Resources section in AWS - Mini Project: Build & Apply

AWS CloudFormation Resources Section

📖 Scenario: You are setting up a simple AWS CloudFormation template to create infrastructure automatically. This template will define resources like an S3 bucket and an EC2 instance.

🎯 Goal: Build the Resources section of a CloudFormation template with two resources: an S3 bucket named MyBucket and an EC2 instance named MyInstance.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a CloudFormation template dictionary named template with a Resources key.

Add an S3 bucket resource with logical ID MyBucket and type AWS::S3::Bucket.

Add an EC2 instance resource with logical ID MyInstance and type AWS::EC2::Instance.

Set the EC2 instance property InstanceType to t2.micro.

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

CloudFormation templates automate AWS infrastructure setup, saving time and reducing errors.

💼 Career

Understanding how to define resources in CloudFormation is essential for cloud engineers and DevOps professionals managing AWS environments.

1

Create the initial CloudFormation template dictionary

Create a dictionary called template with an empty Resources dictionary inside it.

AWS

template = {
    "Resources": {
        # Your resources will go here
    }
}
# Your code here

Hint

Start by creating a dictionary named template with a key Resources set to an empty dictionary.

2

Add the S3 bucket resource

Add a resource to template["Resources"] with the key MyBucket. Set its Type to AWS::S3::Bucket.

AWS

template = {
    "Resources": {
        # Add MyBucket resource here
    }
}
# Your code here

Hint

Inside the Resources dictionary, add a key MyBucket with a dictionary value that has a Type key set to AWS::S3::Bucket.

3

Add the EC2 instance resource with properties

Add a resource to template["Resources"] with the key MyInstance. Set its Type to AWS::EC2::Instance and add a Properties dictionary with InstanceType set to t2.micro.

AWS

template = {
    "Resources": {
        "MyBucket": {
            "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket"
        },
        # Add MyInstance resource here
    }
}
# Your code here

Hint

Add a new key MyInstance in Resources with the specified type and properties.

4

Complete the CloudFormation template

Ensure the template dictionary includes both MyBucket and MyInstance resources correctly structured under Resources.

AWS

template = {
    "Resources": {
        "MyBucket": {
            "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket"
        },
        "MyInstance": {
            "Type": "AWS::EC2::Instance",
            "Properties": {
                "InstanceType": "t2.micro"
            }
        }
    }
}
# Your code here

Hint

Review the entire template dictionary to confirm both resources are present and correctly defined.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of the Resources section in an AWS CloudFormation template?

easy

A. To define the cloud parts AWS should create

B. To specify user permissions

C. To write code logic for the application

D. To store data in the cloud

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of the Resources section

   The Resources section lists all the cloud components AWS will build, like servers or databases.

2. Step 2: Compare with other template sections

   Other sections handle permissions or outputs, but Resources is for creating cloud parts.

3. Final Answer:

   To define the cloud parts AWS should create -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Resources section = define cloud parts [OK]

Hint: Resources section always defines what AWS builds [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Resources with Permissions or Outputs
• Thinking Resources stores data
• Assuming Resources runs application code

2. Which of the following is the correct way to start defining a resource named MyBucket of type AWS::S3::Bucket in the Resources section?

easy

A. "MyBucket": "AWS::S3::Bucket"

B. "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket", "MyBucket": {}

C. "MyBucket": { "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket" }

D. "AWS::S3::Bucket": { "MyBucket": {} }

Solution

1. Step 1: Check resource name and type syntax

   Each resource needs a unique name as key, then a block with a Type property.

2. Step 2: Match correct JSON structure

   "MyBucket": { "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket" } correctly uses the resource name as key and sets Type inside an object.

3. Final Answer:

   "MyBucket": { "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket" } -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Resource name as key + Type property = "MyBucket": { "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket" } [OK]

Hint: Resource name is key, Type is inside its object [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Putting Type outside resource object
• Using resource type as key instead of name
• Missing curly braces for resource details

3. Given this Resources snippet in a CloudFormation template:

{
  "MyInstance": {
    "Type": "AWS::EC2::Instance",
    "Properties": {
      "InstanceType": "t2.micro",
      "ImageId": "ami-12345678"
    }
  }
}

What will AWS create when this template is deployed?

medium

A. An EC2 instance of type t2.micro with the specified AMI

B. An S3 bucket named MyInstance

C. A Lambda function with t2.micro memory

D. A database instance with ImageId ami-12345678

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify resource type and properties

   The resource type is AWS::EC2::Instance, which creates a virtual server.

2. Step 2: Understand properties meaning

   InstanceType t2.micro means a small server; ImageId specifies the server image.

3. Final Answer:

   An EC2 instance of type t2.micro with the specified AMI -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   EC2 instance with given type and image = An EC2 instance of type t2.micro with the specified AMI [OK]

Hint: Type AWS::EC2::Instance means a virtual server [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing EC2 with S3 or Lambda
• Ignoring Properties section
• Assuming ImageId is a database ID

4. You wrote this Resources section snippet:

{
  "MyBucket": {
    "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket",
    "Properties": {
      "BucketName": 12345
    }
  }
}

What is the error in this configuration?

medium

A. Type AWS::S3::Bucket is invalid

B. BucketName must be a string, not a number

C. Properties section is missing

D. Resource name cannot be MyBucket

Solution

1. Step 1: Check BucketName property type

   BucketName must be text (string), but 12345 is a number here.

2. Step 2: Validate other parts

   Type and Properties exist and resource name is valid, so no error there.

3. Final Answer:

   BucketName must be a string, not a number -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   BucketName requires string value = BucketName must be a string, not a number [OK]

Hint: BucketName must be quoted text, not a number [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using numbers instead of strings for names
• Misnaming resource types
• Omitting Properties section

5. You want to create two resources in your template: an S3 bucket named MyDataBucket and an EC2 instance named MyWebServer. Which Resources section snippet correctly defines both with minimal required properties?

hard

A. {
"MyDataBucket": {
"Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket",
"Properties": {
"InstanceType": "t3.micro"
}
},
"MyWebServer": {
"Type": "AWS::EC2::Instance"
}
}

B. {
"AWS::S3::Bucket": {
"MyDataBucket": {}
},
"AWS::EC2::Instance": {
"MyWebServer": {
"InstanceType": "t3.micro",
"ImageId": "ami-0abcdef1234567890"
}
}
}

C. {
"MyDataBucket": {
"Type": "AWS::EC2::Instance"
},
"MyWebServer": {
"Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket",
"Properties": {
"InstanceType": "t3.micro"
}
}
}

D. {
"MyDataBucket": {
"Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket"
},
"MyWebServer": {
"Type": "AWS::EC2::Instance",
"Properties": {
"InstanceType": "t3.micro",
"ImageId": "ami-0abcdef1234567890"
}
}
}

Solution

1. Step 1: Verify resource names and types

   MyDataBucket must be AWS::S3::Bucket, MyWebServer must be AWS::EC2::Instance.

2. Step 2: Check required properties for EC2

   EC2 instance requires InstanceType and ImageId properties; S3 bucket can be empty.

3. Step 3: Identify correct JSON structure

   { "MyDataBucket": { "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket" }, "MyWebServer": { "Type": "AWS::EC2::Instance", "Properties": { "InstanceType": "t3.micro", "ImageId": "ami-0abcdef1234567890" } } } correctly defines both resources with proper types and properties.

4. Final Answer:

   { "MyDataBucket": { "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket" }, "MyWebServer": { "Type": "AWS::EC2::Instance", "Properties": { "InstanceType": "t3.micro", "ImageId": "ami-0abcdef1234567890" } } } -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Correct types and properties for both resources = { "MyDataBucket": { "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket" }, "MyWebServer": { "Type": "AWS::EC2::Instance", "Properties": { "InstanceType": "t3.micro", "ImageId": "ami-0abcdef1234567890" } } } [OK]

Hint: S3 needs Type only; EC2 needs Type plus InstanceType and ImageId [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Swapping resource types
• Putting resource names inside types
• Missing required EC2 properties