How do I set up AWS Lightsail with X-Ray?

To set up AWS Lightsail with AWS X-Ray using Pulumi, we’ll create a Lightsail instance and enable X-Ray tracing on it. AWS Lightsail is a simplified way to launch and manage virtual private servers, while AWS X-Ray helps with analyzing and debugging distributed applications.

Here’s a detailed explanation of the steps we’ll take:

1. Create a Lightsail Instance: We’ll create a Lightsail instance using the Pulumi AWS package.
2. Enable X-Ray: We’ll use the AWS X-Ray service to enable tracing for our Lightsail instance.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Install Pulumi and AWS CLI: Ensure you have Pulumi CLI and AWS CLI installed and configured.
2. Set Up a New Pulumi Project: Create a new directory for your project and initialize a new Pulumi project.

mkdir pulumi-lightsail-xray
cd pulumi-lightsail-xray
pulumi new aws-typescript

3. Install Required Pulumi Packages: Install the Pulumi AWS package.

npm install @pulumi/aws

4. Write the Pulumi Program: Create a index.ts file and add the following code to create a Lightsail instance and enable X-Ray.

Pulumi Program

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

// Create a Lightsail instance
const lightsailInstance = new aws.lightsail.Instance("my-lightsail-instance", {
    availabilityZone: "us-west-2a",
    blueprintId: "ubuntu_20_04",
    bundleId: "nano_2_0",
    keyPairName: "my-key-pair",
    tags: {
        "Name": "my-lightsail-instance",
    },
});

// Create an X-Ray group for the Lightsail instance
const xrayGroup = new aws.xray.Group("my-xray-group", {
    groupName: "my-lightsail-xray-group",
    filterExpression: "service(\"my-lightsail-instance\")",
    insightsConfiguration: {
        insightsEnabled: true,
        notificationsEnabled: true,
    },
});

// Export the instance name and X-Ray group name
export const instanceName = lightsailInstance.name;
export const xrayGroupName = xrayGroup.groupName;

Explanation

1. Lightsail Instance: We create a Lightsail instance using the aws.lightsail.Instance resource. We specify the availability zone, blueprint ID (Ubuntu 20.04), bundle ID (nano instance), and key pair name. Tags are also added for easier identification.

2. X-Ray Group: We create an X-Ray group using the aws.xray.Group resource. The group is named “my-lightsail-xray-group” and is configured to filter traces for the Lightsail instance. Insights and notifications are enabled for better monitoring and alerts.

3. Export Outputs: We export the instance name and X-Ray group name to make it easier to reference these resources later.

Running the Program

To deploy the resources, run the following commands:

pulumi up

This command will show you a preview of the resources to be created. Confirm the deployment, and Pulumi will provision the Lightsail instance and X-Ray group.

After the deployment is complete, you can access the Lightsail instance and view the X-Ray traces in the AWS Management Console.

That’s it! You’ve successfully created an AWS Lightsail instance and enabled AWS X-Ray tracing using Pulumi.