AWS Elastic Beanstalk (EB) CLI: Common Command

AWS Elastic Beanstalk (EB) is a robust Platform as a Service (PaaS) that automates the deployment and scaling of web applications and services developed in languages such as Java, .NET, PHP, Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, and Docker. The Elastic Beanstalk Command Line Interface (EB CLI) is a command-line tool that allows you to programmatically interact with Elastic Beanstalk.

In this article, we'll explore some of the most commonly used EB CLI commands to manage your Elastic Beanstalk environments effectively.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

AWS Account: You need an AWS account to use Elastic Beanstalk.
AWS CLI: The AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) enables interaction with AWS services. You can download and install it from the official AWS website.
EB CLI: A plugin for AWS CLI. Refer to the AWS Elastic Beanstalk CLI Installation Guide .

How EB CLI Works

The eb init command initializes your application and sets up the Elastic Beanstalk configuration directory, including the configuration file.
For most commands, navigate to your application's root directory containing the .elasticbeanstalk/config.yml file created during initialization. EB CLI will use this file to interact with Elastic Beanstalk.

Initialize an Elastic Beanstalk Application

Start by initializing your application with the following command:

eb init

This command:

Creates an Elastic Beanstalk application.
Allows you to configure the region, platform, and default credentials. Example:

eb init

# Specify the platform, profile, region, and app name in one command
eb init -p node.js --profile <your-profile> --region ap-northeast-1 <app-name>

Note:

Run this command in your application's root directory.
A configuration file .elasticbeanstalk/config.yml will be created upon successful execution.

Create a New Environment

Once the application is initialized, create a new environment for deployment:

eb create

You can specify the environment name and type:

eb create my-environment-name

A Environment configuration file .elasticbeanstalk/[env-name].env.yml will be created upon successful execution.

Clone an Environment

Clone a new environment from the current one:

eb clone

# Or specify the environment name
eb clone <environment_name> (-n CLONE_NAME)

List Current Environments

eb list

List Application Versions

eb appversion

Example output:

test-environment  Application Name: sample-001
Environment Status: Ready Health Green
Current version # deployed: 3

Deploy Your Application

Deploy your application to an Elastic Beanstalk environment:

eb deploy

This command packages and uploads your application to the specified environment. Use this command whenever you update your code.

Check Environment Status

To view the current status of an environment:

eb status

Example output:

Environment details for: test-environment
  Application name: sample-001
  Region: ap-northeast-1
  Deployed Version: app-241219_170320446983
  Status: Ready
  Health: Green

View Environment Logs

Fetch logs for debugging:

eb logs

To retrieve all logs locally:

eb logs --all

Update Environment Configuration

Edit environment configurations using:

eb config

Open Environment in Browser

Quickly open the environment's URL in your browser:

eb open

Terminate an Environment

Remove an environment and its associated resources:

eb terminate

Monitor Environment Events

Track environment events in real time:

eb events

View the full event history:

eb events --all

Swap URLs Between Environments

For blue-green deployments, swap URLs between environments:

eb swap

Scale Application Instances

Adjust the number of instances:

eb scale 3

SSH Into EC2 Instances

Connect to an EC2 instance using SSH:

eb ssh

Manage Platform Versions

# List all available platforms
eb platform list

# Show current platform
eb platform show

# Create a custom platform version
eb platform create

# Delete a platform
eb platform delete

Set Default Environment

Set a default environment for commands:

eb use [environment_name]

Conclusion

AWS Elastic Beanstalk's EB CLI simplifies application deployment and management with its powerful commands. Mastering these commands will help you efficiently manage AWS environments and streamline development processes. By leveraging EB CLI, you can save time and focus more on building and improving your applications.