AWS Deployments: Managing Infrastructure at Scale

Once you understand the building blocks of AWS, the next question is practical: how do you get an app onto AWS, and how do you manage it afterward? Five services cover this, and they group neatly by the job they do.

The mental map

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  DEFINE infrastructure as code                      │
│  • CloudFormation  (YAML/JSON templates)            │
│  • CDK             (real code → compiles to CFN)    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  DEPLOY applications                                │
│  • Elastic Beanstalk  (PaaS, all-in-one)            │
│  • CodeDeploy         (push code to existing fleet) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  MANAGE running infrastructure                      │
│  • Systems Manager (SSM)                            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

CloudFormation

CloudFormation is declarative AWS infrastructure as code. You write a YAML or JSON template describing what you want, and CloudFormation creates it — in the right order, with the exact config.

Template:                    CloudFormation:
  - 1 security group          1. Create SG
  - 2 EC2 instances           2. Create EC2s (using that SG)
  - 1 S3 bucket               3. Create bucket
  - 1 ELB                     4. Create ELB (in front of EC2s)

Why it matters:

• Infrastructure becomes repeatable and version-controlled.
• It rolls back automatically if anything fails.
• You can replicate a whole stack across regions or accounts.
• A one-click delete tears everything down — no orphaned resources.

One-liner: describe the infrastructure, and AWS builds it.

CDK — Cloud Development Kit

The CDK lets you write infrastructure in real code — Python, TypeScript, Java, .NET. The CDK compiles that code into a CloudFormation template, which CloudFormation then deploys.

Your code (Python/TS) ──► CDK CLI ──► CloudFormation Template ──► AWS

Why use it instead of raw CloudFormation:

• Loops, conditionals, functions, and classes.
• Reusable components.
• Strong typing and IDE autocomplete.
• You can mix infrastructure and app code — great for Lambda and ECS.

One-liner: programmatic infrastructure that becomes CloudFormation under the hood.

Elastic Beanstalk

Beanstalk is a developer-friendly PaaS. You upload your app code, and Beanstalk provisions and manages everything underneath — EC2, ASG, ELB, RDS.

• You handle: the application code.
• Beanstalk handles: the OS, instance config, deployment strategy, capacity, load balancing, auto-scaling, and health monitoring.

It offers three architecture models:

• Single instance — for dev and test.
• Load balancer + ASG — for production web apps.
• ASG only — for non-web workers in production.

Beanstalk itself is free; you pay only for the EC2, RDS, and other resources underneath.

One-liner: “Just deploy my code, AWS.” It is a managed wrapper around EC2 + ASG + ELB for developers who don’t want to wire it all up themselves.

CodeDeploy

CodeDeploy handles automated app deployment to existing servers — EC2 or on-prem.

v1 EC2s  ──CodeDeploy──►  v2 EC2s

Unlike Beanstalk, which provisions the infrastructure, CodeDeploy assumes the servers already exist — it just pushes new code to them.

Key points:

• Works on EC2 and on-prem servers, so it suits hybrid setups.
• Servers need the CodeDeploy Agent installed.
• Supports rolling, blue/green, and canary deployments.
• Pairs with CodePipeline for full CI/CD.

One-liner: push application code onto a fleet of existing servers, safely and automatically.

Systems Manager (SSM)

SSM lets you manage your fleet at scale — EC2 and on-prem, in a hybrid setup. It is a suite of 10+ tools; the most important ones are:

• Patch Manager — patches your fleet automatically.
• Run Command — executes commands across many servers at once.
• Parameter Store — stores config and secrets, such as DB passwords and API keys.
• Session Manager — gives you a shell into an instance without opening port 22 or managing keys.

It works across Linux, Windows, macOS, and even Raspberry Pi.

One-liner: day-2 ops for your fleet — patching, command execution, config storage, and secure access.

How they fit together

   Develop                Define infra          Deploy app           Operate
  ─────────              ───────────         ────────────         ─────────
   Your code   ──►   CloudFormation/CDK  ──►  Beanstalk/CodeDeploy  ──►  SSM
                     (creates EC2s,           (puts your code         (patches,
                      ELB, RDS, etc.)          on those EC2s)          runs cmds,
                                                                       stores config)

Quick decision shortcuts

Comparisons that tend to confuse people

Beanstalk vs CodeDeploy:

• Beanstalk provisions infra and deploys the app — a full PaaS.
• CodeDeploy deploys the app onto pre-existing infra.

CloudFormation vs Beanstalk:

• CloudFormation is infra-as-code for any resources, in any shape.
• Beanstalk is an opinionated stack for web apps — and it uses CloudFormation under the hood.

CDK vs Terraform:

• CDK is AWS-only and compiles to CloudFormation.
• Terraform is multi-cloud with its own separate state.

SSM Parameter Store vs Secrets Manager:

• Parameter Store is free and simple — config plus light secrets.
• Secrets Manager is paid, with auto-rotation, and is designed for DB credentials.

Summary

• CloudFormation and CDK build the infrastructure.
• Beanstalk and CodeDeploy deploy the app.
• SSM manages the fleet day-to-day.
• Three jobs in the infrastructure-as-code and deployment lifecycle: define, deploy, operate.