Setup with CloudFormation

Launch the CloudFormation stack

To save time on the initial setup, a CloudFormation template will be used to create the Amazon VPC with subnets in two Availability Zones, as well as various supporting resources including IAM policies and roles, security groups, and a Cloud9 IDE environment for you to run the steps for the workshop in.

To create the stack

  1. You can view and download the CloudFormation template from GitHub here.

  2. Take a moment to review the CloudFormation template so you understand the resources it will be creating.

  3. Browse to the AWS CloudFormation console.

    Make sure you are in AWS Region designated by the facilitators of the workshop

  4. Click Create stack.

  5. In the Specify template section, select Upload a template file. Click Choose file and, select the template you downloaded in step 1.

  6. Click Next.

  7. In the Specify stack details section, enter a Stack name. For example, use myEC2Workshop. The stack name cannot contain spaces.

  8. [Optional] In the Parameters section, optionally change the sourceCidr to restrict instance ssh/http access and load balancer http access.

  9. Click Next.

  10. In Configure stack options, you don’t need to make any changes.

  11. Click Next.

  12. Review the information for the stack. At the bottom under Capabilities, select I acknowledge that AWS CloudFormation might create IAM resources. When you’re satisfied with the settings, click Create stack.

Monitor the progress of stack creation

It will take roughly 5 minutes for the stack creation to complete.

  1. On the AWS CloudFormation console, select the stack in the list.

  2. In the stack details pane, click the Events tab. You can click the refresh button to update the events in the stack creation.

The Events tab displays each major step in the creation of the stack sorted by the time of each event, with latest events on top.

The CREATE_IN_PROGRESS event is logged when AWS CloudFormation reports that it has begun to create the resource. The CREATE_COMPLETE event is logged when the resource is successfully created.

When AWS CloudFormation has successfully created the stack, you will see the CREATE_COMPLETE event at the top of the Events tab:

Use your stack resources

In this workshop, you’ll need to reference the resources created by the CloudFormation stack.

  1. On the AWS CloudFormation console, select the stack in the list.

  2. In the stack details pane, click the Outputs tab.

It is recommended that you keep this window open so you can easily refer to the outputs and resources throughout the workshop.