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Setting Up AWS Lambda

Welcome to the AWS Lambda setup guide! Now that you have the Docker image on your computer, let's get it running in the cloud! ⚡

Prerequisites 📋

Before starting, make sure you have:

  • Completed Basic AWS Setup
  • Successfully pulled and renamed the Docker image (previous step)
  • AWS CLI installed and configured
  • Your terminal or PowerShell still open

Step 1: Push to Amazon ECR ⬆

First, we need to get your Docker image into AWS's container registry (ECR):

  1. Create an ECR repository:

    aws ecr create-repository --repository-name artcade-api-repo

  2. Login to ECR (replace YOUR-REGION and YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID):

    aws ecr get-login-password --region YOUR-REGION | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID.dkr.ecr.YOUR-REGION.amazonaws.com

  3. Tag your image for ECR (make sure to replace YOUR-REGION and YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID):

    docker tag diy-artcade-payment-api:latest YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID.dkr.ecr.YOUR-REGION.amazonaws.com/artcade-api-repo:latest

  4. Push to ECR (using the same YOUR-REGION and YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID):

    docker push YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID.dkr.ecr.YOUR-REGION.amazonaws.com/artcade-api-repo:latest

About YOUR-REGION and YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID

  • Replace YOUR-REGION with values like us-east-1 or us-west-2
  • Replace YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID with your 12-digit AWS account number
  • Find both values in the top right of your AWS Console
  • Or run this command to find your account ID: 
    aws sts get-caller-identity

Command Example with Real Values

If your account ID is 123456789012 and region is us-east-1, your commands would look like: 

aws ecr get-login-password --region us-east-1 | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin 123456789012.dkr.ecr.us-east-1.amazonaws.com

Step 2: Create Lambda Function ⚙

Now that your image is in ECR, let's create your Lambda function:

  1. Go to AWS Console
  2. Search for "Lambda"
  3. Click "Create function"

  4. Choose these settings:

    • Select "Container image"
    • Set function name to "artcade-api"
    • Click "Browse images"
    • Select the "artcade-api-repo" repository
    • Choose the "latest" tag
    • Click "Create function"

What's Lambda?

AWS Lambda is like a smart worker in the cloud that:

  • Runs your arcade payment code
  • Only works when needed
  • Automatically handles multiple players
  • Stays within the free tier!

Step 3: Configure Environment 🔧

Your Lambda function needs some secret information to work:

  1. In Lambda Console:

    • Click "Configuration" tab
    • Select "Environment variables"
    • Click "Edit"

  2. Add these variables (you got these from previous setup steps):

    • STRIPE_API_KEY: Your Stripe secret key
    • STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET: Your Stripe webhook secret
    • MQTT_USERNAME: Your EMQX username
    • MQTT_PASSWORD: Your EMQX password
    • MQTT_BROKER: Your EMQX broker address
    • MQTT_PORT: Usually 8883 for SSL/TLS
    • PRICE_ID: Your Stripe Price ID

Keep Secrets Safe!

Never share these values with anyone! They're like the keys to your arcade's payment system.

Step 4: Test Your Function 🧪

Let's make sure everything works:

  1. Click the "Test" tab
  2. Create new test event:
    • Choose "API Gateway HTTP API" template
    • Name it "TestEvent"
    • Keep the default JSON
  3. Click "Test"

You should see a successful response!

Step 5: Monitor Your Function 📈

Set up basic monitoring:

  1. Go to "Monitor" tab
  2. View the CloudWatch metrics
  3. Note the "Invocations" and "Errors" graphs

Free Tier Limits

Your Lambda function gets:

  • 1 million free requests per month
  • 400,000 GB-seconds of compute time
  • Plenty for several arcade cabinets!

Next Steps ▶

Your Lambda function is ready! Next, we'll:

  1. Set up API Gateway
  2. Connect it to your Lambda
  3. Test the complete system

Continue to API Gateway Setup → Back to Docker Pull

Troubleshooting 🔧

Common Issues

Push to ECR Failed 

Error: Cannot push to ECR
* Check AWS CLI configuration * Verify the repository name is exactly artcade-api-repo * Try logging in to ECR again * Make sure you replaced YOUR-REGION and YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID

Lambda Creation Failed 

Error: Cannot create function
* Verify your image URI is correct * Check IAM permissions * Confirm the image was pushed to ECR successfully * Make sure you're using the correct repository name

Function Test Failed 

Error: Function error
* Check all environment variables are set correctly * Look at CloudWatch logs for specific error messages * Verify all secrets and credentials are correct

Need Help?