Preparing for AWS CI/CD Hands-On Project: Docker and CodeBuild
A complete guide on setting up Docker and understanding AWS CodeBuild before diving into the hands-on AWS CI/CD project.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Set up a Docker Hub account and understand how Docker images work.
- Explore AWS CodeBuild, a fully managed build and test service.
- Understand the automated step-by-step workflow performed by CodeBuild.
- Learn the importance of the buildspec.yml file as an instruction manual for builds.
Following our previous article on how AWS CodePipeline automates software delivery, we need one more vital tool before building our actual AWS CI/CD pipeline: Docker.
Modern software applications are rarely deployed directly from raw source code. Instead, they are packaged into Docker images, ensuring portability and consistency across various deployment environments.
Imagine developing an application locally on your laptop, only for it to crash immediately when another developer tries running it due to environmental discrepancies. Docker resolves this challenge by enclosing everything the application requires into a single unit known as a Docker image, allowing you to share it so it runs identically everywhere.
Adopting containerization tools like Docker is a cornerstone of modern DevOps practices. It eliminates the classic 'it works on my machine' dilemma and guarantees parity between development, testing, and production environments.
We also set up a Docker Hub account, which functions similarly to GitHub but stores Docker images instead of source code, marking our readiness for the next phase.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
A crucial question remains regarding who actually builds the application. This role belongs to AWS CodeBuild, a fully managed build service that automatically compiles and tests your application whenever new code is pushed. Instead of manually executing build commands locally, CodeBuild spins up a temporary build environment inside AWS to handle all necessary tasks without requiring manual server management.
The system workflow flows from the Developer pushing code to GitHub, passing through AWS CodePipeline to AWS CodeBuild, which then stores artifacts in Docker Hub or Amazon ECR before AWS CodeDeploy deploys them to EC2, ECS, or EKS. During this process, CodeBuild executes a sequence of automated steps ranging from downloading source code and installing dependencies to compiling the application, running unit tests, executing quality checks, and building and pushing Docker images.
A critical component of this setup is the buildspec.yml file, which acts as an instruction manual telling AWS precisely which commands to execute during the build process. Without it, CodeBuild would remain unaware of the required actions, a file we will create and explore closely in the upcoming practical installment.
Source: Dev.to
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