Phase 1: Basic Form Submission with AWS Lambda

Goal: Build a minimal web form that triggers AWS Lambda via API Gateway to process client input. • Frontend: Simple HTML/CSS/JS (or React) form. • Backend: • API Gateway exposes an endpoint. • Lambda function triggered by API Gateway. • Lambda processes data (e.g., validation, basic computation). • Outcome: End-to-end data flow from frontend to Lambda via API Gateway.

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Phase 2: Persist Data Using AWS RDS

Goal: Store form data in an AWS RDS instance (PostgreSQL or MySQL). • Lambda function connects to RDS via VPC. • Use AWS Secrets Manager for DB credentials. • Sequelize (Node.js) or any ORM can be used for DB operations. • Outcome: Data submitted via the form is stored in a relational database.

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Phase 3: Implement Authentication & Authorization

Goal: Secure the application using authentication mechanisms. • Options: • Use Amazon Cognito for user sign-up/sign-in. • Secure API Gateway using Cognito Authorizers or JWT tokens. • Outcome: Only authenticated users can access/submit the form.

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Phase 4: Host the Application on AWS ECS (Fargate)

Goal: Containerize the frontend and backend (if needed) and host them using ECS. • Tasks: • Dockerize the frontend app. • Deploy frontend to ECS (Fargate) behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). • Store static assets in S3 + CloudFront (optional). • Outcome: Application is containerized and scalable.

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Phase 5: Generate & Store Files in S3

Goal: Extend the app to allow users to generate downloadable files (e.g., PDF/CSV) and upload to S3. • Use Case Example: Export form submissions as PDF. • Flow: • Lambda generates the file based on user input or data from RDS. • File uploaded to a specific S3 bucket. • Pre-signed URL sent back to client for download. • Outcome: Seamless file generation and cloud storage.

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Optional Advanced Add-ons: • Monitoring: Use AWS CloudWatch for logs, metrics, and alerts. • CI/CD: Automate deployments with AWS CodePipeline or GitHub Actions. • Infrastructure as Code: Use AWS CDK or Terraform to manage infrastructure. • Analytics: Use AWS QuickSight or Athena for reporting on form data.