AWS Cloud. Deploying a Healthcare Application on AWS EC2

AWS provides a full range of services designed specifically to satisfy the specific requirements of the HealthCare industry. This tutorial is going to show how to set up a HealthCare application on Amazon EC2.

One of the foundational features of AWS is Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), which offers scalable computational capacity in the cloud. On EC2 instances, HealthCare applications may be quickly scaled and deployed, guaranteeing high availability. Here is an example of a HealthCare application being deployed on EC2:

# AWS SDK for Python (Boto3) code example

import boto3

# Create an EC2 instance
ec2 = boto3.resource('ec2')

instance = ec2.create_instances(
    ImageId='ami-xxxxxxxx',
    InstanceType='t2.micro',
    MinCount=1,
    MaxCount=1,
    KeyName='my-key-pair'
)

print("EC2 instance created:", instance[0].id)

Virtual server instances from EC2 can be tailored to your particular HealthCare application's needs.

What is CodeDeploy?

AWS offers CodeDeploy, a potent tool for continuous integration and deployment. So, let’s take a look at how to work with it.

CodeDeploy is a fully managed service that simplifies the process of automating application deployments to various computing platforms, including Amazon EC2 instances and on-premises servers. This tool can deploy application content that runs on a server and is stored in Amazon S3 buckets, GitHub repositories, or Bitbucket repositories.

We'll talk about how it can increase application availability, expedite deployment procedures, and guarantee streamlined updates across all of your compute platforms.

You have almost limitless options for deploying application content, like:

•Code

•Web and configuration files

•Executables

•Packages

•Scripts

•Multimedia files

You do not need to make changes to your existing code before you can use CodeDeploy.

With CodeDeploy, you can more easily:

•Rapidly release new features.

•Avoid downtime during application deployment.

•Handle the complexity of updating your applications, without many of the risks associated with error-prone manual deployments.

Applications can be deployed using CodeDeploy to EC2/On-Premises compute platforms:

Describes instances of actual servers, which can be either on-premises or in the Amazon EC2 cloud. Executable files, configuration files, pictures, and more may all be used to build applications on the EC2/On-Premises compute platform.

The following diagram shows the components in a CodeDeploy deployment on an EC2/On-Premises compute platform

The following diagram shows the major steps in the deployment of application revisions

Here's a detailed overview of deploying a HealthCare application on AWS EC2

Choose the Right EC2 Instance Type:

Think about the demands on the CPU, memory, storage, and network before launching a HealthCare application. For instance, you might select an instance type with a higher CPU capacity if your application includes intensive data processing or demands significant computational capability. However, if your application works with massive datasets, you could want instances with plenty of storage.

Select the Appropriate Amazon Machine Image (AMI):

Selecting an AMI that satisfies the requirements of your HealthCare application is essential. A pre-configured template known as an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) comprises the software, operating system, and configuration options needed for your application. There are numerous AMIs available from AWS, including well-known operating systems like Amazon Linux, Ubuntu, and Windows Server.

Configure Security Group and Network Settings:

You must provide the proper security group rules and network configurations in order to guarantee the security of your healthcare application. As a virtual firewall, a security group manages the inbound and outbound traffic for your EC2 instances. Set up security group rules to only permit access to the ports and protocols required by your application. Consider using Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networking to separate the resources of your application and regulate network traffic.

Launch and Provision EC2 Instances:

Once you have determined the instance type, AMI, security group, and network settings, you can proceed to launch EC2 instances. This can be done manually through the AWS Management Console or programmatically using AWS SDKs or CLI (Command Line Interface). Specify the desired instance type, configure storage options, and define any additional configurations required for your HealthCare application.

Install and Configure Application Dependencies:

After launching EC2 instances, connect to the instances securely using SSH (Secure Shell) or Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) for Windows instances. Install the relevant dependencies, then set up the environment your HealthCare application needs. Installing databases, web servers, and other application-specific components may fall under this category.

Deploy and Manage the Healthcare Application:

Once the EC2 instances are set up and the dependencies are installed, deploy your healthcare application to the instances. This can be done through various deployment mechanisms, such as copying files directly to the instances, using version control systems like Git, or utilizing containerization technologies like Docker.

Here's a checklist to help you effectively use AWS EC2 with CodeDeploy:

1. Prepare Your Application:

Ensure your application code is ready and stored in a version-controlled repository such as Git.

Include an appspec.yml file that defines the deployment details and lifecycle hooks.

1. Set Up EC2 Instances:

Launch the required EC2 instances to serve as the deployment targets.

Ensure the instances have the necessary permissions to interact with CodeDeploy.

1. Set Up Security:

Configure security groups to control inbound and outbound traffic. Define network access control rules to restrict access to your instances. Implement encryption for data at rest and in transit.

1. Configure CodeDeploy:

Navigate to the AWS Management Console and open the CodeDeploy service.

Create an application and specify the deployment platform as EC2 instances.

Set up a deployment group, providing a name and selecting the EC2 instances as the deployment target.

1. Create a Deployment:

Select the application and deployment group created in the previous step.

Choose the deployment type (e.g., In-place or Blue/green) and the revision type (e.g., GitHub, S3, or an application bundle).

Configure any additional deployment settings, such as traffic routing or health checks.

1. Deploy the Application:

Initiate the deployment either through the AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, or SDKs.

Use the deployment group's name and the revision details (e.g., GitHub commit ID or S3 bucket/object) for the deployment command.