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Pre-requisites

Following are the pre-requisites for deployment:
  1. Docker Credentials: You will receive a Personal Access Token (PAT) from the Cobalt team.
  2. MongoDB Atlas Account: Create or use an existing account.
  3. Docker Registry URL: Provided by the Cobalt team.

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Steps to Deploy Cobalt on an EC2 Instance

To deploy Cobalt, follow the steps given below:

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Step 1: Ensure Docker Engine is Running:

1

Install Docker if not already installed

 sudo apt update
 sudo apt install docker.io -y
2

Start and enable the Docker service

sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker
3

Verify Docker is running

docker --version
docker info

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Step 2: Set Up MongoDB Cluster

  • Log in to your MongoDB Atlas account and create a new M10 cluster.
  • Set autoscaling with a maximum scale toM20.
  • Configure minimum disk space to 50GB in the cluster settings.
  • Create a MongoDB user with full access to the database: Username: Choose a secure username. Password: Use a strong password.
  • Save the MongoDB connection string. For e.g.: 
    mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@<cluster-url>/myDatabase?retryWrites=true&w=majority

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Step 3: Authenticate Docker with Cobalt Credentials:

1

Log in to the Docker registry

docker login <docker-registry-url>
2

Provide Credentials

Enter the username (PAT) and password when prompted.

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Step 4: Pull the Docker Compose File:

Download the docker-compose.yml file provided by the Cobalt team: 
curl -O <docker-compose-url>

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Step 5: Configure Environment Variables:

Edit the docker-compose.yml file to include the MongoDB connection string: 
environment:
  MONGO_URI: "mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@<cluster-url>/myDatabase?retryWrites=true&w=majority"
Add any additional environment variables specific to your deployment.

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Step 6: Start Cobalt Services:

  • Run the Docker Compose setup: 
    docker-compose up -d
  • Verify that all containers are running: 
    docker ps

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Optional Checks

  1. Security Groups: Ensure the EC2 instance’s Security Group allows inbound traffic on necessary ports (e.g., 80, 443, or custom application ports).
  2. Volume Mounts: If any Docker services require persistent storage, check that volumes are correctly configured in the docker-compose.yml.
  3. Logs: Monitor logs to ensure all services are running correctly: 
    docker-compose logs -f

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Additional Considerations

  1. Resource Monitoring:
    • Check the EC2 instance’s CPU and memory usage to ensure it meets Cobalt’s requirements.
    • Set up autoscaling groups on memory usage if it exceeds 75% for a sustained period. This ensures the system can handle increased loads efficiently.
  2. Redis Configuration: This document assumes that Redis will run on the same instance as Cobalt’s service. This setup is acceptable for light to moderate loads, but for high loads, consider deploying Redis on a separate instance or using a managed Redis service.
  3. Backup: Set up regular backups for your MongoDB cluster to avoid data loss.