Deploying a Java App to AWS with Multiple CI/CD Tools

DevOps Playground Project: Deploying a Java App to AWS with Multiple CI/CD Tools (Part 1 – Overview & Setup) Welcome to Part 1 of our DevOps Playground series! In this multi-part documentation, we’ll walk through deploying a real-world Java (Maven) Doctor Appointment Scheduler App to the cloud using various DevOps tools, CI/CD strategies, and cloud services. This project is a collaborative volunteer effort, and we're intentionally exploring multiple DevOps stacks Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and more, so that our contributors gain experience with a wide range of tools used across different teams in the real world. Project Goal To build, test, secure, monitor, and deploy a Java-based application into AWS Cloud using modern DevOps practices. Volunteers will work in teams or independently using different CI/CD tools to complete similar deployment goals. Key Goals: Learn and apply real-world DevOps tools and workflows Practice AWS deployment and cloud-native architecture Implement security, monitoring, automation, notifications, and CI/CD pipelines Work collaboratively across cross-functional DevOps roles We’ll follow a complete DevOps lifecycle: Source control & collaboration (Git/GitHub) CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI) Security scanning (Dependency-Check, SBOM, Dependency-Track) Code quality (SonarQube) Artifact management (Nexus) Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) Monitoring (Prometheus + Grafana) Notifications (AWS SES, SNS) Tech Stack & Tools Overview Area Tools App Type Java (Maven) Web Application Version Control Git, GitHub CI/CD Tools Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI Build & Package Maven, Docker Artifact Repository Nexus Code Quality SonarQube Security & SBOM OWASP Dependency-Check,CycloneDX, Dependency-Track Cloud Provider AWS (EC2, S3, IAM, SES, SNS ETC) Monitoring & Alerting Prometheus, Grafana, AWS SNS IaC Terraform Project Repository GitHub Repo: Doctor Appointment Scheduler Fork the repo, clone locally, and explore the structure. This app is Maven-based and serves as the base of our deployment pipeline. Project Structure This project is split into multiple DevOps sub-teams to allow focused collaboration. Each team is tasked with solving the same DevOps challenges using different tools. Team Role CI/CD Engineers Create pipelines (Jenkins / GitHub Actions / GitLab CI) Build & Artifacts Maven build, Nexus upload Security & Quality Run OWASP scans, SonarQube, Dependency Track Infra & Cloud Use Terraform &/or Ansible to deploy EC2 and configure AWS resources Monitoring & Notifications Prometheus + Grafana setup, alerts via SNS & SES Project Phases Phase 1 – Setup & Planning Fork & clone the repo, understand codebase Understand application structure and dependencies Phase 2 – Infrastructure Setup Provision pipelines (Jenkins / GitHub Actions / GitLab CI) Build Maven app, run tests, check quality (SonarQube), scan deps Phase 3 – CI/CD Pipelines & Cloud Integration Build app with Maven Run unit tests Code analysis Package JAR Scan for vulnerabilities Store artifacts Tag releases and maintain release history Phase 4 – Application Deployment Deploy to AWS Send deployment notifications via email or Slack Phase 5 Monitoring & Observability Set up application and infra-level metrics Configure alerts Phase 5 – Security & Reporting Run OWASP scans, create SBOM Upload to Dependency-Track Capture security + code quality reports Schedule scans and produce vulnerability reports Ensure pipeline breaks on critical vulnerabilities Next up: Part 2A – Designing the End-to-End DevOps Architecture (coming soon) We’ll compare approaches, issues, and what makes each tool unique. Join Us Visit DevOps Playground Website Follow us on LinkedIn Final Note This is more than a tutorial—it's a live DevOps project with real people, real challenges, and real learning.

Jun 14, 2025 - 13:50

DevOps Playground Project: Deploying a Java App to AWS with Multiple CI/CD Tools (Part 1 – Overview & Setup)

Welcome to Part 1 of our DevOps Playground series!

In this multi-part documentation, we’ll walk through deploying a real-world Java (Maven) Doctor Appointment Scheduler App to the cloud using various DevOps tools, CI/CD strategies, and cloud services.

This project is a collaborative volunteer effort, and we're intentionally exploring multiple DevOps stacks Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and more, so that our contributors gain experience with a wide range of tools used across different teams in the real world.

Project Goal

To build, test, secure, monitor, and deploy a Java-based application into AWS Cloud using modern DevOps practices. Volunteers will work in teams or independently using different CI/CD tools to complete similar deployment goals.

Key Goals:

Learn and apply real-world DevOps tools and workflows
Practice AWS deployment and cloud-native architecture
Implement security, monitoring, automation, notifications, and CI/CD pipelines
Work collaboratively across cross-functional DevOps roles

We’ll follow a complete DevOps lifecycle:

Source control & collaboration (Git/GitHub)
CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI)
Security scanning (Dependency-Check, SBOM, Dependency-Track)
Code quality (SonarQube)
Artifact management (Nexus)
Infrastructure as Code (Terraform)
Monitoring (Prometheus + Grafana)
Notifications (AWS SES, SNS)

Tech Stack & Tools Overview

Area	Tools
App Type	Java (Maven) Web Application
Version Control	Git, GitHub
CI/CD Tools	Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI
Build & Package	Maven, Docker
Artifact Repository	Nexus
Code Quality	SonarQube
Security & SBOM	OWASP Dependency-Check,CycloneDX, Dependency-Track
Cloud Provider	AWS (EC2, S3, IAM, SES, SNS ETC)
Monitoring & Alerting	Prometheus, Grafana, AWS SNS
IaC	Terraform

Project Repository

GitHub Repo: Doctor Appointment Scheduler

Fork the repo, clone locally, and explore the structure. This app is Maven-based and serves as the base of our deployment pipeline.

Project Structure

This project is split into multiple DevOps sub-teams to allow focused collaboration. Each team is tasked with solving the same DevOps challenges using different tools.

Team	Role
CI/CD Engineers	Create pipelines (Jenkins / GitHub Actions / GitLab CI)
Build & Artifacts	Maven build, Nexus upload
Security & Quality	Run OWASP scans, SonarQube, Dependency Track
Infra & Cloud	Use Terraform &/or Ansible to deploy EC2 and configure AWS resources
Monitoring & Notifications	Prometheus + Grafana setup, alerts via SNS & SES

Project Phases

Phase 1 – Setup & Planning

Fork & clone the repo, understand codebase
Understand application structure and dependencies

Phase 2 – Infrastructure Setup

Provision pipelines (Jenkins / GitHub Actions / GitLab CI)
Build Maven app, run tests, check quality (SonarQube), scan deps

Phase 3 – CI/CD Pipelines & Cloud Integration

Build app with Maven
Run unit tests
Code analysis
Package JAR
Scan for vulnerabilities
Store artifacts
Tag releases and maintain release history

Phase 4 – Application Deployment

Deploy to AWS
Send deployment notifications via email or Slack

Phase 5 Monitoring & Observability

Set up application and infra-level metrics
Configure alerts

Phase 5 – Security & Reporting

Run OWASP scans, create SBOM
Upload to Dependency-Track
Capture security + code quality reports
Schedule scans and produce vulnerability reports
Ensure pipeline breaks on critical vulnerabilities

Next up: Part 2A – Designing the End-to-End DevOps Architecture (coming soon)

We’ll compare approaches, issues, and what makes each tool unique.

Join Us

Final Note

This is more than a tutorial—it's a live DevOps project with real people, real challenges, and real learning.