Automated and Scalable Cloud Infrastructure

For this project, my objective was to take a Laravel application that would normally be installed and configured manually and create a more repeatable cloud deployment process. I used AWS EC2 as the Linux server, Docker Compose to run Laravel, MySQL and Nginx in separate containers, and Ansible to automate the preparation of the server. Amazon S3 was used to store application files separately from the virtual machine, while Security Groups controlled which network connections were allowed. I also introduced a Load Balancer layer to prepare the architecture for traffic distribution and future scaling. The main value of the project was not building an AWS dashboard; it was learning how all of these services work together to move an application from local development to a structured cloud environment.

My goal was to reduce manual server configuration and create a deployment that could be reproduced more consistently.

A manual Laravel deployment requires installing software, configuring the web server, setting environment variables, preparing the database, managing storage and opening the correct network ports.

Repeating these steps manually can create different environments, forgotten configuration and difficult maintenance.

I designed an initial cloud architecture containing:

• Git repository
• Ansible automation
• AWS EC2
• Linux
• Docker Compose
• Nginx
• Laravel
• MySQL
• Amazon S3
• Security Groups
• Load Balancer

The application source code is stored in Git. Ansible prepares the AWS EC2 server and installs the required environment. Docker Compose then starts the Nginx, Laravel and MySQL services in connected containers.

Nginx receives incoming web requests and forwards them to Laravel. Laravel contains the application logic, while MySQL stores the relational data. Application files are stored in Amazon S3 instead of remaining only on the EC2 machine.

Security Groups restrict access to the infrastructure, and the Load Balancer provides a layer for routing traffic and preparing the architecture for future scaling.

Each part of the stack was chosen for a specific reason:

• Git — Stores and versions the application code.
• Ansible — Automates repeated server installation and configuration steps.
• AWS EC2 — Provides the Linux virtual server running the application.
• Docker Compose — Defines and runs Laravel, MySQL and Nginx consistently.
• Nginx — Receives web traffic and forwards requests to Laravel.
• Laravel — Contains the web application and business logic.
• MySQL — Stores application data.
• Amazon S3 — Stores uploaded files separately from the EC2 server.
• Security Groups — Control which network traffic can reach the server.
• Load Balancer — Adds a traffic-routing layer and prepares the design for future scaling.