Software Tips

How to Deploy Spring Boot App to AWS (2025)

Photo of author

sood

spring boot

1. Introduction

Deploying a Spring application to AWS is a powerful step towards creating scalable, reliable, and cloud-native applications. By leveraging AWS services like Elastic Beanstalk, RDS, and CloudWatch, developers can host and manage their Spring Boot applications efficiently without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. Cloud deployment enhances application performance, ensures high availability, and simplifies resource management.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of deploying a Spring Boot application to AWS. From setting up the environment to implementing CI/CD pipelines, we’ll cover everything you need to know. Whether you’re deploying a simple REST API or a complex microservices architecture, this tutorial will provide the practical steps to get your Spring application running smoothly in the cloud.

2. Prerequisites

Before diving into deployment, ensure you have the following ready:

  • AWS Account: Create an AWS account if you don’t already have one. This will provide access to all AWS services required for deployment.
  • Basic Knowledge: Familiarity with the Spring Framework, AWS services (like Elastic Beanstalk and RDS), and command-line tools is helpful.
  • Installed Tools: You’ll need Java Development Kit (JDK), AWS CLI, and Elastic Beanstalk CLI set up on your system.

With these prerequisites in place, you’re ready to prepare your development environment.

3. Setting Up the Development Environment

Deploying a Spring Boot application to AWS starts with configuring the right tools. Here’s how you can get started:

  1. Install AWS CLI and Elastic Beanstalk CLI:
    • AWS CLI: Download AWS CLI and follow the installation instructions for your operating system.
    • Elastic Beanstalk CLI: Install the EB CLI for easy deployment of applications.
  2. Install Java Development Kit (JDK):
  3. Configure AWS Credentials:
    • Use the AWS CLI to configure your credentials: aws configure
    • Enter your AWS Access Key ID, Secret Access Key, default region, and output format.

Once these tools are installed and configured, your environment is ready for building and deploying a Spring Boot application.

4. Creating a Spring Boot Application

Now that your environment is ready, let’s build the Spring Boot application you’ll deploy to AWS. Don’t worry—it’s simpler than you might think! Follow these steps:

Initialize a New Spring Boot Project

  1. Head over to Spring Initializr.
  2. Choose the following:
    • Project: Maven
    • Language: Java
    • Dependencies: Spring Web, Spring Data JPA (optional, but great for connecting to databases).
  3. Download the generated project, unzip it, and open it in your favorite IDE, like IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse.

Develop a Simple RESTful API

For this tutorial, we’ll create a basic REST API. Here’s an example of a HelloController:

@RestController
public class HelloController {
    @GetMapping("/hello")
    public String sayHello() {
        return "Hello, AWS!";
    }
}

Add Necessary Dependencies

Ensure your pom.xml file includes the required dependencies for a simple Spring Boot app. If you added dependencies through Spring Initializr, you’re already set. Otherwise, check for:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
</dependency>

Run the Application Locally

Run the application to make sure everything works. In your terminal or IDE, execute:

./mvnw spring-boot:run

Visit http://localhost:8080/hello in your browser. If you see “Hello, AWS!”, you’re all set!

See also  Update Plex Media Server Windows: Step-by-Step Guide

5. Preparing the Application for AWS Deployment

Now, let’s make sure the application is ready for AWS.

Configure Application Properties

In your application.properties file (or application.yml), set any required configuration, such as database credentials or environment-specific properties. For now, keep it simple:

server.port=5000

(Elastic Beanstalk runs apps on port 5000 by default, so you’ll need to match this.)

Package the Application

Spring Boot makes it easy to package your app. Use Maven to create a .jar file:

./mvnw package

After this step, you’ll find a .jar file in the target directory.

Test Locally

Before deploying to AWS, test your packaged app locally to catch any issues early:

java -jar target/your-app-name.jar

If everything looks good, you’re ready to deploy.

6. Deploying to AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Elastic Beanstalk is the star of this show—it simplifies deployment without requiring deep AWS expertise.

What is AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

Elastic Beanstalk (EB) is a managed service that lets you deploy applications quickly. It takes care of provisioning and managing servers, load balancers, and scaling, so you can focus on coding.

Create an Elastic Beanstalk Environment

  1. Log in to your AWS Management Console.
  2. Go to Elastic Beanstalk and create a new application.
  3. Choose a platform:
    • Platform: Java
    • Platform Version: Select the latest version.

Deploy Using Elastic Beanstalk CLI

With the EB CLI, deployment is just a few commands away:

  1. Initialize Elastic Beanstalk in your project directory: eb init
    • Follow the prompts to select your application and region.
  2. Create an environment: eb create spring-env
  3. Deploy your app: eb deploy

Manage Environment Variables

AWS EB lets you set environment variables, like database URLs or API keys. Use the AWS Management Console or CLI to configure these.

Monitor Your App

Elastic Beanstalk comes with built-in monitoring. Use the console to check application health, view logs, and troubleshoot issues.

7. Integrating with AWS RDS (Relational Database Service)

Most apps need a database, right? AWS RDS (Relational Database Service) makes managing databases a breeze. Let’s integrate your Spring Boot app with an RDS instance.

Set Up an RDS Instance

  1. Go to the AWS Management Console and search for RDS.
  2. Create a database:
    • Select a database engine like PostgreSQL or MySQL.
    • Choose the free tier (if you’re eligible) to save costs.
  3. Configure settings:
    • DB Instance Identifier: Name your database.
    • Master Username and Password: Note these down—you’ll need them later.
  4. Set up connectivity:
    • Ensure your RDS instance is accessible from your Elastic Beanstalk environment. Configure the VPC Security Group to allow inbound traffic from your app’s security group.

Once your database is up, make a note of its endpoint. You’ll use it to connect your Spring Boot app.

Configure Your Spring Boot App

  1. Add the database dependency to your pom.xml:
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-data-jpa</artifactId>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.postgresql</groupId> <!-- Or MySQL if you're using it -->
    <artifactId>postgresql</artifactId>
</dependency>
  1. Update application.properties with your database credentials:
spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://<rds-endpoint>:5432/<database-name>
spring.datasource.username=<your-username>
spring.datasource.password=<your-password>
spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update
  1. Test the connection locally:
    • Restart your app and ensure it connects to the database without errors.
See also  The Ultimate Mac Toolkit for WordPress Bloggers: Essential Software and Tips for Smooth Operation

Managing Database Migrations

If your app evolves (and it probably will), you’ll need to handle schema changes. Use Flyway or Liquibase for database migrations. Add Flyway to your dependencies:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.flywaydb</groupId>
    <artifactId>flyway-core</artifactId>
</dependency>

Then create migration scripts in the src/main/resources/db/migration folder.

Verify Everything Works

Once configured, test your app again—this time with the database integration. If everything’s good, move to deployment!

8. Implementing Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

Who wants to manually deploy updates? A CI/CD pipeline automates the testing and deployment process so you can focus on writing code.

Choose a CI/CD Tool

AWS has its own pipeline service, AWS CodePipeline, but you can also use tools like GitHub Actions or Jenkins. For this guide, let’s use AWS CodePipeline.

Set Up the Pipeline

  1. Source Stage: Connect your GitHub repository.
    • Go to CodePipeline, create a new pipeline, and select GitHub as the source.
  2. Build Stage: Add a build provider.
    • Use AWS CodeBuild to compile your app and package it as a .jar file.
    • Create a buildspec.yml file in your project root:
version: 0.2
phases:
  install:
    commands:
      - echo Installing dependencies
  build:
    commands:
      - echo Building the application
      - ./mvnw package
artifacts:
  files:
    - target/*.jar
  1. Deploy Stage: Configure Elastic Beanstalk.
    • Add a deployment stage that pushes the .jar file to your Elastic Beanstalk environment.

Automate Testing

Add automated tests to your build process. Use JUnit or another testing framework to run unit and integration tests before deployment.

Ensure Zero-Downtime Deployments

Elastic Beanstalk supports rolling deployments, which means your app stays available during updates. Configure this in the Elastic Beanstalk console.

9. Scaling and Monitoring the Application

Once your app is live, scaling and monitoring ensure it performs well under any load.

Set Up Auto-Scaling

Elastic Beanstalk makes scaling easy:

  1. Go to your environment in the AWS Management Console.
  2. Select Auto Scaling and configure:
    • Minimum and maximum instances: Set limits based on your budget.
    • Trigger: Scale up when CPU usage exceeds 70%.

Monitor Performance with AWS CloudWatch

AWS CloudWatch is like your app’s fitness tracker. It shows metrics like:

  • CPU usage
  • Memory consumption
  • Request latency

Set up alarms to get notified if something goes wrong, like CPU usage spiking too high.

Set Up Notifications

Use Amazon SNS (Simple Notification Service) to send alerts when thresholds are breached. For example, you can get an email if your app’s error rate exceeds 1%.

10. Best Practices for Deploying Spring Applications on AWS

Here are some tips to keep your app running smoothly:

  1. Secure Secrets: Use AWS Secrets Manager or Parameter Store to manage sensitive data like API keys and database credentials.
  2. Optimize Costs:
    • Use the free tier when possible.
    • Right-size your instances based on load.
  3. Regular Updates:
    • Keep your app dependencies and AWS services up to date for security and performance.

Following these best practices will save you headaches (and dollars) in the long run.

11. Conclusion

Deploying a Spring Boot application to AWS isn’t as daunting as it seems. With tools like Elastic Beanstalk, RDS, and CloudWatch, AWS handles the heavy lifting, letting you focus on building great apps. Once your app is live, explore advanced AWS services to take it to the next level.

Leave a Comment