much more
full featured CFn templates during their first 1­2 months at DataStax.