Deploying a Multi-Tier Web Application on EC2

Jamie Larson

• 2 min read

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through deploying a multi-tier web application on Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). A multi-tier application is structured into separate layers, such as a front-end web server and a back-end database, providing better scalability, manageability, and security.

Prerequisites

  • An AWS account.
  • Basic knowledge of web applications, databases, and AWS services.

Objective

Set up a basic multi-tier web application with a front-end web server and a back-end database server on AWS EC2.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Plan Your Architecture

  • Front-End Layer: This will consist of EC2 instances serving the web application.
  • Back-End Layer: An EC2 instance or AWS RDS (Relational Database Service) for the database.

Step 2: Set Up the Front-End Web Server

  • Launch EC2 Instance: Use the AWS Management Console to launch a new EC2 instance for your web server. Choose an appropriate AMI, such as Amazon Linux or Ubuntu Server.
  • Install Web Server Software: SSH into the instance and install web server software like Apache or Nginx.
  • Deploy Web Application: Upload your web application files to the instance.

Step 3: Set Up the Back-End Database Server

  • Option 1 - EC2 Instance: Launch another EC2 instance. Install and configure a database server like MySQL or PostgreSQL.
  • Option 2 - AWS RDS: Alternatively, use AWS RDS to set up a managed database service.

Step 4: Configure Security Groups

  • Web Server Security Group: Open HTTP/HTTPS ports (80 and 443) for web traffic.
  • Database Security Group: Open the database port (e.g., 3306 for MySQL) only to the web server security group.

Step 5: Connect the Front-End and Back-End

  • Database Connection: Configure your web application to connect to the database using the database server’s private IP or DNS name.

Step 6: Test Your Application

  • Access Web Server: Use the web server’s public IP or DNS name to access your web application through a browser.
  • Test Database Connectivity: Ensure that the web application can retrieve and store data in the database.

Step 7: Implement Scaling and Load Balancing (Optional)

  • Auto Scaling: For the front-end, set up Auto Scaling to handle variable traffic.
  • Load Balancing: Use Elastic Load Balancing (ELB) to distribute traffic across multiple front-end instances.

Step 8: Monitoring and Management

  • AWS CloudWatch: Use CloudWatch for monitoring the performance of your EC2 instances.
  • Backup: Regularly backup your database and application data.

Conclusion

You have now set up a basic multi-tier web application on AWS EC2, with a separate front-end web server and a back-end database. This architecture enhances scalability, security, and manageability of your web application. Remember to continually monitor and adjust your setup based on the application's performance and scalability requirements.