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API Based Event Systems

Building a Serverless Web Application on AWS Using Terraform and Okta

Project Overview:

Unified Techs partnered with an American multinational manufacturing company specializing in the design, engineering, and production of electronic circuit board assemblies and systems. The client aimed to build a secure, scalable Serverless Web Application to improve internal operations and support data-driven decision-making (learn more about serverless applications). The application, a Single Page Application (SPA), would be hosted on Amazon S3, use Okta for identity management, and run backend services through AWS Lambda with Amazon API Gateway. Data persistence would be managed with Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL.

Challenges:

  • User Authentication and Authorization: Implementing secure authentication via Okta while enforcing granular access control.

  • Scalable and Reliable API Management: Providing a single entry point that efficiently routes requests and scales with demand.

  • Data Management: Building a robust, scalable data layer with Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL.

  • Performance and Cost Efficiency: Meeting performance goals while managing costs through a serverless architecture.

  • High Availability: Designing a fault-tolerant system to ensure business continuity.

Objectives:

  • Secure User Authentication: Integrate Okta for authentication and authorization.

  • Scalable Backend Services: Implement a serverless backend using AWS Lambda for dynamic business logic.

  • Efficient Data Management: Use Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL with automated backups and high availability.

  • Cost Optimization: Leverage AWS managed services to reduce infrastructure costs.

  • High Availability: Ensure automatic scaling to meet demand.

Solution Design and Implementation:

  • Static Website Hosting:
    • The SPA frontend (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) is hosted on Amazon S3 with static website hosting enabled. Amazon CloudFront distributes content globally, reducing latency and improving performance.
  • Authentication with Okta:
    • Okta is integrated as the Identity Provider (IdP) using OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC). The SPA uses Okta SDK to authenticate users and securely store access tokens for API calls.
  • API Management via Amazon API Gateway:
    • Amazon API Gateway acts as the central entry point for all HTTP(S) requests. It uses a JWT authorizer to validate Okta-issued tokens, ensuring only authorized users access backend
  • Serverless Backend Architecture:
    • AWS Lambda functions handle various backend operations, such as data processing and business logic execution.
    • These functions are triggered by API Gateway requests and are configured to securely connect to the Amazon RDS PostgreSQL database.
  • Data Persistence and Management:
    • Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL is configured with Multi-AZ deployment for high availability and automated backups for disaster recovery. In addition, the database is optimized for concurrent transactions, ensuring reliable performance even as user demand grows.
  • Security and Compliance:
    • All communications between the SPA, API Gateway, and backend services are encrypted over HTTPS. IAM roles and policies enforce least-privilege access, while AWS best practices for security are followed throughout the architecture.

Outcomes:

  • Improved Security: Okta integration with API Gateway’s JWT validation ensures secure authentication and authorization.

  • High Availability and Scalability: AWS Lambda, API Gateway, and Amazon S3 provide a resilient and elastic Serverless Web Application infrastructure.

  • Cost Savings: The pay-as-you-go serverless model reduces infrastructure costs and scales automatically with demand.

  • Enhanced Performance: CloudFront’s global edge caching and API Gateway’s optimized routing deliver fast response times.

  • Future-Ready: The modular, serverless design allows for easy upgrades and integration of new features.

Conclusion:

By leveraging AWS’s Serverless Web Application architecture, Unified Techs delivered a secure, scalable, and cost-efficient solution tailored to the client’s operational needs. This architecture improved internal efficiencies, enhanced user experience, and positioned the client for future growth without heavy infrastructure investment.

 

Project Information