WordPress AWS Infrastructure Deployment

This guide outlines how to deploy a highly available WordPress infrastructure using AWS CloudFormation. The infrastructure includes a multi-tier VPC, EC2 instances for WordPress, RDS for the database, EFS for shared storage, and an ALB for load balancing.

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Prerequisites

1. AWS Account: Ensure you have an active AWS account.
2. AWS CLI: Install and configure the AWS CLI with appropriate credentials. Refer to the AWS CLI Documentation for setup instructions.
3. CloudFormation Templates: Ensure the following templates are available in your working directory:
   • NjomaneIndustriesVPC.yaml
   • Infrastructure.yml

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Deployment Steps

1. Deploy the VPC Stack

The VPC stack sets up the foundational network infrastructure required for the WordPress application.

Run the following command:

aws cloudformation create-stack \
  --stack-name NjomaneIndustriesVPC \
  --template-body file://NjomaneIndustriesVPC.yaml \
  --capabilities CAPABILITY_IAM \
  --profile iamadmin-philani

2. Monitor VPC Stack Progress

Wait for the VPC stack to complete. Check the status with:

aws cloudformation describe-stacks \
  --stack-name NjomaneIndustriesVPC \
  --profile iamadmin-philani

Ensure the status is CREATE_COMPLETE before proceeding.

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3. Deploy the WordPress Infrastructure Stack

Once the VPC is successfully deployed, deploy the WordPress infrastructure:

aws cloudformation create-stack \
  --stack-name Infrastructure \
  --template-body file://Infrastructure.yaml \
  --parameters \
    ParameterKey=DBPassword,ParameterValue=Philani#Wethinkcode023 \
    ParameterKey=DBRootPassword,ParameterValue=Philani#Wethinkcode023 \
  --capabilities CAPABILITY_IAM \
  --profile iamadmin-philani

4. Monitor Infrastructure Stack Progress

Check the status of the WordPress infrastructure stack using:

aws cloudformation describe-stacks \
  --stack-name Infrastructure \
  --profile iamadmin-philani

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Features of the Deployed Infrastructure

Architecture

• VPC: Multi-tier architecture with public, application, and database subnets spanning three Availability Zones for high availability.
• WordPress Application Layer:
  • EC2 instances in Auto Scaling Groups (ASG) behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB) for scaling and redundancy.
  • Elastic File System (EFS) for shared storage across WordPress instances.
• Database:
  • Amazon RDS for MySQL with high availability and automated backups.
• Monitoring & Security:
  • CloudWatch for instance monitoring and alarms.
  • IAM roles for least privilege access.
  • Security groups and network ACLs for fine-grained access control.

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Notes

• Database Passwords: Update the DBPassword and DBRootPassword parameters with secure values before deployment.
• Monitoring: Use the AWS Management Console or CLI to monitor resources and adjust scaling policies as needed.
• Costs: Ensure you understand AWS pricing for the resources deployed.

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Troubleshooting

• Stack Creation Errors:
  • Check CloudFormation events for error details:

    aws cloudformation describe-stack-events \
      --stack-name <Stack-Name> \
      --profile iamadmin-philani

• Resource Limits: Ensure your AWS account has sufficient limits for VPCs, EC2 instances, and other resources.
• Logs: Check CloudWatch logs for debugging application or infrastructure issues.

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