The document outlines the steps and considerations for continuously delivering Docker containers using AWS ECS, focusing on deployment options, configuration as code, and auto-scaling strategies. It discusses the creation of ECS clusters, task definitions, and the integration of load balancers, along with security measures and performance metrics for managing resources. Key points include the use of CloudFormation for resource management, deployment strategies, and best practices for automating deployments in a scalable environment.

1. Deliver Docker Containers
Continuously on AWS
Philipp Garbe
@pgarbe

2. ● Philipp Garbe
● Lead Developer @AutoScout24
● AWS
● Continuous Delivery
● Docker
About Me

3. What About You?

4. “Hello ECS”

5. Our first ECS cluster

6. ECS Cluster: Deployment Options
AWS Console AWS CLI ECS CLI CloudFormation
Easy to start Yes No Yes No
Automation No Yes Yes Yes
Configuration as
Code
No No No Yes
Auto Scaling Yes Yes No Yes

7. AWSTemplateFormatVersion: '2010-09-09'
Parameters:
KeyName:
Type: AWS::EC2::KeyPair::KeyName
Description: EC2 KeyPair to enable SSH access.
...
Resources:
ECSCluster:
Type: AWS::ECS::Cluster
ECSAutoScalingGroup:
Type: AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup
Properties:
VPCZoneIdentifier: !Ref: ServiceSubnets
LaunchConfigurationName: !Ref: LaunchConfig
MinSize: !Ref: ClusterMinSize
MaxSize: !Ref: ClusterMaxSize
LaunchConfig:
Type: AWS::AutoScaling::LaunchConfiguration
Metadata:
AWS::CloudFormation::Init:
config:
commands:
01_add_instance_to_cluster:
command: !Sub |
#!/bin/bash
echo ECS_CLUSTER=${ECSCluster} >> /etc/ecs/ecs.config
Properties:
ImageId: !FindInMap: [AWSRegionToAMI, Ref: AWS::Region, AMIID]
InstanceType: !Ref: InstanceType
IamInstanceProfile: !Ref: EC2InstanceProfile
KeyName: !Ref: KeyName
...
Outputs:
ClusterName:
Value: !Ref: ECSCluster
Export:
Name: !Sub "${AWS::StackName}-ClusterName"

8. The first deployment

9. Container Definition
● Image
● Port mapping
● Mount points
● Network options
● Docker options

10. Task Definition
● Task Role
● Volumes
● Network Mode

11. Service Description
● Loadbalancer
● AutoScaling
● Deployment Configuration

12. ECS Service: Deployment Options
AWS Console AWS CLI ECS CLI CloudFormation
Easy to start Yes No Yes No
Automation No Yes Yes Yes
Configuration as
Code
No No Partially Yes
Auto Scaling Yes Yes No Yes
Load Balancer Yes Yes No Yes

13. AWSTemplateFormatVersion: '2010-09-09'
Parameters:
DesiredCount:
Type: Number
ClusterStack:
Type: String
Description: Name of the cluster stack
...
Resources:
TaskDefinition:
Type: AWS::ECS::TaskDefinition
Properties:
TaskRoleArn: !Ref TaskAuthRole
ContainerDefinitions:
- Name: Jenkins
Image: !Sub jenkins:${Version}
Cpu: '2048'
PortMappings:
- ContainerPort: 80
HostPort: 0
Memory: '4608'
Essential: 'true'
WebApp:
Type: AWS::ECS::Service
Properties:
Cluster:
"Fn::ImportValue": !Sub "${ClusterStack}-ClusterName"
DesiredCount: !Ref DesiredCount
TaskDefinition: !Ref TaskDefinition
DeploymentConfiguration:
MaximumPercent: 100
MinimumHealthyPercent: 0
Role: !Ref ServiceAuthRole
LoadBalancers:
- ContainerName: Jenkins
ContainerPort: 8080
LoadBalancerName:
"Fn::ImportValue": !Sub "${ClusterStack}-LoadBalancerName"

14. Load Balancing

15. Application Load Balancer (ALB)

16. Static Port Mapping (ELB)

17. Dynamic Port Mapping (ALB)

18. Up & Down

28. ● Two different kinds of scaling (cluster and service)
○ Cluster: Use cpu / memory reservation metrics
○ Service: Use cpu / memory utilization metrics
● Scale down to save money, but avoid endless-loop
● Scaling takes awhile to take effect
● ASG ist not aware of ECS
AutoScaling: Conclusion

29. AutoScaling: Rule of Thumb
Threshold = (1 - max(Container Reservation) /
Total Capacity of a single Container Instance) * 100
Example:
Container instance capacity: 2048 MB
Container reservation: 512 MB
Threshold = (1 - 512 / 2048) * 100
Threshold = 75%

30. Deploy Continuously

31. ECS Cluster
● Use AutoScaling Group
● UpdatePolicy defines deployment strategy
● Ensure Docker and ECS-Agent is running

32. ECS Service
● Latest is not a version
● Providing a new task definition triggers deployment
● Deployment strategy based on minimum healthy percent
and maximum percent

33. Node draining
● Not natively supported by ECS
● Use Lifecycle Hooks

34. Volumes

35. EBS vs EFS

36. Security

37. IAM Security Roles
ecsAutoScalingRole
ecsContainerInstanceRole
ecsServiceRole
ecsTaskRole
● Read CloudWatch Metrics
● Modify App AutoScaling
● ECR: Get Images
● ECS: De/Register
Container Instances
● De/Register Instances with
Load Balancer
● Everything your task
needs to do
https://iam.cloudonaut.io

41. How to protect yourself
EC2
● Disallow access to metadata service from tasks (containers)
iptables --insert FORWARD 1 --in-interface docker+ --destination 169.254.169.254/32
--jump DROP
IAM
● Give the instance role only the credentials it needs (according to aws docs)

42. re:Invent

43. ● CloudWatch Events
● New task placement strategies
● Blox
New features

44. New service integration
● EC2 System Manager parameter store
● CodeBuild
● AWS X-Ray

45. Conclusion

46. Questions?

47. https://autoscout24.github.io/hiring
Philipp Garbe
http://garbe.io
@pgarbe
https://github.com/pgarbe