#awscdk

AWS Console to Code

AWS Console-to-Code, which makes it simple to turn AWS console actions into reusable code, is now generally available (GA). When you launch an Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instance, for example, you can record your actions and workflows in the console using AWS Console-to-Code. You can then evaluate the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) commands for your console actions.

Using the infrastructure-as-code (IaC) format of your choosing, such as the AWS CloudFormation template (YAML or JSON) or the AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK) (TypeScript, Python, or Java), Amazon Q can generate code for you with a few clicks. This may be included into pipelines, further tailored for your production workloads, and utilized as a foundation for infrastructure automation.

Customers have responded well to AWS Console-to-Code since it revealed the preview last year. Since it has been working backwards from customer feedback, it has been significantly enhanced in this GA version.

GA’s new features

Encouragement of additional services Amazon EC2 was the sole service that was supported during the preview. Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) are now supported by AWS Console-to-Code at GA.

Simplified experience: Customers can now more easily handle the workflows for prototyping, recording, and code creation with the updated user interface.

Preview code: Customers can now create code for EC2 instances and Auto Scaling groups without actually establishing them with updates to the launch wizards.

Advanced code generation: Amazon Q machine learning models power the creation of code for AWS CDK and CloudFormation.

How to begin using AWS Console-to-Code

Let’s start with a straightforward example of starting an Amazon EC2 instance. Open the Amazon EC2 console first. To begin recording, find the AWS Console-to-Code widget on the right and select Start recording.

Next, use the Amazon EC2 console’s launch instance wizard to start an Amazon EC2 instance. To finish the recording, select Stop once the instance has been launched.

Examine the recorded actions in the Recorded actions table. To filter by write actions (Write), utilize the Type dropdown list. Select the action RunInstances. To copy the relevant AWS CLI command, select Copy CLI.

It is simple to change this command. For this example, You can modify it to start two instances (–count 2) of type t3.micro (–instance-type). Although this is a simplified example, other workflows can use the same method.

You can use AWS CloudShell to run the command, and it launched two t3.micro EC2 instances as planned:

The API commands used when actions were conducted (during the EC2 instance launch) form the basis of the single-click CLI code creation experience. It’s intriguing to see that when you finish operations in the console, the companion screen displays the recorded actions. Additionally, it is simple to clearly scope activities for prototyping because of the interactive user interface’s start and stop capabilities.

Creating IaC with AWS CDK

An open-source framework called AWS CDK is used to specify cloud architecture in code and provision it using AWS CloudFormation. You may create AWS CDK code for your infrastructure workflows with AWS Console-to-Code. Currently available in Java, Python, and TypeScript.

Let’s move on to the use case for the EC2 launch instance. Locate the AWS Console-to-Code widget on the right side of the Amazon EC2 console, select Start recording, and then start an EC2 instance if you haven’t already. Once the instance has started, select the RunInstances action from the Recorded actions table and select Stop to finish the recording.

Select the Generate CDK Python button from the dropdown menu to begin generating AWS CDK Python code.

You can modify the code to make it production-ready for your particular use case, or you can use it as a starting point.

You made a new Python CDK project since you already had the AWS CDK installed:

Then entered the code that was generated into the Python CDK project. To make sure the code was correct for this example, modified the EC2 instance type, refactored the code into an AWS CDK Stack, and made a few other little adjustments. Using CDK deploy, was able to deploy it successfully.

You can replicate the same outcome by launching an EC2 instance from the console action and then going all the way to the AWS CDK.

Additionally, you can create CloudFormation templates in JSON or YAML format:

Preview code

Additionally, you may use the Preview code capability in Amazon EC2 and the Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling group launch experience to directly access AWS Console-to-Code. This implies that you can obtain the infrastructure code without actually creating the resource.

Try this out by following the instructions to use a launch template to build an Auto Scaling group. But click Preview code rather than Create Auto Scaling group. The options to replicate the AWS CLI command or produce infrastructure code should now be visible to you.

Things to be aware of

When using AWS Console-to-Code, keep the following points in mind:

To create AWS CLI commands for their infrastructure operations, anyone can use AWS Console-to-Code. There is a free monthly limit of 25 generations for the code generation feature for AWS CDK and CloudFormation formats; after that, an Amazon Q Developer subscription is required.

Prior to deployment, it is advised that you test and validate the generated IaC code.

Only actions in the Amazon EC2, Amazon VPC, and Amazon RDS consoles are recorded by AWS Console-to-Code at GA.

Actions from past sessions or other tabs are not retained by the Recorded actions table in AWS Console-to-Code; it only shows actions made within the current browser tab. Keep in mind that all recorded actions will be lost once the browser tab is refreshed.

Currently accessible

All commercial regions offer AWS Console-to-Code. The Amazon Q Developer user manual contains additional information about it. Try it out in the Amazon EC2 console and email the AWS re:Post for Amazon EC2 or your regular AWS Support contacts with your thoughts.

The AWS Cloud Improvement Kit (CDK) is a tool that makes cloud infrastructure easier and more versatile. This blog post investigates AWS CDK, an essential asset that instructs designers on how to use programming languages they already know to put up cloud assets.

Unlike more seasoned solutions that were more inflexible and less changeable, AWS CDK simplifies and makes it easier to create and manage assets on AWS. It doesn’t matter if you’re an expert in distributed computing or just getting started; this post will help you understand how AWS CDK can influence how you work with cloud systems. It demonstrates how it can improve your work process and open up new chances in cloud framework planning and management.

An Overview of the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK)

AWS CDK (Cloud Development Kit): A tool for building cloud setups using code.

Works with Popular Programming Languages: You can use languages you already know like JavaScript, Python, or Java.

Code-Based Infrastructure: This lets you set up cloud parts using code, which is easier and more flexible than older methods.

Makes Managing Cloud Stuff Easier: Helps you easily create, put in place, and manage things on the AWS cloud.

You Can Reuse Code Pieces: You can make and use custom code parts again to save time and keep things consistent.

Works Well with AWS Services: It fits nicely with AWS, making it easy to build full cloud solutions.

Friendly for Developers: Simplifies cloud building, making it easier for developers of all skill levels.

Saves Time and Effort: Cuts down on repetitive work and mistakes, so you can build cloud infrastructure quicker and more efficiently.

What is AWS CDK?

The AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK) is an open-source software development framework to model and provision your cloud application resources using familiar programming languages.

AWS CDK enables you to model application infrastructure using TypeScript, Python, Java, and .NET. Developers can leverage their existing Integrated Development Environment (IDE), using tools such as autocomplete and in-line documentation to accelerate the development of infrastructure.

AWS CDK utilizes AWS CloudFormation in the background to provision resources in a safe, repeatable manner. Constructs are the basic building blocks of CDK code. A construct represents a cloud component and encapsulates everything AWS CloudFormation needs to create the component.

The AWS CDK includes the AWS Construct Library, containing constructs representing many AWS services. By combining constructs, you can quickly and easily create complex architectures for deployment in AWS.

Services Provided by AWS

Compute Virtual servers, containers, and serverless functions to run your applications.

Storage: For long-term archiving, scalable and durable storage solutions like S3 buckets, EBS volumes, and Glacier.

Databases: Managed database services like RDS for popular engines like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle.

Networking: Virtual private clouds (VPCs), load balancers, and content delivery networks (CDNs) to connect and distribute your resources.

Management Tools: Services like CloudWatch for monitoring, CloudFormation for infrastructure automation, and IAM for access control.

Machine Learning: Tools and services like Amazon SageMaker to build, train, and deploy machine learning models.

Internet of Things (IoT): The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected devices, sensors, and objects that collect and exchange data over the Internet.

Advantages of Using AWS CDK

Simplified Cloud Onboarding

The AWS CDK makes onboarding to the cloud substantially easier. It allows developers to use their existing expertise and tools to build cloud infrastructures. The high-level components of the AWS CDK include pre-configured settings based on best practices, allowing developers to efficiently build on AWS without needing to be cloud experts.

Accelerated Development Process

The expressive power of common programming languages utilized in AWS CDK speeds up the development process. Developers can use constructs like objects, loops, and conditions that they are already familiar with. This connection with mainstream programming paradigms accelerates development. Furthermore, interoperability with integrated development environments (IDEs) enables the use of existing productivity and testing frameworks.

Customisation and Shareability

The AWS CDK allows you to create bespoke, reusable components that are suited to your organization’s specific security, compliance, and governance requirements. These components can be easily disseminated inside an organization, just like any other software library, allowing for speedy project launch with best practices ingrained from the start.

Seamless Integration with Development Environments

AWS CDK provides seamless integration with development environments, eliminating the need for context switching across environments or languages. Developers may describe cloud resources and write runtime code in the same language, all from their choice IDE. Tools like the AWS Toolkit for Visual Studio Code improve this integration by allowing developers to monitor and control CDK application stacks and resources directly within the IDE.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an AWS CDK Project

Download and Install NodeJs of the Latest version

You can install the nodejs using CLI using the below command:

After running this command npm will be successfully installed on your device

Install AWS CDK

You can install the AWS CDK below command:

Verify Whether the CDK is Installed or Not

You can simply verify by checking the CDK version using the below command:

Create a New Directory for the Project

You can create a directory using the below command:

You can create a directory using the below command:

Project Creation

You can initialize the project using the below command:

After running this command all the required modules and files are created In the directory.

You can find the Project Stack class which extends the Stack class and can 

Define the following element in this class:

AWS Resources

S3 Buckets

EC2 Instances

Lambda Functions

Databases

Networking Components

Configuration Options

Tags

Permissions

Event-driven Actions

Triggers

AWS CDK Tools

The AWS CDK Toolkit, also known as the Command Line Interface (CLI), is an essential tool for managing AWS CDK applications. It allows developers to run their code, build, deploy, and manage AWS CloudFormation templates, simplifying cloud infrastructure management.

Key features include deploying, ‘diffing’, deleting, and troubleshooting cloud resources. The CLI enables efficient orchestration of cloud infrastructure, ensuring streamlined deployments in line with defined infrastructure as code.

The AWS Toolkit for Visual Studio Code, an open-source addon for the popular Visual Studio Code editor, enhances the AWS CDK Toolkit. It streamlines the creation, debugging, and deployment of AWS applications, significantly improving the development experience.

A key feature, the AWS CDK Explorer, offers a visual representation of AWS CDK projects, allowing developers to easily navigate and understand their CDK applications’ structure and components. Its integration into Visual Studio Code makes it a valuable tool for developers, simplifying and making the management of AWS CDK applications more accessible.

Conclusion

The AWS Cloud Improvement Unit (CDK) continues to be a powerful and adaptable tool for modern cloud framework development. It perfectly combines with AWS administrations, allowing designers to characterize assets utilizing well-known programming languages, hence smoothing out the arrangement and management cycle.

By embracing the CDK, organizations can benefit from increased efficacy, fewer errors, and a more agile improvement cycle. Whether for small chores or large-scale endeavor arrangements, the AWS CDK provides a robust, versatile, and engineer-friendly approach to dealing with cloud foundations, making it an essential tool in the toolbox of any Cloud Computing Services Provider or cloud expert. As cloud innovation advances, the AWS CDK is poised to play an important role in shaping the future of cloud framework development.