AWS Infrastructure with CDK for Python

This AWS Infrastructure with CDK for Python training teaches learners how to define and provision AWS cloud resources programmatically. Attendees learn practical skills for security, testing, and reliability, giving learners the confidence to replace manual processes with efficient, reproducible infrastructure code. By the end of the course, learners will be able to use the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) to deploy services and infrastructure to production-ready standards.

Who Can Benefit

• Cloud practitioners
• DevOps engineers
• Software developers
• Any technical employee with an understanding of AWS services and concepts

Skills Gained

• Use the CDK Command Line Interface to manage the full deployment lifecycle from project initialization to stack destruction.
• Provision core AWS resources programmatically using Python including networking, compute, and storage components.
• Design reusable CDK Constructs to modularize infrastructure code and improve maintainability.
• Implement security best practices and manage sensitive data using AWS Secrets Manager.
• Develop unit tests using pytest to validate infrastructure logic and prevent configuration errors.
• Construct automated CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions to deploy infrastructure changes.

Prerequisites

• Python Proficiency: Programming language skills are required in Python, at a scripting level or above.
• AWS Fundamentals: Attendees should be comfortable with AWS core services and concepts, such as EC2, S3, and IAM.
• Version Control: Attendees should be comfortable using Git and GitHub for basic source control operations, including commits, pull requests, and repository creation.
• Note: Knowledge of GitHub Actions is not required.

Course Content

Introduction to the AWS CDK with Python

• What is the CDK?
• How does the CDK work?
• Core CDK Concepts (Deployment, Bootstrap, Starting a CDK Project)

CDK Concepts

• CDK Concepts
• CDK App Lifecycle
• Stacks
• Constructs

CDK Command Line

• Command Line Tools for the CDK
• Understanding CDK Profiles and Regions
• Configuring CDK Profiles
• Determining CDK Regions
• Troubleshooting Common CLI Issues
• Review

AWS Resources with the CDK

• Networking Resources
• Compute Resources
• Storage Resources
• Database Resources
• Serverless Resources

CDK Constructs and Reusability

• Levels of CDK Constructs
• Creating a Custom Construct
• Extending a Custom Construct
• Using the Construct
• Composing Constructs
• Documenting Constructs

CDK and Security

• Security by Design
• Principle of Least Privilege
• Governance and Guardrails
• Compliance and Auditability
• Security Automation with CDK
• Review

Secrets Management with the CDK

• Secrets Management with the CDK
• Using AWS Secrets Manager
• Demo: Using AWS Secrets Manager from the AWS Console
• Demo: Creating Secrets from the AWS Command Line
• CDK and Secrets Manager
• Considerations for Managing Secrets
• CDK Secrets Manager + Audit Trails
• Demo: CloudTrail Console + CLI

Testing the CDK with Python

• Unit Testing with pytest
• Running pytest Tests

GitHub Actions with the CDK

• GitHub Actions Concepts
• Events that can start workflows
• Example Workflow
• Scheduling Workflows
• GitHub Actions Secrets and Variables
• AWS OpenID Connect (OIDC)
• CDK and DevOps Review
• Using GitHub Actions with the CDK
• Drift Detection with the CDK/CloudFormation
• DevOps Best Practices for the CDK