Linux on Major Cloud Providers

1. Introduction

This lesson covers the deployment and automation of Linux servers on major cloud platforms, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Understanding cloud infrastructure and tools is essential for modern system administrators.

2. Major Cloud Providers

3. Deployment Strategies

Deploying Linux on cloud providers involves several strategies:

• Saving and launching instances from AMIs (AWS), VHDs (Azure), or images (GCP).
• Using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with tools like Terraform.
• Containerization with Docker and orchestration using Kubernetes.

3.1 Using Terraform Example

Here is a simple Terraform configuration to deploy an EC2 instance:

provider "aws" {
  region = "us-west-2"
}

resource "aws_instance" "example" {
  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe01e"  # Example AMI
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
}
        

4. Automation Tools

Automation is key to managing cloud resources efficiently. Common tools include:

• Ansible: For configuration management and application deployment.
• Chef: A framework for writing system configuration as code.
• Puppet: Automates the management and configuration of servers.

4.1 Ansible Playbook Example

Here is an example of an Ansible playbook to install Nginx on a Linux server:

---
- name: Install Nginx
  hosts: all
  become: yes
  tasks:
    - name: Install Nginx
      apt:
        name: nginx
        state: present
    - name: Start Nginx
      service:
        name: nginx
        state: started
        enabled: yes
        

5. Best Practices

Follow these best practices when working with Linux on cloud providers:

• Utilize security groups and firewall rules to control access.
• Regularly update and patch your Linux systems.
• Monitor resource usage and set up alerts for unusual activity.
• Implement backups and disaster recovery strategies.

6. FAQ