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MakendranG
MakendranG

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💻 Instant AWS Infrastructure: Deploy a DynamoDB Table with Pulumi Inline Python

#devchallenge #pulumichallenge #github #api

This is a submission for the Pulumi Deploy and Document Challenge: Get Creative with Pulumi and GitHub

What I Built

I built a lightweight infrastructure automation script that provisions an AWS DynamoDB Table using Pulumi Automation API with an inline Python program. There's no need for a traditional Pulumi project structure—this setup uses a single Python file to handle everything from stack creation to resource provisioning and teardown.

It’s ideal for prototyping, scripting developer environments, or embedding infrastructure logic directly in Python applications.

Live Demo Link

Project Repo

🔗 GitHub: github.com/MakendranG/pulumi-inline-dynamodb-python

This repo contains:

  • A fully working Pulumi program embedded in a single Python file (main.py)
  • requirements.txt for setting up your environment
  • Step-by-step setup instructions in the README

Just clone, install, and run!

My Journey

When I first explored Pulumi's Automation API, I was intrigued by how infrastructure provisioning could be embedded directly into Python logic—bypassing the need for Pulumi YAML files or CLI workflows.

This project helped me:

  • Understand stack management programmatically
  • Practice using the pulumi-aws provider inline
  • Get familiar with how Automation API allows greater control and flexibility

Challenges I Faced

  • 🔧 Plugin Management: I had to manually install the AWS plugin within the inline script, unlike regular Pulumi projects.
  • 🧪 State Refresh: Ensuring state refresh happens before deploying changes was important for clean updates.
  • 🧹 Destroy Logic: Writing the destroy handler inside the script made the teardown process seamless but required thoughtful handling of the stack lifecycle.

Using Pulumi with GitHub

Hosting the project on GitHub made it easier to:

  • Share the infrastructure setup with others
  • Version control the deployment logic
  • Reuse and fork the pattern for future inline projects

Why Pulumi Was Great for This Project

  • 🐍 It integrates seamlessly with Python
  • 🛠 The Automation API removes the friction of manual CLI usage
  • 🧰 It gives you full control over resource creation and destruction
  • 🧩 It's a perfect fit for scripting and automation workflows

This could easily be extended with:

  • 🧪 GitHub Actions for CI/CD deployments
  • 🗂 Parameterized environments (dev/stage/prod)
  • 🔗 More complex AWS infrastructure setups

Thanks for reading! If you're exploring Pulumi or cloud automation, I highly recommend giving the inline Automation API approach a shot—it’s powerful, flexible, and surprisingly fun to work with.

Feel free to ⭐ the repo or fork it to try your own variations.

Let’s automate all the things!

👉 https://github.com/MakendranG/pulumi-inline-dynamodb-python

Let me know when your YouTube demo is ready, and I’ll help you update the blog with a preview thumbnail and proper link!

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