Week 2 Worklog

Week 2 Objectives:

  • Strengthen hands-on practice with AWS networking, identity, backup, migration, container, security, and CI/CD services.
  • Understand how to configure AWS resources through both the AWS Management Console and AWS CLI.
  • Practice deploying applications with Docker, Amazon ECS, and automated CI/CD workflows.
  • Learn how to design secure and scalable network connectivity with VPC Peering and AWS Transit Gateway.

Tasks to be carried out this week:

DayTaskStart DateCompletion DateReference Material
2- Study hybrid DNS architecture with Amazon Route 53 Resolver:
  + Review inbound endpoint, outbound endpoint, and resolver rules
  + Deploy the lab infrastructure with CloudFormation
  + Configure Microsoft AD and DNS forwarding between on-premises simulation and AWS
  + Test DNS resolution results
- Practice AWS CLI:
  + Install and configure AWS CLI profile
  + View EC2, S3, IAM, VPC, and SNS resources via CLI
  + Create EC2 resources using CLI commands
- Practice IAM Identity Center:
  + Create AWS accounts in AWS Organizations
  + Set up organizational units, users, groups, and permission sets
  + Test console and CLI access with assigned permissions
27/04/202627/04/2026Route 53 Resolver
AWS CLI
IAM Identity Center
3- Practice AWS Backup:
  + Create an S3 bucket and deploy lab resources
  + Create a backup plan for AWS resources
  + Configure backup notifications
  + Test restore from backup and clean up resources
- Practice VM Import/Export:
  + Prepare VMware Workstation environment
  + Export a virtual machine from on-premises simulation
  + Upload the VM image to Amazon S3
  + Import the VM to AWS and deploy an EC2 instance from the generated AMI
28/04/202628/04/2026AWS Backup
VM Import/Export
4- Practice deploying applications with Docker:
  + Install dependencies and run the application locally
  + Configure VPC, security group, and IAM role for ECR access
  + Launch and configure Amazon RDS
  + Configure EC2 instance for container deployment
  + Deploy the application using Docker image and Docker Compose
  + Push container image to Amazon ECR or Docker Hub
29/04/202629/04/2026Docker Deployment
5- Practice deploying applications on Amazon ECS:
  + Create ECS cluster with AWS Fargate
  + Create backend and frontend task definitions
  + Configure target groups and Application Load Balancer
  + Create backend ECS service with blue/green deployment
  + Create frontend ECS service with rolling deployment
  + Test application access and verify service status
30/04/202630/04/2026Amazon ECS
6- Practice CI/CD deployment for ECS:
  + Configure GitLab pipeline and GitLab Runner
  + Configure GitHub Actions workflow for ECS deployment
  + Create frontend and backend CodeBuild projects
  + Verify deployment results and monitor application logs
- Practice AWS Security Hub:
  + Enable Security Hub
  + Review security standards and security score
  + Check findings and clean up resources
- Practice AWS networking:
  + Create VPC Peering connection and update route tables
  + Configure cross-peer DNS resolution
  + Create Transit Gateway, attachments, and route tables
  + Add Transit Gateway routes to VPC route tables and test connectivity
01/05/202601/05/2026ECS CI/CD
Security Hub
VPC Peering
Transit Gateway

Week 2 Achievements:

  • Understood hybrid DNS architecture with Amazon Route 53 Resolver: inbound endpoints, outbound endpoints, and resolver rules.

  • Deployed lab infrastructure with CloudFormation, configured Microsoft AD, and set up DNS forwarding between simulated on-premises and AWS.

  • Validated DNS resolution in both directions and documented query flows between on-premises DNS and AWS private hosted zones.

  • Installed the AWS CLI, configured profiles (access keys, region, output format), and practiced foundational commands.

  • Used the CLI to list and manage EC2, S3, IAM, VPC, and SNS resources; created EC2 resources from the command line.

  • Understood IAM Identity Center (SSO) in the context of AWS Organizations for centralized multi-account access.

  • Created AWS accounts, organizational units (OUs), users, groups, and permission sets; assigned role-based access.

  • Verified console and CLI sign-in through Identity Center with configured permission sets.

  • Understood AWS Backup for centralized protection of EBS, RDS, DynamoDB, and EFS; created a backup plan and assigned resources.

  • Configured backup notifications (SNS), performed restore testing, and completed Backup lab cleanup.

  • Mastered VM Import/Export: exported a VM from on-premises, uploaded the image to S3, imported an AMI, and launched EC2.

  • Prepared VMware Workstation and completed the export → upload → import migration workflow from the workshop.

  • Ran the application locally with dependencies; understood Dockerfile basics and image packaging workflows.

  • Configured VPC, security groups, and an IAM role for EC2 access to Amazon ECR.

  • Provisioned Amazon RDS and integrated the database into the container application flow on EC2.

  • Deployed the application with Docker images and Docker Compose; pushed images to ECR or Docker Hub.

  • Created an ECS cluster with AWS Fargate (serverless containers without managing EC2 hosts).

  • Defined task definitions for backend and frontend, including container ports, images, and environment variables.

  • Set up an Application Load Balancer, target groups, and traffic routing to ECS services.

  • Deployed a backend service with blue/green deployment and a frontend service with rolling deployment; verified application access and Container Insights.

  • Configured a GitLab pipeline and GitLab Runner for automated build and deploy workflows.

  • Set up a GitHub Actions workflow for ECS deployment and created CodeBuild projects for frontend and backend.

  • Monitored deployment results and application logs after each pipeline run.

  • Enabled AWS Security Hub, reviewed security standards, security scores, and findings.

  • Evaluated findings against AWS Foundational Security Best Practices, CIS, and PCI DSS; completed Security Hub lab cleanup.

  • Created a VPC Peering connection, updated route tables, and configured cross-peer DNS resolution.

  • Deployed AWS Transit Gateway with attachments and route tables, added routes to VPCs, and tested multi-VPC connectivity.

  • Completed cleanup of networking, Security Hub, and CI/CD resources to avoid unnecessary charges.