Build Your DB Server and Interact With Your DB Using an App

This lab is designed to reinforce the concept of leveraging an AWS-managed database

instance for solving relational database needs.

Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) makes it easy to set up, operate,
and scale a relational database in the cloud. It provides cost-efficient and
resizable capacity while managing time-consuming database administration tasks,
which allows you to focus on your applications and business. Amazon RDS provides
you with six familiar database engines to choose from: Amazon Aurora, Oracle,
Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL and MariaDB.

Objectives

After completing this lab, you can:

Launch an Amazon RDS DB instance with high availability.

Configure the DB instance to permit connections from your web server.

Open a web application and interact with your database.

Duration

This lab takes approximately 45 minutes.

Scenario

You start with the following infrastructure:

architecture-lab1.png

At the end of the lab, this is the infrastructure:

architecture-lab2.png

Accessing the AWS Management Console

At the top right corner of these instructions, choose Start Lab

Troubleshooting tip: If you get an "Access Denied" error, close the error box and
choose Start Lab again.

The lab status can be interpreted as follows.

A red circle next to AWS at the top left corner of this page indicates the lab has
not been started.

A yellow circle next to AWS at the top left corner of this page indicates the lab
is starting.

A green circle next to AWS at the top left corner of this page indicates the lab
is ready.

Please wait for the lab to be ready, before proceeding.

At the top of these instructions, choose the green circle next to AWS

This will open the AWS Management Console in a new browser tab. The system will
automatically log you in.
Tip: If a new browser tab does not open, there will typically be a banner or icon
at the top of your browser indicating that your browser is preventing the site from
opening pop-up windows. Click on the banner or icon and choose "Allow pop ups."

Arrange the AWS Management Console tab so that it displays along side these
instructions. Ideally, you will be able to see both browser tabs at the same time,
to make it easier to follow the lab steps.

Do not change the lab region unless specifically instructed to do so.

Task 1: Create a Security Group for the RDS DB Instance

In this task, you will create a security group to allow your web server to access
your RDS DB instance. The security group will be used when you launch the database
instance.

In the AWS Management Console, select the Services menu, and then select VPC under
Networking & Content Delivery.

In the left navigation pane, click Security Groups.

Click Create security group and then configure:

Security group name: DB Security Group

Description: Permit access from Web Security Group

VPC: Lab VPC

You will now add a rule to the security group to permit inbound database requests.
The security group currently has no rules. You will add a rule to permit access
from the Web Security Group.

In the Inbound rules section, click Add rule, then configure:

Type: MySQL/Aurora (3306)

Source: Type sg in the search field and then select Web Security Group.

This configures the Database security group to permit inbound traffic on port 3306
from any EC2 instance that is associated with the Web Security Group.

Scroll to the bottom of the screen, then click Create security group

You will use this security group when launching the Amazon RDS database.

Task 2: Create a DB Subnet Group

In this task, you will create a DB subnet group that is used to tell RDS which
subnets can be used for the database. Each DB subnet group requires subnets in at
least two Availability Zones.

In the AWS Management Console, select the Services menu, and then select RDS under
Database.

In the left navigation pane, click Subnet groups.

 If the navigation pane is not visible, click the menu icon in the top-left
corner.

Click Create DB Subnet Group then configure:

Name: DB Subnet Group

Description: DB Subnet Group

VPC ID: Lab VPC

In the Add subnets section for Availability zones, click the , then:

Select the first Availability zone

Select the second Availability zone

For Subnets, click the , then:

For the first Availability zone, select 10.0.1.0/24

For the second Availability zone, select 10.0.3.0/24

Click Create

This adds Private Subnet 1 (10.0.1.0/24) and Private Subnet 2 (10.0.3.0/24). You
will use this DB subnet group when creating the database in the next task.

Task 3: Create an Amazon RDS DB Instance

In this task, you will configure and launch a Multi-AZ Amazon RDS for MySQL
database instance.

Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployments provide enhanced availability and durability for
Database (DB) instances, making them a natural fit for production database
workloads. When you provision a Multi-AZ DB instance, Amazon RDS automatically
creates a primary DB instance and synchronously replicates the data to a standby
instance in a different Availability Zone (AZ).

In the left navigation pane, click Databases.

Click Create database

If you see Switch to the new database creation flow at the top of the screen,
please click it.

Choose Create database, then choose Standard create.

Under the Engine options section, for Engine type, choose MySQL.

For Engine version, choose the latest version.

For Templates, choose Dev/Test.

For Availability and durability, choose Multi-AZ DB Instance.

Under Settings, configure the following:

DB instance identifier: lab-db

Master username: main

Master password: lab-password

Confirm password: lab-password

Under Instance configuration, configure the following for DB instance class:

Select Burstable classes (includes t classes).

Select db.t3.medium.

Under Storage, configure:

Select General Purpose (SSD) under Storage type.

Under Connectivity, configure:

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): Lab VPC

Under VPC security group select Choose existing

Under Existing VPC security groups

Use X to Remove default.

Select DB Security Group to highlight it in blue.

Under Monitoring, expand Additional configuration and then configure the following:

For Enhanced Monitoring, uncheck Enable Enhanced monitoring.

Scroll down to the Additional configuration section and expand this option. Then
configure:

Initial database name: lab

Under Backup, uncheck Enable automated backups.

This will turn off backups, which is not normally recommended, but will make the
database deploy faster for this lab.

Scroll to the bottom of the screen, then click Create database

Your database will now be launched.

Click lab-db (click the link itself).

You will now need to wait approximately 4 minutes for the database to be available.
The deployment process is deploying a database in two different Availability zones.

Note: If you are prompted with the Suggested add-ons for lab-db window, choose
Close

While you are waiting, you might want to review the Amazon RDS FAQs or grab a cup
of coffee.
Wait until the Status changes to Modifying or Available.

Scroll down to the Connectivity & Security section and copy the Endpoint field.

It will look similar to: lab-db.cggq8lhnxvnv.us-west-2.rds.amazonaws.com

Paste the Endpoint value into a text editor. You will use it later in the lab.

Task 4: Interact with Your Database

In this task, you will open a web application running on your web server and
configure it to use the database.

Copy the WebServer IP address by selecting i AWS Details above these instructions
you are currently reading.

Open a new web browser tab, paste the WebServer IP address and press Enter.

The web application will be displayed, showing information about the EC2 instance.

At the top of the web application page, click the RDS link.

A picture displaying the web application interface

Figure: A picture displaying the web application interface.

You will now configure the application to connect to your database.

Configure the following settings:

Endpoint: Paste the Endpoint you copied to a text editor earlier

Database: lab

Username: main

Password: lab-password

Click Submit

A message will appear explaining that the application is running a command to copy
information to the database. After a few seconds the application will display an
Address Book.

The Address Book application is using the RDS database to store information.

Test the web application by adding, editing and removing contacts.

The data is being persisted to the database and is automatically replicating to the
second Availability Zone.