Sometimes you just need to test a high-availability setup, EC2 instances behind a load balancer, and do not want to click through 7 AWS console screens to do it.
I wanted a Terraform module that could launch EC2s, place them behind an Application Load Balancer, and output the public ALB URL instantly. Reusable, fast, and cloud-ready.
The Fix: Simple Terraform + Scalable ALB
I built a Terraform project that:
- 💡Lets you control the number of EC2 instances with a single variable
- 📄Lets you pass in your own user_data script
- 🔐Sets up security groups and health checks automatically
- 🌐Outputs the ALB DNS for immediate access
The whole thing deploys in minutes and works great for both demos and production prototypes.
GitHub: github.com/chinmaya-chhatre/terraform-alb-project
What Changed
- ⚡Cut deploy time for load-balanced EC2s to under 2 minutes
- 🧪Used as a testbed for fault tolerance and config drift experiments
- 💼Became a personal template for future multi-instance app setups
Good infra does not need to be complicated. Terraform should be fun, not frustrating. Spinning up load-balanced EC2s should be a one-liner, not a one-day task.
Tradeoffs I Made
- 📌Fixed number of instances for now: no Auto Scaling Group yet
- 🌍Starts in one availability zone to keep testing simple
- 💾Local state: great for testing, not for teams
What I Would Add Next
- 🔄Add optional Auto Scaling Group integration
- 🌍Enable multi-AZ deployments with one flag
- 📦Turn this into a reusable Terraform module with versioning
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