Prerequisites for Deploying Spring Boot Apps to AWS Lightsail

Setting Up Your Development Environment

Spring Boot Deployment Course

Prerequisites Overview

What We’ll Cover Today

Accounts & Services

• AWS Account setup
• Domain registration options

Development Environment

• Java JDK requirements
• Build tools (Maven/Gradle)
• IDE recommendations

Command Line Tools

• SSH client setup
• Git version control
• AWS CLI (optional)

Knowledge Prerequisites

• Spring Boot fundamentals
• Basic Linux commands
• Network concepts

This lesson establishes the foundation for our deployment journey. We’ll ensure everyone has the necessary tools and knowledge before diving into the actual deployment process.

Required Accounts and Services

AWS Account Setup

Steps to get started:

1. Visit https://aws.amazon.com
2. Click “Create an AWS Account”
3. Complete registration process
4. Add payment information (required)

AWS Logo

Free Tier Benefits:

• 750 hours/month for first 12 months
• Perfect for learning and testing

Even though we mention payment information is required, emphasize that the free tier provides substantial resources for learning. Students won’t incur charges if they stay within free tier limits.

Domain Registration (Optional)

Recommended Domain Registrars:

• AWS Route 53 (integrated with AWS services)
• Namecheap (popular and affordable)
• GoDaddy (widely recognized)
• Cloudflare (includes CDN benefits)

Why register a domain?

• Professional appearance
• Easier to remember than IP addresses
• SSL certificate setup is simpler

While optional, having a custom domain significantly improves the professional appearance of deployed applications and makes SSL certificate management easier.

Development Environment Setup

Java Development Kit (JDK)

Requirements: JDK 17 or later

# Check your current Java version
java -version
javac -version

Installation Options:

• Oracle JDK: Commercial support available
• OpenJDK: Open source, free to use
• Package Managers: Easy installation and updates

JDK 17 is the current Long Term Support (LTS) version and is recommended for production deployments. It provides stability and long-term support from the Java community.

Build Tools: Maven vs Gradle

Maven

# Check installation
mvn -version

• XML-based configuration
• Extensive plugin ecosystem
• Spring Boot’s default choice

Gradle

# Check installation
gradle -version

• Groovy/Kotlin DSL
• Faster build performance
• Flexible configuration

Choose one based on your team’s preference

Both Maven and Gradle are excellent choices. Maven is more traditional and widely used in enterprise environments, while Gradle offers more flexibility and better performance for complex builds.

IDE Recommendations

Top Spring Boot IDEs:

• IntelliJ IDEA - Excellent Spring Boot integration
• Visual Studio Code - Lightweight with Java extensions
  
• Eclipse + Spring Tools Suite - Free and powerful
• Spring Tool Suite (STS) - Purpose-built for Spring

Key Features to Look For:

• Spring Boot run configurations
• Application property auto-completion
• Built-in Maven/Gradle support

The choice of IDE is largely personal preference, but having good Spring Boot tooling support will significantly improve your development experience and productivity.

Command Line Tools

SSH Client Setup

Windows:

• Built-in OpenSSH (Windows 10+)
• PuTTY (traditional option)
• Windows Subsystem for Linux

macOS/Linux:

• Built-in OpenSSH client

Test SSH availability:

ssh -V

You’ll use SSH to:

• Connect to Lightsail instances
• Deploy applications
• Monitor server performance

SSH is crucial for server management. Modern Windows includes OpenSSH by default, but older versions might need PuTTY or WSL installation.

Git Version Control

Essential for project management:

# Check Git installation
git --version

# Basic Git workflow you'll use
git add .
git commit -m "Deploy ready"
git push origin main

Installation:

• Windows: Download from git-scm.com
• macOS: Homebrew or Xcode Command Line Tools
• Linux: Package manager (apt install git)

Git isn’t just for code storage—we’ll use it to deploy code to our servers and manage different versions of our applications across environments.

AWS CLI (Recommended)

Helpful for advanced configurations:

# Check installation
aws --version

# Configure credentials
aws configure

Benefits:

• Automate AWS resource management
• Script deployment processes
  
• Access services not available in web console

While not strictly required for basic deployments, AWS CLI becomes invaluable for automating deployment processes and managing resources programmatically.

Spring Boot Knowledge Prerequisites

Core Spring Boot Concepts

Essential understanding:

• Spring Boot Starters: Dependency management made easy
• Application Properties: Environment-specific configurations
• Profiles: Different settings for dev/prod environments
  
• Auto-configuration: Spring Boot’s “magic” explained
• Embedded Servers: Tomcat, Jetty, Undertow options

Core Spring Boot Concepts

Configuration Example:

# application-prod.yml
server:
  port: 8080
spring:
  profiles:
    active: prod

These concepts form the foundation of effective Spring Boot deployment. Understanding profiles is particularly crucial for managing different environments.

Database and REST Knowledge

Database Integration:

• Spring Data JPA basics
• JDBC connection configuration
• Database migration tools (Flyway/Liquibase)

@Entity
public class User {
    @Id
    @GeneratedValue
    private Long id;
    private String name;
}

RESTful Services:

• @RestController usage
• HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
• JSON serialization with Jackson

@RestController
public class UserController {
    @GetMapping("/users")
    public List<User> getUsers() {
        return userService.findAll();
    }
}

These are the building blocks of most Spring Boot applications. Even if you’re not an expert, having basic familiarity with these concepts will help you understand deployment configurations.

Linux and Server Administration Basics

Essential Linux Commands

File and Directory Operations:

ls -la          # List files with details
cd /path/to/dir # Change directory  
mkdir app-logs  # Create directory
rm -rf old-app  # Remove files/directories

File Viewing and Editing:

cat application.log     # View file contents
tail -f application.log # Follow log files
nano config.properties # Edit files

Process Management:

ps aux | grep java     # Find Java processes
sudo systemctl start myapp  # Start services

You don’t need to be a Linux expert, but these commands will be essential for managing your deployed applications, viewing logs, and troubleshooting issues.

File Permissions and Services

File Permissions:

# Make file executable
chmod +x deploy.sh

# Change ownership
sudo chown app:app myapp.jar

# Common permission patterns
chmod 755 # rwxr-xr-x
chmod 644 # rw-r--r--

Service Management:

# Service operations
sudo systemctl start myapp
sudo systemctl enable myapp  
sudo systemctl status myapp
sudo systemctl restart myapp

Understanding permissions is crucial for security, and systemd services are how we’ll run our Spring Boot applications in production environments.

Network and Security Basics

Understanding Ports and Firewalls

Common Ports You’ll Use:

Service	Port	Purpose
HTTP	80	Web traffic
HTTPS	443	Secure web traffic
SSH	22	Server access
Spring Boot	8080	Default application port
MySQL	3306	Database connections

Firewall Concepts:

• Inbound vs. Outbound rules
• Port ranges and protocols
• Source IP restrictions

Understanding ports is essential for configuring firewalls and ensuring your applications are accessible. AWS Lightsail has a simple firewall interface that makes this manageable.

Pre-Deployment Checklist

Verify Your Setup

Complete this checklist before proceeding:

• AWS account with billing information configured
• JDK 17+ installed and working
• Maven or Gradle build tool available
• Git version control system installed
• SSH client tested and functional
• Basic Spring Boot application available
• Understanding of Spring Boot profiles
• Test Command:bash java -version && mvn -version && git --version && ssh -V

Taking time to verify your setup now will save hours of troubleshooting later. Each tool plays a crucial role in the deployment process.

Sample Application Ready

Don’t have a Spring Boot app?

We’ll provide a sample application that includes:

• REST endpoints for testing
• Database integration examples
• Production-ready configuration
• Health check endpoints
• Logging configuration

Quick Test:

./mvnw spring-boot:run
# Visit http://localhost:8080

Even if students don’t have their own application ready, our sample application will demonstrate all the concepts they need to apply to their own projects.

Summary and Next Steps

Key Takeaways

Essential Requirements:

• AWS account for cloud resources
• Java development environment
• Command line tool proficiency
• Basic Spring Boot knowledge

Success Factors:

• Understanding of Linux basics
• Network and security concepts
• Version control with Git
• Service management principles

You’re Ready When: All checklist items are complete and you can run a Spring Boot application locally

Having these prerequisites in place ensures students can focus on learning deployment concepts rather than fighting with tool configuration issues.

What’s Coming Next

Our Deployment Journey:

1. Application Configuration - Setting up profiles and properties
2. Lightsail Instance Creation - Provisioning your server
3. Server Environment Setup - Installing Java and dependencies
   
4. Application Deployment - Getting your app running
5. Production Optimization - SSL, monitoring, and scaling

Ready to Deploy? Let’s build something amazing! 🚀

This roadmap gives students confidence about what’s ahead and shows them the logical progression from prerequisites to a fully deployed, production-ready application.