If you want a DevOps project that touches all the fundamentals—cloud, containers, CI/CD, and networking—deploying a three-tier app on AWS EC2 is a perfect starting point. Here’s the exact blueprint I keep in my second brain.
Overview
You’ll take any simple three-tier application (frontend, backend, database) and make it production-ready:
- Containerize every component with Docker.
- Push the images to Amazon ECR.
- Run everything on an EC2 instance fronted by Nginx.
- Automate deployment with GitHub Actions.
🟢 Basic Steps
- Create an EC2 instance with enough RAM/CPU to run all services.
- Pick a three-tier sample app (or stitch one together quickly).
- Dockerize each tier—frontend, backend, database.
- Push images to AWS ECR so the EC2 host can pull them securely.
- SSH into EC2 and authenticate with ECR (
aws ecr get-login-password). - Pull the images and start the containers with Docker Compose.
- Install Nginx on the host.
- Configure Nginx as a reverse proxy to the frontend/container network.
- Expose the app via the EC2 public IP or Elastic IP.
🔴 Advanced Steps
- GitHub Actions pipeline that lints, tests, builds, and pushes Docker images on every merge.
- EC2 IAM profile with ECR permissions so you don’t store long-lived access keys.
- Route53 domain + SSL so the stack is reachable on a custom domain with HTTPS.
🛠️ Technologies Used
| Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|
| AWS EC2 | Host the containers and reverse proxy |
| Docker / Docker Compose | Containerize the services |
| AWS ECR | Store and version Docker images |
| Nginx | Reverse proxy + TLS termination |
| GitHub Actions | CI/CD pipeline |
| Route53 | DNS and domain management |
Why This Project Works
- You practice cloud provisioning, containerization, networking, security, and automation in one go.
- Every piece is modular. Swap in different apps, databases, or CI steps as you grow.
- Recruiters love seeing end-to-end ownership—from Dockerfile to DNS.
Tackle the basic steps in a weekend, then layer the advanced pieces over the next sprint. Ship it, document it, and show the receipts. This single project can anchor your DevOps portfolio.