Cardano Node on AWS - Quick Start

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem.

We propose to use CloudFormation (Infrastructure as Code) to set up the infrastructure. We will modularize the sources so that it is easier to be inherited and extended later on.

[GENERAL] Summarize your relevant experience.

SPOs, member of the Plutus Pioneer Program, DevOps Engineer, and Cloud Solution Architect.

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

The diagram below describes comparing when customers/developers use templates and without a template:

All relay nodes and core nodes will be deployed to at least 2 AZs, then if one AZ goes down, the remaining AZ can still handle the load.(detail the architect below:)

We also configure alerting rules to check service endpoints' health and notify administrators if there are any incidents. The whole system will follow the security standard and best practices.

We leverage cost budgets to track cost usage and trigger alerts when the usage exceeds a predefined threshold.

Backups for core and relay servers will be created daily at 00:00 UTC.

[IMPACT] Please describe how your proposed solution will address the Challenge that you have submitted it in.

There is no comprehensive template of the tool to generate all of the infrastructures on AWS. The developer needs a tool to create a quick start without creating many resources on AWS

This will not only be good for onboarding developers but it will provide existing developers with an easily searchable template of the tools

With the use of CloudFormation, users do not need to have knowledge about AWS services, all they need to do is manage the applications inside the servers.

In case the users does not used the service anymore, they can remove the whole infrastructure cleanly by deleting the CloudFormation stacks.

[IMPACT] What are the main risks that could prevent you from delivering the project successfully and please explain how you will mitigate each risk?

With the use of AWS, the cost will often be higher than other providers, in exchange, the service quality is very high. To reduce cost, we can apply AWS pricing models such that reserved instances and saving plans, the cost can be decreased by about 30-50% compared to the on-demand model.

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed plan, including timeline and key milestones for delivering your proposal.

Scope of work / Detailed plan below:

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown.

• Salary for a Senior Solution Architect / DevOps Engineer: $4000/Month, Total project time: 480 hours (3 months) => $12.000
• Resource Cost on AWS For 5 Months of Deployment: 724.16 * 5 = $3,620.8

• Project Management (PM): 2 hours per week: Hour rate = $40/hours * 24h (Total 3 months) = $960

Estimated total cost: 12,000 + 3,620.80 + 960 = $16,580.80 for 4 months of development and testing

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide details of the people who will work on the project.

Harvey: Solution Architect, DevOps Engineer, Admin of Cardano Vietnam Official Group.

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harveypham26/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/harvey9x
• Github: https://github.com/minhtaihg2

Vuong Tran: Co-Founder, CTO at 3sfarm.io, Solution Architect, DevOps Engineer

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vuong-tran/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vuongtran0402
• Github: https://github.com/owl-king

Chien Nguyen: Online marketing; Programmer; Admin of Cardano Vietnam Official Group.

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/chiennguyen07
• Github: https://github.com/chiennguyenada
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chien.nguyen09

Cuong Tran: Cardano Ambassador; SPO; Admin of Cardano Vietnam Official Group (found in 2017); Community Outreach experience, 6 years experience in Project Management & Supplier Focus Technology.

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TranCuongVN_ADA
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuong-tran-97068219a/
• Github: https://github.com/TranCuongVINA
• Telegram: https://t.me/TranCuongVN
• Cardano Forum: https://forum.cardano.org/u/trancuong/summary
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TranCuongCardanoVN/

[FEASIBILITY] If you are funded, will you return to Catalyst in a later round for further funding? Please explain why / why not.

Yes, we will.

I am one of the Co-founders of Cardano Vietnam Official Group - the first Cardano community in Vietnam, founded in 2017.

We understand how important Catalyst is.

We have been spreading Catalyst to the Vietnamese community since Fund2 (Dec.2020).

At the moment, I also have a lot of ideas to get ready to participate in the later rounds.

For "Cardano node on AWS-Quick Start" proposal, if this proposal is funded, I will be able to recommend and help more people. That will be the basis for me to continue developing this idea on service platforms other than AWS.

Our purpose is to bring more Developers to Cardano.

We'll support them to begin from the beginning!

[FEASIBILITY] Are you or any member of your team working on any other proposals in this Fund9?

[FEASIBILITY] Are you or your team working on any other proposals from previous Funds?

[AUDITABILITY] Please describe what you will measure to track your project's progress, and how will you measure these?

i. After 1 month:

• 01 Document for Solution & Architecture Design
• Complete creating the cloud formation to create Network (VPC/Subnet/TGW…)
• Complete creating the CloudFormation to create Cardano node core and Cardano node relay instances

ii. After 2 months:

• Complete creating the CloudFormation to create alarm and budget notification
• Complete creating the CloudFormation to create system notification (Quota, Health, Config…)
• Complete creating the CloudFormation to create key rotation

iii. After 4 months

• Release All of the templates with Cloudformation to create all infrastructure on AWS and testing
• Document for the operation of the system
• Submit source code to GitHub as open source.

[AUDITABILITY] What does success for this project look like?

For a new user, using just a simple template that spawns the entire infrastructure following best practices will ensure a stable, smooth, and controllable system. Customers now just take care of the service running inside that server, saving a lot of time on the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure on AWS.

[AUDITABILITY] Please provide information on whether this proposal is a continuation of a previously funded project in Catalyst or an entirely new one.

This is a new idea that hasn't been proposed in previous funds. This idea comes from many members of the Cardano community in Vietnam who want to run a massive number of Cardano nodes on AWS but never know how to use services on AWS.