Skip to content

Your First Deployment 🚀

Now that your code is tested and working locally, it's time to package it up and get it ready for AWS! We'll create a Docker container and push it to Amazon's Elastic Container Registry (ECR).

What is Docker? 🐳

Think of Docker Like This

Imagine you're moving to a new house:

  • Instead of moving furniture piece by piece, you put everything in a shipping container
  • The container has everything needed - furniture, appliances, decorations
  • The container works the same no matter what truck carries it

Docker does the same thing for your code:

  • Instead of installing pieces separately, everything goes in a container
  • The container has your code, Python, libraries - everything it needs
  • The container runs the same way everywhere - your computer, AWS, anywhere!

Prerequisites ✅

Before starting, make sure you have:

  • [x] Locally tested code (from previous section)
  • [x] Docker Desktop installed and running
  • [x] AWS CLI installed and configured
  • [x] Git repository with your latest code

Quick Docker Check

Run this command to verify Docker is working: 

docker --version
If you see a version number, you're good to go!

Step 1: Prepare Your Code 📝

  1. Make sure your code is committed to Git: 

    git status                  # Check what needs committing
git add .                   # Add all changes
git commit -m "Ready for deployment"  # Save changes

  2. Verify your project structure: 

    your-project/
├── app.py                 # Main application
├── requirements.txt       # Python dependencies
├── Dockerfile            # Docker configuration
├── .env.local            # Local environment variables
└── ca.crt                # MQTT certificate

Step 2: Build Your Docker Image 🏗️

  1. Build your image locally: 
    docker build --no-cache -t arcade-payment-api .

What's Happening?

  • docker build - Creates your container
  • --no-cache - Ensures fresh build
  • -t arcade-payment-api - Names your container
  • . - Uses current directory

  1. Test your Docker image locally: 

    docker run -p 8080:8080 arcade-payment-api

  2. In another terminal, test the API: 

    curl http://localhost:8080/status

You should see: 

{
  "status": "up",
  "message": "API is running"
}

Step 3: Prepare for AWS ECR 🌥️

  1. Login to AWS ECR (replace region with your AWS region): 

    aws ecr get-login-password --region region | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin your-account-id.dkr.ecr.region.amazonaws.com

  2. Create an ECR repository: 

    aws ecr create-repository --repository-name arcade-payment-api --region region

  3. Note your repository URI: 

    your-account-id.dkr.ecr.region.amazonaws.com/arcade-payment-api

Finding Your Account ID

You can find your AWS account ID in the AWS Console or by running: 

aws sts get-caller-identity

Step 4: Push to AWS ECR 📤

  1. Tag your Docker image: 

    docker tag arcade-payment-api:latest your-account-id.dkr.ecr.region.amazonaws.com/arcade-payment-api:latest

  2. Push to ECR: 

    docker push your-account-id.dkr.ecr.region.amazonaws.com/arcade-payment-api:latest

Why Tag?

Tagging is like putting a shipping label on your container:

  • Tells Docker where to send it
  • Includes version information
  • Makes it easy to find in ECR

Special Notes for M1/M2/M3 Mac Users 🍎

If you're using a newer Mac with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, or M3 chip):

  1. Build for the right architecture: 

    docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64 --no-cache -t arcade-payment-api .

  2. Then continue with tagging and pushing as normal.

Why Different?

  • New Macs use different processor architecture (ARM) than AWS (x86)
  • We need to build specifically for AWS's architecture
  • The --platform flag handles this for us

Troubleshooting 🔧

Common Docker Issues

  • Build Fails

    • Check Dockerfile syntax
    • Verify all files are present
    • Look for Python dependency issues

  • Push Fails

    • Check AWS credentials
    • Verify repository exists
    • Confirm login to ECR

  • Architecture Issues

    • Use --platform flag on Apple Silicon
    • Check Docker Desktop settings
    • Verify AWS region settings

Need Help?

Success Criteria ✨

Your deployment is ready when:

  1. ✅ Docker image builds successfully
  2. ✅ Local container tests pass
  3. ✅ Image is pushed to ECR
  4. ✅ You can see your image in AWS Console

Next Steps 🎯

Now that your container is in ECR:

  1. Save your repository URI
  2. Keep your environment variables handy
  3. Get ready to set up your Lambda function!

Set Up AWS Lambda → Back to Build and Test