New Training: Deploy AWS Config Compliance Rules with AWS CloudFormation

In this 6-video skill, CBT Nuggets trainer Trevor Sullivan covers deploying AWS Config governance rules using declarative templates in AWS CloudFormation. Watch this new AWS training.

Watch the full course: AWS Cloud Automation

This training includes:

• 6 videos

• 1.1 hours of training

You’ll learn these topics in this skill:

• Introduction to AWS Config Compliance Rules and CloudFormation

• Setting Up AWS Config Automation Tools

• Create an AWS Config Rule to Detect Compliance with EC2 AMIs

• Create an AWS IAM Role for Automated Remediation

• Add Automated Remediation Action to AWS Config Rule in CloudFormation

• Validate Automated EC2 Remediation Configuration in AWS Config

What are the Benefits of Using Templates with AWS Config and CloudFormation

AWS Config is a service offered by Amazon to assess, audit, and evaluate configurations of AWS resources. This tool can be used with AWS CloudFormation to verify resources in a CloudFormation stack to ensure that those resources meet business requirements and restrictions. So, how can this help businesses?

First, there is an issue with software versioning. With the combination of CloudFormation and AWS Config, cloud engineers can automatically provision new AWS resources based on business standards. Companies can provision templates to restrict software versions. AWS Config can ensure those templates meet business policy while AWS CloudFormation can use those templates to deploy consistent, pre-configured resources. This can prevent software, like Apache or PHP, from using the wrong versions by accident.

Another benefit is cost savings. Let's say that a business needs EC2 instances for random tasks. Organizations can create a business-compliant template for that EC2 instance that uses spot instance pricing. One of the benefits of spot instances is that you can set a maximum budget for usage. This means that businesses can use EC2 resources cheaper than standard pricing with the caveat that AWS will reclaim those instances should the cost exceed your budget. By using templates, businesses can automate the provisioning of new resources on the fly using EC2 spot instances.

Those are only two examples of the benefits of using templates with AWS Config and CloudFormation. There are many more.