Getting Started Guide

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Welcome to DevOps Studio! This guide will help you get up and running quickly.

Quick Start (5 minutes)

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd devops-studio

Step 2: Bootstrap Your Environment

./tools/bootstrap.sh

This script will:

• Make all scripts executable
• Validate your system requirements
• Configure Git (if needed)

Step 3: Run Setup

./tools/setup.sh

This interactive script will:

• Validate required tools are installed
• Check AWS configuration
• Help you choose your first lab
• Set up the lab environment

Step 4: Deploy Your First Lab

cd labs/01-terraform-foundations
make apply

That's it! Your infrastructure is being deployed.

Detailed Setup

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

1. AWS Account with billing enabled
2. AWS CLI configured with credentials
3. Required Tools installed (see Prerequisites Guide)

System Requirements

• Operating System: macOS, Linux, or Windows WSL2
• Memory: 4GB+ recommended
• Disk Space: 5GB+ free
• Network: Reliable internet connection

AWS Configuration

1. Create AWS Account

If you don't have an AWS account:

1. Go to aws.amazon.com
2. Click "Create an AWS Account"
3. Follow the registration process
4. Enable billing (required for most services)

2. Create IAM User

For security best practices, create a dedicated IAM user:

1. Go to AWS Console → IAM → Users
2. Click "Add users"
3. Create user with programmatic access
4. Attach policies:
   • PowerUserAccess (for learning)
   • Or create custom policy with required permissions (see Prerequisites)

3. Configure AWS CLI

aws configure

Enter:

• AWS Access Key ID
• AWS Secret Access Key
• Default region (e.g., us-west-2)
• Default output format (e.g., json)

Verify configuration:

aws sts get-caller-identity

Tool Installation

macOS

# Homebrew
brew install terraform awscli kubernetes-cli helm docker

# Or use the install script
./tools/install-tools.sh  # If available

Linux

# Terraform
wget https://releases.hashicorp.com/terraform/1.9.8/terraform_1.9.8_linux_amd64.zip
unzip terraform_1.9.8_linux_amd64.zip
sudo mv terraform /usr/local/bin/

# AWS CLI
curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip"
unzip awscliv2.zip
sudo ./aws/install

# kubectl
curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/$(curl -L -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/linux/amd64/kubectl"
sudo install -o root -g root -m 0755 kubectl /usr/local/bin/kubectl

Windows (WSL2)

Use the Linux installation steps above within WSL2.

Verification

Run the validation script:

./tools/validate.sh

This checks:

• ✅ All required tools are installed
• ✅ AWS CLI is configured
• ✅ System resources are adequate
• ⚠️ Optional tools (warnings only)

Choosing Your First Lab

For Beginners

Start with Lab 01 - Terraform Foundations

This lab teaches:

• Infrastructure as Code basics
• AWS VPC networking
• Auto Scaling Groups
• RDS databases
• CloudWatch monitoring

Time: 45-60 minutes
Cost: ~$50-80/month (can be reduced)

For Experienced Users

Choose based on your interests:

• Kubernetes: Lab 02
• CI/CD: Lab 03
• Monitoring: Lab 04
• Security: Lab 05
• GitOps: Lab 06
• Serverless: Lab 07
• Platform Engineering: Lab 08

Lab Workflow

Standard Workflow

1. Navigate to Lab

   cd labs/01-terraform-foundations

2. Read the README

   cat README.md

3. Set Up Backend (if needed)

   ./scripts/setup-backend.sh

4. Configure Variables

   cp terraform.tfvars.example terraform.tfvars
   # Edit terraform.tfvars with your preferences

5. Initialize Terraform

   make init
   # or
   terraform init

6. Plan Changes

   make plan
   # or
   terraform plan

7. Apply Changes

   make apply
   # or
   terraform apply

8. Test Infrastructure

   make test
   # or
   ./scripts/validate.sh

9. View Outputs

   make output
   # or
   terraform output

10. Clean Up (when done)

    make destroy
    # or
    terraform destroy

Using Make Commands

Each lab includes a Makefile with helpful commands:

make help          # Show all available commands
make init          # Initialize Terraform
make plan          # Create execution plan
make apply         # Apply changes
make destroy       # Destroy infrastructure
make test          # Run validation tests
make output        # Show outputs
make validate      # Validate Terraform config
make format        # Format Terraform code
make cost          # Estimate costs (if infracost installed)
make security      # Security scan (if tfsec installed)

Environment-Specific Deployments

Labs support multiple environments (dev, staging, prod):

# Deploy to development
make apply ENV=dev

# Deploy to staging
make apply ENV=staging

# Deploy to production
make apply ENV=prod

Each environment has its own configuration in environments/ directory.

Cost Management

Understanding Costs

• Lab 01: ~$50-80/month
• Lab 02: ~$120-180/month
• All Labs: ~$200-300/month

Cost Optimization

1. Use Development Environment

   make apply ENV=dev  # Smaller, cheaper resources

2. Scale Down When Not in Use

   terraform apply -var="desired_capacity=0"

3. Use Single NAT Gateway (dev only)

   single_nat_gateway = true

4. Clean Up Regularly

   ./tools/cleanup.sh  # Emergency cleanup

5. Monitor Costs

   ./tools/cost-estimate.sh

See Cost Management Guide for detailed strategies.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

AWS CLI Not Configured

# Error: Unable to locate credentials
# Solution:
aws configure
aws sts get-caller-identity

Insufficient Permissions

# Error: User is not authorized
# Solution: Attach required IAM policies
# See Prerequisites guide for required permissions

Terraform Version Mismatch

# Error: Unsupported Terraform version
# Solution: Update Terraform
terraform version
# Install latest from: https://terraform.io/downloads

Backend Setup Fails

# Error: BucketAlreadyExists
# Solution: S3 bucket names are globally unique
# Edit PROJECT_NAME in setup-backend.sh or use existing bucket

For more troubleshooting help, see Troubleshooting Guide.

Next Steps

1. Complete Lab 01 - Build your foundation
2. Explore Other Labs - Based on your interests
3. Read Documentation - Deep dive into concepts
4. Experiment - Modify configurations and learn
5. Share - Contribute improvements back

Getting Help

• Documentation: Check lab-specific README files
• Troubleshooting: See Troubleshooting Guide
• Issues: Create a GitHub issue
• Discussions: Join GitHub Discussions

Learning Paths

Choose a learning path based on your career goals:

• Cloud-Native DevOps: Labs 01 → 02 → 03 → 04 → 06
• DevSecOps: Labs 01 → 03 → 05 → 04 → 06
• Platform Engineering: Labs 01 → 02 → 06 → 08 → 04
• Cloud Architect: Labs 01 → 07 → 02 → 04 → 08

See Learning Paths Guide for detailed paths.

Best Practices

1. Always Plan Before Apply

   terraform plan  # Review changes
   terraform apply # Apply only after review

2. Use Version Control

   git add .
   git commit -m "Deploy Lab 01 infrastructure"

3. Tag Resources

   • All resources are automatically tagged
   • Customize tags in terraform.tfvars

4. Monitor Costs

   • Set up AWS Budget alerts
   • Review costs regularly
   • Clean up unused resources

5. Document Changes

   • Update README if you modify labs
   • Document custom configurations
   • Share learnings with community

Success Checklist

Before moving to the next lab, ensure you:

• ✅ Infrastructure deployed successfully
• ✅ All validation tests pass
• ✅ Application is accessible
• ✅ Monitoring is working
• ✅ Costs are within budget
• ✅ You understand the architecture
• ✅ You've experimented with changes
• ✅ Resources are cleaned up (if not keeping)

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Ready to start? Run ./tools/setup.sh and begin your DevOps journey!