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  2. How to set up CloudFront for an ALB?

How Do I Set Up CloudFront for an ALB?

Introduction

Setting up Amazon CloudFront for an Application Load Balancer (ALB) is a crucial step in enhancing the security, performance, and reliability of your applications. By integrating CloudFront with ALB, you can leverage CloudFront’s global edge network to cache content closer to users, reduce latency, and protect your applications from DDoS attacks. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough of the configuration process, ensuring your applications benefit from these advantages.

Step-by-Step Setup Process

  1. Create an AWS Application Load Balancer (ALB): Start by setting up an ALB that will act as the origin for your CloudFront distribution. This involves configuring security groups and listeners to manage traffic.

  2. Set Up the CloudFront Distribution: Configure a CloudFront distribution to cache and serve content from the ALB. This step involves defining the origin, cache behaviors, and security settings.

  3. Associate the ALB with CloudFront: Link the CloudFront distribution to the ALB by specifying the ALB’s domain name as the origin. This enables CloudFront to fetch and deliver content from the ALB.

Detailed Example

import * as pulumi from "@pulumi/pulumi";
import * as aws from "@pulumi/aws";

// Define the ALB security group
const albSg = new aws.ec2.SecurityGroup("alb_sg", {
    name: "alb_sg",
    description: "Security group for ALB",
    vpcId: "vpc-12345678",
    ingress: [{
        fromPort: 80,
        toPort: 80,
        protocol: "tcp",
        cidrBlocks: ["0.0.0.0/0"],
    }],
    egress: [{
        fromPort: 0,
        toPort: 0,
        protocol: "-1",
        cidrBlocks: ["0.0.0.0/0"],
    }],
});
// Define the ALB
const appLb = new aws.lb.LoadBalancer("app_lb", {
    name: "app-lb",
    internal: false,
    loadBalancerType: "application",
    securityGroups: [albSg.id],
    subnets: [
        "subnet-0123456789abcdef0",
        "subnet-0fedcba9876543210",
    ],
    enableDeletionProtection: false,
});
// Create a listener for the ALB
const appLbListener = new aws.lb.Listener("app_lb_listener", {
    loadBalancerArn: appLb.arn,
    protocol: "HTTP",
    port: 80,
    defaultActions: [{
        type: "fixed-response",
        fixedResponse: {
            contentType: "text/plain",
            messageBody: "Hello from ALB",
            statusCode: "200",
        },
    }],
});
// Define a CloudFront Origin Access Identity
const originAccessIdentity = new aws.cloudfront.OriginAccessIdentity("origin_access_identity", {comment: "Access Identity for CloudFront to access ALB"});
// Create the CloudFront Distribution
const cfDistribution = new aws.cloudfront.Distribution("cf_distribution", {
    origins: [{
        domainName: appLb.dnsName,
        originId: "ALBOrigin",
    }],
    enabled: true,
    isIpv6Enabled: true,
    comment: "CloudFront Distribution for ALB",
    defaultRootObject: "index.html",
    defaultCacheBehavior: {
        targetOriginId: "ALBOrigin",
        viewerProtocolPolicy: "redirect-to-https",
        allowedMethods: [
            "GET",
            "HEAD",
        ],
        cachedMethods: [
            "GET",
            "HEAD",
        ],
        forwardedValues: {
            queryString: false,
            cookies: {
                forward: "none",
            },
        },
        minTtl: 0,
        defaultTtl: 3600,
        maxTtl: 86400,
    },
    tags: {
        Name: "ALB-CF-Distribution",
    },
    restrictions: {
        geoRestriction: {
            restrictionType: "none",
        },
    },
    viewerCertificate: {
        cloudfrontDefaultCertificate: true,
    },
});
export const cloudfrontUrl = cfDistribution.domainName;

Key Points

  • Security and Performance: CloudFront enhances the security and performance of your applications by caching content at edge locations.
  • Global Reach: The CloudFront network ensures low-latency content delivery to users worldwide.
  • Integration: Seamlessly integrates with ALB, allowing for flexible and scalable application delivery.

Conclusion

Configuring CloudFront with an ALB provides a robust solution for distributing application content efficiently and securely. This setup not only optimizes content delivery but also safeguards your applications against potential threats. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure your applications are well-equipped to handle global traffic demands with improved performance and reliability.

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