AWS App Runner: Launching Improvements for Using Custom Domains

/ Tutorial

AWS App Runner

Introduction

AWS App Runner is a fully managed service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that simplifies the process of deploying and running containerized applications. It allows you to build, deploy, and scale your applications without the need for manual configuration or infrastructure management.

In the latest update to AWS App Runner, improvements have been made to the process of associating custom domains to your App Runner service. This article will guide you through the steps required to add custom domains, focusing on the new feature that allows automatic configuration when using Amazon Route 53 as your DNS provider.

Table of Contents

  1. Prerequisites
  2. Registering a Domain Name
  3. Validating the Domain Ownership
  4. Configuring DNS Records
  5. Associating the Domain with App Runner
  6. Testing the Custom Domain
  7. Additional Technical Points
  8. SSL/TLS Certificate Integration
  9. Subdomain Configuration
  10. DNS Provider Compatibility
  11. DNS Record Propagation
  12. DNS Record TTL Settings
  13. Load Balancing and High Availability
  14. Best Practices for SEO
  15. Keyword Optimization
  16. Mobile-Friendly Design
  17. Page Loading Speed
  18. SSL/TLS Certificate Security
  19. XML Sitemaps
  20. Conclusion
  21. References

1. Prerequisites

Before you can associate a custom domain with your App Runner service, there are a few prerequisites that need to be met:

  • An AWS account: You need to have an active AWS account to access and use AWS App Runner.
  • App Runner service: You should have already created an App Runner service for your application.
  • Domain name: You must have a registered domain name that you want to associate with your App Runner service.

2. Registering a Domain Name

If you haven’t registered a domain name yet, you need to do so before proceeding. There are several domain registrars available, including AWS Route 53, GoDaddy, and Namecheap. Choose a registrar that suits your requirements and follow their instructions to register a domain name.

Once you have registered your domain, make sure you have the necessary credentials to access your domain registrar’s control panel or management console.

3. Validating the Domain Ownership

Before associating a custom domain with App Runner, you need to validate the ownership of the domain. This step ensures that you have the necessary rights to configure the DNS records for the domain.

The specific steps to validate domain ownership may vary depending on your domain registrar. However, in general, the process involves adding specific DNS records or verifying through email.

Follow your domain registrar’s instructions to complete the ownership validation process. Once ownership is validated, you can proceed to the next step of configuring DNS records.

4. Configuring DNS Records

To make your App Runner service accessible from the custom domain, DNS records need to be properly configured. The DNS records act as a bridge between the domain name and the IP address of your App Runner service.

The DNS configuration usually involves adding two types of records:

  1. Certificate Validation Record: This DNS record is used to validate the SSL/TLS certificate associated with your custom domain. The certificate ensures secure communication between clients and your application.

  2. DNS Target Record: This record links your domain name to the IP address of your App Runner service. It enables the mapping of requests to your custom domain to the appropriate App Runner resources.

When using Amazon Route 53 as your DNS provider, the latest improvement in AWS App Runner allows for automatic configuration of these DNS records.

5. Associating the Domain with App Runner

To associate a custom domain with your App Runner service, follow these steps:

  1. Open the AWS Management Console and navigate to the App Runner service.
  2. Select the appropriate service where you want to associate the custom domain.
  3. In the service details page, locate the “Custom domains” section and click on “Add custom domain”.
  4. If you are using Amazon Route 53 as your DNS provider, select a domain name available in Amazon Route 53 from the dropdown menu.
  5. App Runner will automatically configure the Route 53 domain with the required certificate validation and DNS records.
  6. Optionally, you can choose to create a new certificate or use an existing one.
  7. Click on “Add custom domain” to complete the association process.

Once the association is completed, your App Runner service will be accessible using the custom domain.

6. Testing the Custom Domain

After associating the custom domain with your App Runner service, it is crucial to test the accessibility and functionality of the domain. This step ensures that the domain is correctly configured and resolves to the App Runner service.

To test the custom domain, follow these steps:

  1. Open a web browser and enter the custom domain URL.
  2. If everything is configured correctly, you should see your application’s landing page or a response indicating a successful connection.
  3. Test different URLs and endpoints of your application to ensure that all features and functionalities are working as expected.
  4. Monitor the logs and error messages to identify and resolve any issues that may arise during testing.

7. Additional Technical Points

While the previous sections covered the basic process of associating custom domains with App Runner, there are additional technical points that you should be aware of. These points provide insights into advanced configurations and considerations for a better understanding of the underlying technologies.

SSL/TLS Certificate Integration

SSL/TLS certificates play a critical role in securing the communication between clients and your application. When associating a custom domain with App Runner, you can use an existing SSL/TLS certificate or create a new one.

If you choose to create a new certificate, you can use AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) to generate a managed SSL/TLS certificate for the custom domain. ACM ensures automatic renewal and integration with other AWS services.

Subdomain Configuration

In addition to associating the top-level domain (e.g., example.com) with your App Runner service, you can configure subdomains for specific endpoints or functionalities. This allows you to divide your application into separate components accessible through different subdomains (e.g., api.example.com and admin.example.com).

To configure subdomains, you need to create separate DNS records for each subdomain and associate them with their respective App Runner services.

DNS Provider Compatibility

Although AWS App Runner provides automated configuration for Amazon Route 53, you can use other DNS providers as well. The process of associating custom domains may differ depending on the DNS provider.

Ensure that your DNS provider supports adding certificates, TXT records for validation, and creating DNS target records. Check with your DNS provider’s documentation or support team for specific instructions.

DNS Record Propagation

When you configure DNS records for a custom domain, it may take some time for the changes to propagate across the DNS network. This propagation time can vary depending on multiple factors, including TTL settings, DNS provider, and the frequency of DNS record updates.

It is essential to consider the DNS record propagation time when associating custom domains with App Runner. Plan accordingly and anticipate potential delays in domain resolution.

DNS Record TTL Settings

TTL, or Time To Live, is a parameter that determines how long DNS records are cached by resolvers and other DNS servers. Low TTL values result in faster DNS record updates but can increase the load on DNS servers. High TTL values reduce the load on DNS servers but can take longer for DNS record changes to propagate.

When configuring DNS records for custom domains in App Runner, consider setting an appropriate TTL value based on your requirements. Find a balance between fast DNS record updates and efficient DNS server resource utilization.

Load Balancing and High Availability

AWS App Runner automatically provides load balancing and high availability for your application. When associating multiple instances of your App Runner service with the custom domain, the load balancer ensures that incoming requests are distributed evenly across the instances.

Additionally, if an instance becomes unavailable, App Runner automatically detects the failure and redirects traffic to the remaining healthy instances. This ensures high availability and resiliency for your application.

8. Best Practices for SEO

When launching a website or application with a custom domain, search engine optimization (SEO) should be a consideration. Implementing SEO strategies and best practices can improve the visibility and ranking of your application in search engine results.

Here are some SEO best practices specifically relevant to launching a website with AWS App Runner:

Keyword Optimization

Research and identify relevant keywords related to your application’s content. Optimize the title, headings, meta tags, and content with these keywords to improve organic search visibility.

Mobile-Friendly Design

With the increasing number of users accessing the internet from mobile devices, it is crucial to ensure that your application is mobile-friendly. Implement responsive design principles and optimize the mobile user experience for better search rankings.

Page Loading Speed

Page loading speed is a critical factor in SEO. Ensure that your application’s pages are optimized for fast loading times. Compress images, minify CSS and JavaScript files, and leverage caching mechanisms to improve performance.

SSL/TLS Certificate Security

Search engines favor websites that provide secure connections using SSL/TLS certificates. Ensure that your application uses HTTPS and that the SSL/TLS certificate is properly configured.

XML Sitemaps

Create an XML sitemap for your application and submit it to search engines. XML sitemaps help search engines discover and index all the pages of your application, improving overall visibility and crawling efficiency.

9. Conclusion

In this guide article, we explored the improvements made to AWS App Runner for using custom domains. We discussed the prerequisites, the process of registering a domain, validating ownership, configuring DNS records, and associating the domain with an App Runner service. Additionally, we delved into various technical points, including SSL/TLS certificate integration, subdomain configuration, DNS provider compatibility, DNS record propagation, and best practices for SEO.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully associate custom domains with your AWS App Runner services. This allows for a more personalized and professional experience for your users, along with the added benefits of improved security, availability, and search engine visibility.

10. References