How to set up blue-green deployments with elastic-beanstalk gem?

Configure the 'strategy: blue-green' in your config/eb.yml under the desired environment, and ensure smoke_test is defined for health checks. The gem uses eb_deployer to handle the CNAME switching and smoke testing automatically, as detailed in the README examples.

elastic-beanstalk gem vs AWS EB CLI: which is better?

The gem is better for Rails teams wanting DRY, YAML-based configs and Rake task automation, while the AWS CLI offers more flexibility for non-Rails apps or manual control. The gem abstracts complexity but adds dependencies like eb_deployer.

Can I use elastic-beanstalk gem with Docker containers on Elastic Beanstalk?

Possibly, but it's not explicitly supported in the README, which focuses on Ruby Passenger stacks. You might need to customize the solution_stack_name and ebextensions, but this could require significant tweaking beyond the gem's intended use.

How to manage secrets and environment variables securely with this gem?

Use ENV interpolation in the eb.yml via dry-config for dynamic values, but sensitive data like AWS keys must be stored in external files (~/.aws). For app secrets, rely on Elastic Beanstalk's environment options, though this gem doesn't provide built-in encryption.

What is the deployment speed like with elastic-beanstalk gem?

Deployments are acknowledged to be slow in the README, with a TODO to investigate caching methods. Expect longer times due to package creation, AWS resource provisioning, and smoke testing steps, which may not suit high-frequency deployment needs.

Does elastic-beanstalk gem support rolling updates?

Yes, through the 'inplace-update' strategy mentioned in the README, which performs updates on existing instances. However, for more controlled rolling updates, you'd need to configure Elastic Beanstalk options manually in the YAML.

elastic-beanstalk

MITRuby

A Ruby gem for configuring and deploying Rails applications to AWS Elastic Beanstalk using Rake tasks and DRY YAML configuration.

GitHub

What is elastic-beanstalk?

ElasticBeanstalk is a Ruby gem that streamlines the deployment of Rails applications to AWS Elastic Beanstalk. It provides a set of Rake tasks and a unified YAML configuration file to manage multiple environments and .ebextensions efficiently, reducing deployment complexity and time.

Target Audience

Rails developers deploying applications to AWS Elastic Beanstalk, particularly those managing multiple environments (e.g., development, production) and seeking to automate and simplify configuration.

Value Proposition

Developers choose this gem for its DRY configuration inheritance, unified YAML file that consolidates all settings including .ebextensions, and seamless integration with eb_deployer for advanced deployment strategies like blue-green deployments with smoke testing.

Overview

[Need maintainer/owner - see #57] AWS Elastic Beanstalk gem with rake configuration and deployment for rails apps in 60 seconds or less.

Use Cases

Best For

Rails teams needing a consistent, repeatable deployment process to AWS Elastic Beanstalk across multiple environments.

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Developers looking to manage complex Elastic Beanstalk configurations (including .ebextensions and option settings) in a single, inheritable YAML file.

Teams implementing continuous delivery with blue-green or inplace-update deployment strategies and smoke testing for Rails apps on Elastic Beanstalk.

Projects requiring environment variable interpolation in configuration files using dry-config for dynamic settings.

Automating pre- and post-deployment tasks, such as creating RDS snapshots, via integrated Rake tasks.

Simplifying AWS Elastic Beanstalk interactions through predefined Rake commands instead of manual AWS CLI or console usage.

Not Ideal For

Non-Rails Ruby applications or other frameworks, as the gem is tailored specifically for Rails with integrated Rake tasks and assumptions about Rails environments.
Teams already managing infrastructure with Terraform or CloudFormation, where this gem's YAML configuration might duplicate or conflict with existing IaC workflows.
Projects requiring ultra-fast deployment cycles, since the README notes deployments 'will take a while' and lists speed improvements as a future enhancement.
Organizations avoiding AWS vendor lock-in, as the gem deeply integrates with AWS Elastic Beanstalk and isn't adaptable to other cloud platforms.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Unified YAML Configuration

Consolidates all Elastic Beanstalk settings and .ebextensions into a single YAML file, reducing configuration sprawl and making it easier to manage complex deployments. Evidence from the README shows how options and ebextensions are defined together in config/eb.yml.

DRY Environment Inheritance

Supports inheritable and overrideable YAML configurations for multiple environments, keeping settings concise and maintainable. The README demonstrates this with development and production sections that inherit and override base settings.

Advanced Deployment Strategies

Leverages eb_deployer for blue-green and inplace-update deployments with integrated smoke testing, enabling continuous delivery practices. The README explicitly mentions access to these strategies and smoke testing helpers.

Rake Task Automation

Provides predefined Rake tasks for packaging, deploying, and managing Elastic Beanstalk environments, streamlining the workflow. Tasks like eb:deploy and eb:rds:create_snapshot are documented in the README.

Cons

Slow Deployment Times

The README admits deployments 'will take a while' and lists 'Speedier deployments' as a future improvement, indicating that current performance may be suboptimal for teams needing rapid iterations.

Dependent on Third-Party Gem

Heavily relies on eb_deployer for core functionality; any bugs, limitations, or maintenance issues in eb_deployer directly affect this gem's reliability and feature set.

Complex Configuration Setup

Requires manual creation of external AWS credential files (e.g., ~/.aws/acme.yml) and intricate YAML configurations, which can be error-prone and time-consuming to debug, as shown in the Usage steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Amazon Web Services

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This is a Python sample application that demonstrates building a simple, scalable customer signup form. It uses the Flask web framework and Bootstrap for the frontend, and is designed to be deployed on AWS Elastic Beanstalk. The application stores submitted data in Amazon DynamoDB and publishes notifications to Amazon SNS when a form is completed. ## Key Features - **Dynamic Bootstrap Themes** — Supports multiple Bootstrap themes from Bootswatch, which can be changed dynamically via an environment variable. - **Flask Debugging Control** — Allows toggling of Flask debugging mode through an environment variable in the Elastic Beanstalk console. - **AWS Integration** — Seamlessly integrates with AWS services including Elastic Beanstalk for deployment, DynamoDB for data storage, and SNS for notifications. - **Instructional Videos** — Includes a quick 3-part video series guiding users through deployment, usage, and customization. ## Philosophy The project serves as a practical, ready-to-deploy example for developers learning to build and deploy web applications on AWS using Python and Flask.

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#aws-elastic-beanstalk

#devops

#rake-tasks

#blue-green-deployment

#ruby-gem

#infrastructure-as-code

#continuous-delivery

#yaml-configuration

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