Updating the Web App in an Active AWS CloudFormation Stack

After deploying an example Senzing CloudFormation, such as the Senzing deployment template, you may need to update a running resource within an active stack; such as the Senzing Web Application. Herein, we outline how to perform such as task without having to recreate the entire stack. 

Check Current Web Application Version

To check the current version click the Senzing logo in the upper right hand corner. Note the Web App Version - 2.1.1. The URL for the Web App is located in the Outputs tab under the CloudFormation stack and the key labelled WebAppUrl.

Update the Web Application

Note, there is a new version of the AWS ECS console available and rolling out. These instructions and screenshots may vary if you are using the newer version. The steps will be similar. 

• Within AWS navigate to Elastic Container Service
• Select Task Definitions
• Select the Task Definition for <your_cluster_name>-task-definition-webapp
  • <your_cluster_name> will be the name of the CloudFormation stack

• Click the selection box to the left of the Task Definition Name for <your_cluster_name>-task-definition-webapp:1
  • The revision number may be higher than 1, use the latest Active revision entry instead
• Click the Create new revision button

• Scroll down to the Container Definitions section
• Click on the webapp Container Name
• In the Edit container window locate the Image data entry box
• Modify the text to the new version or string Senzing support has identified for the upgrade
  • In this example we will use the string latest to update to the latest available version of the entity-search-web-app
• Click Update
• Click Create

• Click into <your_cluster_name>-task-definition-webapp

• Click the selection box to the left of the Task Definition Name for <your_cluster_name>-task-definition-webapp:1
• In the Actions drop down select Deregister
• In the warning prompt click Deregister again

• In the left hand menu click Clusters
• Click into <your_cluster_name>-cluster
• You will now be on the Services tab for the cluster
• The webapp service should show [INACTIVE] under the Task Definition column
• Click the selection box to the left of the webapp Service Name
• Click Update

• In the Step1: Configure service panel locate the Task Definition section
• Check the drop down box for Revision is set to 2 (latest)
  • This number may be higher if you've completed similar steps previously

• Click Next step for the next 2 panels
• Click Update Service on the final panel
• Click View Service
• Click into <your_cluster_name>-cluster

• The Task Definition for the webapp Service Name should now be <your_cluster_name>-task-definition-webapp:2
  • The revision number should match the details in the Revision drop down box in the previous step
  • If the webapp doesn't show a status of ACTIVE immediately, it's still deploying, click the refresh icon to the upper right of the Services table

Stop the Previous Web Application Task

• Click on the Tasks tab to the right of the Services tab
• Click the selection box to the left of the Task definition for <your_cluster_name>-task-definition-webapp:1
  • It should be showing as INACTIVE
• Click Stop
• In the warning prompt click Stop

Check the New Web Application

• Open the URL for the Senzing Web Application
• Click the Senzing logo in the upper right hand corner. The Web App Version will now indicate the  latest version (or the tag specified instead of latest in earlier steps)