Rocking AWS CloudFormation with DevOps, Interview Guide

Learn to run your first CloudFormation stack using the console, explore sample templates, create stacks, and view events, resources, and outputs for AWS services.

Explore JSON versus YAML for CloudFormation, learn to convert between them in the CloudFormation console and VS Code, and see how nested stacks interchange JSON and YAML.

Explore the anatomy of an AWS CloudFormation template, from the optional template format version to the mandatory resources, and learn how parameters enable user input to customize instance types.

Explore how CloudFormation parameters define input values with types like string, number, lists, or specific parameter types, and how defaults, validation, and intrinsic functions like ref keep templates reliable.

Explore pseudo parameters, predefined by AWS CloudFormation, and use them with the ref function to obtain region, account ID, stack ID, and stack name.

Discover how CloudFormation mappings enable region-aware configurations by using a region map and the Fn::FindInMap function to automatically select the correct RMI ID for EC2 across regions.

Demo of cross-stack outputs in CloudFormation, exporting a security group ID from a security group stack and importing it into an EC2 stack to attach to an instance.

Learn to run CloudFormation from the AWS CLI, including creating stacks with template URL or body, passing parameters, describing stacks, and deleting them.

Automate CloudFormation by storing templates in a code repository and triggering stack submissions with ci cd tools such as Jenkins, Terraform, and AWS CodePipeline, replacing manual, error-prone processes.

Learn to set up Jenkins with the CloudFormation plugin, create a freestyle project connected to GitHub, and deploy a CloudFormation stack that creates an S3 bucket.

Automate Jenkins job submissions when a CloudFormation template changes, by configuring a GitHub webhook to trigger the Jenkins build on push events.

Master Terraform, an open-source tool for building and changing infrastructure across multiple clouds, using the HCL language in .tf files, deployable via cloud APIs and Jenkins automation.

Master spinning up AWS infrastructure with Terraform by using the AWS documentation, leveraging data sources and resources, and applying changes to create an S3 bucket with tags.

Master AWS CodePipeline to automate end-to-end CI/CD pipelines, orchestrating build, test, and deploy while integrating with Jenkins, GitHub, CloudFormation, and other DevOps tools.

Explore the AWS CodePipeline console and its look and feel, including source, build, and deploy stages, with manual approvals and custom stages.

learn to deploy cloudformation via change sets in aws codepipeline, creating and executing change sets, and observe how sns topics and outputs are managed.

Spin up an EC2 using CDK, configuring instance type, a looked-up machine image, and a VPC from lookup. Address CDK diff errors and set env for account and region.

Explore how CloudFormation works with IAM and when to use a dedicated service role. See how permissions determine what CloudFormation can create and update, with a demo on service roles.

Learn how to restrict CloudFormation permissions by creating and attaching an IAM role with specific policies, preventing unintended actions and enabling controlled resource creation.

Learn to reuse CloudFormation templates with nested stacks hosted in S3 for web server EC2 deployments. Explore passing parameters and updating common components across multiple stacks.

Explore how to use CloudFormation change sets to preview updates, including adding an S3 bucket and modifying an EC2 instance, before executing or deleting the change set.

Discover how AWS Lambda powers serverless architectures by running code without servers, auto scaling, and paying only for compute time, with event-driven triggers from S3, API Gateway, and more.

Explore CloudFormation custom resources to run Lambda-backed provisioning logic within templates, enabling dynamic tasks such as fetching the latest AMI ID via boto3 and returning data to CloudFormation.

Discover how Secrets Manager stores and retrieves database credentials and API keys, with options for default or CMK encryption, and learn to fetch secrets via code snippets, including rotation.

Demonstrates dynamic references from CloudFormation to Secrets Manager by creating a secret with username admin and an auto-generated password, then provisioning a database instance using those secret values.

Discover dynamic references to fetch SSM parameter store values in CloudFormation, enabling environment-specific S3 bucket names and access control without hard coding.

Explore Python helper scripts like CFN Init, CFN Signal, CFN Get Metadata, and CFN Hub that automate software installation on EC2 instances within CloudFormation.

Explore how the serverless application model enhances CloudFormation to spin up serverless resources easily and efficiently, with notes on overlaps with the serverless course.

Create lambda events as an api endpoint using sam, define api path and method, and deploy to api gateway to test a get request on /photos.

Create a scheduled lambda with SAM to run every ten minutes via a CloudWatch event, showing easy event deployment and contrasting SAM with CloudFormation.

Sharpen your cloud interview skills with practical strategies for CloudFormation, infrastructure as code, time management, and whiteboarding, based on real-world industry experience.

Discover practical cloud interview tips, build a ready portfolio, earn certifications, stay current with cloud news, tailor answers by role, and master whiteboarding for DevOps and cloud formations.

Master CloudFormation coding with parameters, mappings, intrinsic functions, and custom resources; explore CodePipeline parameter inputs, AMI selection, cost estimation, budgeting, and best practices with nested stacks.

Explore automating CloudFormation with DevOps tools, deploy via CI/CD, manage changesets across regions and accounts, and apply infrastructure as code while comparing Jenkins, Terraform, and Codepipeline.

Show readiness to learn and adopt by discussing infrastructure as code, CloudFormation, drift detection, and the Cloud Development Kit (CDK) with Python or TypeScript, plus recent AWS announcements.

Rock your whiteboarding interview with six actionable steps, clarifying requirements, outlining functional requirements and design considerations, while clearly articulating your reasoning for scalable, secure cloud designs.