aws ssm ec2

Tags: Github actions, ssh connection, AWS SSM, EC2, IAM permission

pain point

• Github actions ssh connection failed with timeout(used apple boy)

first approach

• replace apple boy to another found in marketplace, RESULT: failed
• ask deep seek with other approach

how to fix

• use aws ssm to send command to execute in ec2
• update ecr and use the githubs sha to pull the tag image in ec2, aws ssm send command targeting with ec2 instance id.
• fail with syntaxes a few times. at the end, found out it is the EC2 IAM permission related issue.
• attach the ecr policy for ec2 IAM.

step by step

• update dev branch
• ci will be run
• create pr to merge dev to main
• pr will be merged
• deploy will be run
• check out codebase and secrets
• login to aws ecr
• build, tag, push the image from Dckerfile
• aws ssm send command to EC2 for docker
• in ec2, shell script will be run.
• pull new image with the tag provided, stop running container remove running container
• run new container on new image.

final thoughts

• ssh connection is useful and no cost, but not running in github actions.
• use ssm is simple approach but fast and reliable.
• guess there are more ways to connect to ec2, will find out like today i did.