Deploying a Scalable Dockerized Django Application on AWS using Terraform
Modern applications are not deployed on a single EC2 instance anymore.
In this project, I built a production-style architecture on AWS using Terraform, where:
- A Dockerized Django application runs on EC2 instances
- Instances are deployed in private subnets
- Application Load Balancer handles incoming traffic
- Auto Scaling Group maintains availability
- NAT Gateways provide outbound internet access
- docker images are pulled from Docker Hub
Everything was provisioned using Infrastructure as Code.
Project Goal
- Deploy a containerized Django app securely
- Follow real production architecture patterns
- Keep EC2 instance private
- Enable horizontal scaling
- Automate the full infrastructure using Terraform
Architecture Diagram
Internet → ALB (Public) → EC2 Instances (Private) → NAT Gateways → Internet
↓
Django Docker App
Networking Design
VPC
- Custom VPC created using Terraform
- CIDR-based subnet planning
Public Subnets (AZ1 & AZ2)
- Host Application Load Balancer
- Host NAT Gateways
- Connected to Internet Gateway
Private Subnets (AZ1 & AZ2)
- Host EC2 instances
- No direct internet access
- Outbound access via NAT Gateway
Why this matters:
Private subnets ensure your application servers are not publicly exposed.
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
The ALB:
- Listens on HTTP (80) / HTTPS (if configured)
- Forwards traffic to target group
- Performs health checks
- Distributes traffic across instances in multiple AZs
Auto Scaling Group (ASG)
Configured with:
- Minimum: 1 instance
- Desired: 2 instances
- Maximum: 5 instances
The ASG:
- Maintains desired capacity
- Replaces unhealthy instances
- Works across multiple availability zones
If one AZ fails, traffic shifts automatically.
EC2 + Docker Deployment
EC2 instances are launched using a Launch Template.
Inside the user data script:
- Docker is installed
- Django image is pulled from Docker Hub
- Container is started with port mapping
docker run -d -p 80:8000 your-django-image
Port mapping:
- Django runs internally on 8000
- Exposed externally via port 80
- ALB forwards traffic to port 80
NAT Gateway Usage
Since EC2 instances are in private subnets:
They cannot directly access the internet.
NAT Gateway allows:
- Pulling Docker images from Docker Hub
- Installing updates
- Accessing external services
Deployment Steps
terraform init
terraform plan
terraform apply
>> Connect With Me
If you enjoyed this post or want to follow my #30DaysOfAWSTerraformChallenge journey, feel free to connect with me here:
💼 LinkedIn: Amit Kushwaha
🐙 GitHub: Amit Kushwaha
📝 Hashnode / Amit Kushwaha
🐦 Twitter/X: Amit Kushwaha
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