This project demonstrates how to create an Amazon Aurora (MySQL-compatible) relational database and connect it securely to an Amazon EC2 instance.
The goal was to understand how Aurora works within AWS, how to configure its endpoints, and how to establish secure connectivity between compute and database services, all key concepts for data infrastructure management.
- Cloud: AWS
- Services: Amazon Aurora (MySQL), Amazon EC2, IAM, VPC, Security Groups
- Focus: Secure database setup and connectivity between EC2 and Aurora
I started by configuring an Aurora MySQL-compatible database cluster using the Standard create method.
Aurora is a high-performance, fully managed relational database service that offers scalability and fault tolerance.
I selected the Dev/Test template to reduce costs while experimenting with database setup.
At this stage, the Aurora cluster was configured but not fully initialized yet, as the next step was to prepare the EC2 instance for connection.
Next, I created an EC2 instance to serve as the compute environment for testing the database connection.
I also generated a key pair named NextWorkAuroraApp.pem to securely access the instance via SSH.
Key configuration details:
- Public IPv4 DNS → used to connect through SSH
- Key pair name → required for authentication
After both resources were available, I connected the EC2 instance to the Aurora cluster using its writer endpoint. The connection was established through port 3306 (MySQL), enabled by Security Group rules that allowed inbound traffic from the EC2 instance to the Aurora database.
This setup simulates a common real-world scenario where an application hosted on EC2 interacts with a managed database hosted on Aurora.
- Aurora clusters provide high availability and automatic failover using writer and reader instances.
- Security Groups act as firewalls controlling access between EC2 and Aurora.
- Using IAM users instead of root enhances security and follows AWS best practices.
- Keeping both services in the same Region and VPC simplifies networking.
- How to configure and launch an Aurora database cluster.
- How to deploy an EC2 instance and access it securely using SSH.
- How to establish connectivity between EC2 and Aurora using proper networking rules.
- The difference between writer and reader endpoints in Aurora.
Approximately 1 hour, including creation, configuration, and connectivity testing.
- Report:
docs/aws-aurora-ec2-project.pdf
This project was completed as part of a guided exercise from Nextwork.org.
Additional steps were included to improve AWS security best practices.