Creating a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) with Subnets Using AWS CloudFormation Designer: Step-by-Step Guide

CloudFormation is a service offered by AWS. The goal of this service is to send user requests to AWS through a script written by the user. After receiving a response from AWS, the service displays that information in the AWS console log to update the user on the request status. The term “script” refers to the YAML or JSON file created by the user, and its contents are based on the user’s specific needs. This script is designed to be repeatable and trackable and can contribute to cost savings.

When performing the manual steps outlined in the script one by one, there is a risk of making mistakes in previous steps, potentially preventing the user from reaching their end goal. In such cases, it becomes necessary to recheck and configure the steps again. This is particularly challenging for beginners, as there is a high likelihood of modifying or deleting the wrong service or another project service.

To mitigate these issues, the CloudFormation service comes into play. If the written script fails to execute, the service ensures that all the services created by AWS in the preceding steps are rolled back and deleted. Additionally, a comprehensive error message is displayed on the AWS Console, aiding users in identifying and addressing any issues that may have arisen during the process.

Step To Build a VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) with CloudFormation

Getting started with the AWS CloudFormation

Step 1: We will use an IAM user to log into the AWS console to get started. When executing actions in AWS, it is advised to use an IAM user account instead of the root account. If you’re not sure how to create an IAM user, just follow these easy instructions:

Access your root account by logging in.

Open the AWS Management Console.
Look for “IAM” and choose the IAM service.

Choose “Users” from the navigation pane on the left.

Press the “Create user” button.

Give the username and choose the right kind of access (e.g., programmatic access, AWS Management Console access, or both).
If necessary, provide the user with a password.

Press the “Next: Permissions” button.
Link the user account to the applicable permissions policies.

Click “Create user” after reviewing the user’s information.

Keep the user’s access keys safe (if applicable).

Step 2:Now Login with user IAM user account in AWS console.

Step 3:Before proceeding to the next step, it’s important to note that creating a VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) using CloudFormation necessitates a script written in either YAML or JSON format. For the purposes of this article, we’ve prepared a script in YAML.Save above YAML script in your local device with .yaml extension to perform this task.

Description:  This template deploys a VPC, with a pair of public and private subnets spread
  across two Availability Zones. It deploys an internet gateway, with a default
  route on the public subnets.

Parameters:
  EnvironmentName:
    Description: An environment name that is prefixed to resource names
    Type: String
  VpcCIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for this VPC
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.0.0/16
  PublicSubnet1CIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for the public subnet in the first Availability Zone
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.10.0/24
  PublicSubnet2CIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for the public subnet in the second Availability Zone
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.11.0/24
  PrivateSubnet1CIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for the private subnet in the first Availability Zone
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.20.0/24
  PrivateSubnet2CIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for the private subnet in the second Availability Zone
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.21.0/24

Resources:
  VPC:
    Type: AWS::EC2::VPC
    Properties:
      CidrBlock: !Ref VpcCIDR
      EnableDnsSupport: true
      EnableDnsHostnames: true
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Ref EnvironmentName
  InternetGateway:
    Type: AWS::EC2::InternetGateway
    Properties:
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Ref EnvironmentName
  InternetGatewayAttachment:
    Type: AWS::EC2::VPCGatewayAttachment
    Properties:
      InternetGatewayId: !Ref InternetGateway
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
  PublicSubnet1:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Subnet
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      AvailabilityZone: !Select [ 0, !GetAZs '' ]
      CidrBlock: !Ref PublicSubnet1CIDR
      MapPublicIpOnLaunch: true
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Public Subnet (AZ1)
  PublicSubnet2:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Subnet
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      AvailabilityZone: !Select [ 1, !GetAZs  '' ]
      CidrBlock: !Ref PublicSubnet2CIDR
      MapPublicIpOnLaunch: true
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Public Subnet (AZ2)
  PrivateSubnet1:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Subnet
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      AvailabilityZone: !Select [ 0, !GetAZs  '' ]
      CidrBlock: !Ref PrivateSubnet1CIDR
      MapPublicIpOnLaunch: false
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Private Subnet (AZ1)
  PrivateSubnet2:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Subnet
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      AvailabilityZone: !Select [ 1, !GetAZs  '' ]
      CidrBlock: !Ref PrivateSubnet2CIDR
      MapPublicIpOnLaunch: false
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Private Subnet (AZ2)
  PublicRouteTable:
    Type: AWS::EC2::RouteTable
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Public Routes
  DefaultPublicRoute:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Route
    DependsOn: InternetGatewayAttachment
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PublicRouteTable
      DestinationCidrBlock: 0.0.0.0/0
      GatewayId: !Ref InternetGateway
  PublicSubnet1RouteTableAssociation:
    Type: AWS::EC2::SubnetRouteTableAssociation
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PublicRouteTable
      SubnetId: !Ref PublicSubnet1
  PublicSubnet2RouteTableAssociation:
    Type: AWS::EC2::SubnetRouteTableAssociation
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PublicRouteTable
      SubnetId: !Ref PublicSubnet2
  PrivateRouteTable1:
    Type: AWS::EC2::RouteTable
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Private Routes (AZ1)
  PrivateSubnet1RouteTableAssociation:
    Type: AWS::EC2::SubnetRouteTableAssociation
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PrivateRouteTable1
      SubnetId: !Ref PrivateSubnet1
  PrivateRouteTable2:
    Type: AWS::EC2::RouteTable
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Private Routes (AZ2)
  PrivateSubnet2RouteTableAssociation:
    Type: AWS::EC2::SubnetRouteTableAssociation
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PrivateRouteTable2
      SubnetId: !Ref PrivateSubnet2
  NoIngressSecurityGroup:
    Type: AWS::EC2::SecurityGroup
    Properties:
      GroupName: "no-ingress-sg"
      GroupDescription: "Security group with no ingress rule"
      VpcId: !Ref VPC

Outputs:
  VPC:
    Description: A reference to the created VPC
    Value: !Ref VPC
  PublicSubnets:
    Description: A list of the public subnets
    Value: !Join [ ",", [ !Ref PublicSubnet1, !Ref PublicSubnet2 ]]
  PrivateSubnets:
    Description: A list of the private subnets
    Value: !Join [ ",", [ !Ref PrivateSubnet1, !Ref PrivateSubnet2 ]]
  PublicSubnet1:
    Description: A reference to the public subnet in the 1st Availability Zone
    Value: !Ref PublicSubnet1
  PublicSubnet2:
    Description: A reference to the public subnet in the 2nd Availability Zone
    Value: !Ref PublicSubnet2
  PrivateSubnet1:
    Description: A reference to the private subnet in the 1st Availability Zone
    Value: !Ref PrivateSubnet1
  PrivateSubnet2:
    Description: A reference to the private subnet in the 2nd Availability Zone
    Value: !Ref PrivateSubnet2
  NoIngressSecurityGroup:
    Description: Security group with no ingress rule
    Value: !Ref NoIngressSecurityGroup

Steps To Build a CloudFormation Stack

Step 1: Assuming you’ve logged in with your IAM user, head to the console, search for “CloudFormation,” and select the CloudFormation service.

Click on CloudFormation

Step 2: On the dashboard, click on the “Create stack” button and select the first option, “With new resources (standard)”.

Click on “With new resources”

Step 3: A template file is required for the stack, which can be either a local file or an object file in an S3 bucket. here, we will be using a local template. First, select the local template file by clicking on the “Template is ready” button, next “Upload a template file”, then click on “Choose file” to continue.

Step 4: Enter a Stack name and EnvironmentName in the designated fields. The remaining details will be automatically populated based on the script provided in the previous step. Once you’ve entered this information, proceed by clicking on the “Next” button.

Write “Stack name” and “EnvironmentName”

Step 5: Tailor the stack options to meet your specific requirements and then click on the “Next” button.

Click on Next

Step 6: Double-check all details before submitting your request to AWS.

Review details and Click on Submit

Step 7: If our script runs successfully, we’ll see an output confirming its completion in the Outputs section of the console in a format written in our script. Otherwise, AWS will automatically roll back the request.

Script successfully executed

Under the “Events” tab, we can see the current status or event data.

Creation status of our requests

Verification Of Our Requests

In the script, we have specified our requests. Now, Let’s confirm whether AWS has executed them successfully or not.Now, navigate to the VPC section within the AWS Management Console and click on it to access your VPC resources.

Click on VPC

On the left panel, you’ll find a list of interfaces that lead to your created resources. These act as gateways to view and manage your VPC, subnets, route tables, and internet gateways. Let’s click on each one to explore their details.

VPC Dashboard

VPCs Establishment

The virtual private cloud (VPC) is established in alignment with our scripted configuration.
Code snippet of our VPCs Establishment:

Parameters:
  EnvironmentName:
    Description: An environment name that is prefixed to resource names
    Type: String
  VpcCIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for this VPC
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.0.0/16

Resources:
  VPC:
    Type: AWS::EC2::VPC
    Properties:
      CidrBlock: !Ref VpcCIDR
      EnableDnsSupport: true
      EnableDnsHostnames: true
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Ref EnvironmentName

VPC

Subnets Creation

Subnets are generated based on our configuration.
Code snippet for our Subnets Creation:

Parameters:
  PublicSubnet1CIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for the public subnet in the first Availability Zone
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.10.0/24
  PublicSubnet2CIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for the public subnet in the second Availability Zone
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.11.0/24
  PrivateSubnet1CIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for the private subnet in the first Availability Zone
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.20.0/24
  PrivateSubnet2CIDR:
    Description: Please enter the IP range (CIDR notation) for the private subnet in the second Availability Zone
    Type: String
    Default: 252.8.21.0/24

Resources:
  PublicSubnet1:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Subnet
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      AvailabilityZone: !Select [ 0, !GetAZs '' ]
      CidrBlock: !Ref PublicSubnet1CIDR
      MapPublicIpOnLaunch: true
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Public Subnet (AZ1)
  PublicSubnet2:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Subnet
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      AvailabilityZone: !Select [ 1, !GetAZs  '' ]
      CidrBlock: !Ref PublicSubnet2CIDR
      MapPublicIpOnLaunch: true
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Public Subnet (AZ2)
  PrivateSubnet1:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Subnet
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      AvailabilityZone: !Select [ 0, !GetAZs  '' ]
      CidrBlock: !Ref PrivateSubnet1CIDR
      MapPublicIpOnLaunch: false
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Private Subnet (AZ1)
  PrivateSubnet2:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Subnet
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      AvailabilityZone: !Select [ 1, !GetAZs  '' ]
      CidrBlock: !Ref PrivateSubnet2CIDR
      MapPublicIpOnLaunch: false
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Private Subnet (AZ2)

Route Table Configuration

The route table is established as per our configuration.
Code snippet for our Route Table Configuration:

Resources:
  PublicRouteTable:
    Type: AWS::EC2::RouteTable
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Public Routes
  DefaultPublicRoute:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Route
    DependsOn: InternetGatewayAttachment
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PublicRouteTable
      DestinationCidrBlock: 0.0.0.0/0
      GatewayId: !Ref InternetGateway
  PublicSubnet1RouteTableAssociation:
    Type: AWS::EC2::SubnetRouteTableAssociation
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PublicRouteTable
      SubnetId: !Ref PublicSubnet1
  PublicSubnet2RouteTableAssociation:
    Type: AWS::EC2::SubnetRouteTableAssociation
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PublicRouteTable
      SubnetId: !Ref PublicSubnet2
  PrivateRouteTable1:
    Type: AWS::EC2::RouteTable
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Private Routes (AZ1)
  PrivateSubnet1RouteTableAssociation:
    Type: AWS::EC2::SubnetRouteTableAssociation
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PrivateRouteTable1
      SubnetId: !Ref PrivateSubnet1
  PrivateRouteTable2:
    Type: AWS::EC2::RouteTable
    Properties:
      VpcId: !Ref VPC
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Sub ${EnvironmentName} Private Routes (AZ2)
  PrivateSubnet2RouteTableAssociation:
    Type: AWS::EC2::SubnetRouteTableAssociation
    Properties:
      RouteTableId: !Ref PrivateRouteTable2
      SubnetId: !Ref PrivateSubnet2

Internet Gateway Configuration

The internet gateway is created in line with our configuration.
Code snippet for our Internet Gateway Configuration:

Resources:
  InternetGateway:
    Type: AWS::EC2::InternetGateway
    Properties:
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: !Ref EnvironmentName
  InternetGatewayAttachment:
    Type: AWS::EC2::VPCGatewayAttachment
    Properties:
      InternetGatewayId: !Ref InternetGateway
      VpcId: !Ref VPC

AWS CloudFormation Designer For VPC- FAQs

What Are CloudFormation And AWS?

Amazon Web Services is a cloud computing platform that provides a range of services, including database management, processing power, and storage that is available on demand. AWS CloudFormation is a service that facilitates the automation and management of AWS resource creation and deployment using code (YAML or JSON).

Why Create A VPC Using CloudFormation?

Create a VPC using CloudFormation because.

Faster: Compared to manual configuration, automating resource creation saves time and effort.

Consistent: Guarantees uniform deployment of infrastructure in all environments.

Repeatable: Development and testing infrastructure that is readily repeatable.

Manageable: Updating and maintaining infrastructure is made easier with code-based templates.

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