AWS VSToolKit .Config File

Question

Using the Visual Studio toolkit, I can easily create new CloudFormation Template and deploy and re-deploy Application, but creating the template by hand it's been a nightmare. I am trying to create a template using aws command line, but it's driving me crazy! Looking at the HostManager Log after creating the EC2 machine, I see that it's using UserData like below to start HostManager and accept redeploying of the application.

AMI:ami-62a03d0b

169.254.169.254/latest/user-data is

[{
    'configuration': {
        'fullurl': 'link to the .Config generated file using VS toolkit'
    },
    'credentials': {
        'key': 'some key',
        'iv': 'Assming this is the secrect, but what is IV for?'
    }
}]['Link to the WaitHandle']

2 questions here:

1. If I am not using the VS toolkit, how can I generate the randomly looking .config file that is created by Vs toolkit and it's in S3 bucket?

2. what's "iv"? Is the the same as "Secret"?

It looks like the HostManager is looking for that type of format to start off HostManager. I am getting the following error, and that's because I am pointing the futureurl to the actual box, but it's supposed to be that obscure looking .config file that is generated by VS toolkit.

2013-10-16 15:48:55,793 INFO 1 AWSDeploymentHostManager.HostManager - Starting Host Manager
2013-10-16 15:49:06,167 INFO 1 AWSDeploymentHostManager.HostManagerConfig - Wait signal found https://cloudformation-waitcondition-us-east-....
2013-10-16 15:49:06,245 ERROR 1 AWSDeploymentHostManager.HostManager - Unexpected Exception: 
ThirdParty.Json.LitJson.JsonException: Invalid character 'h' in input string

Thank you for your help in advance.

Answer 1

If anyone hasn't tried to duplicated the AWS VSToolkit through CloudFormation by hand, let me know save you sometime, it's not possible, they have a secret sauce that they do behind the scene that makes it impossible to duplicate the workflow. Here is a copy of convo on AWS Forums. . On the other hand, I ended up writing our own solution to manage environments and and user CloudFormation recipe to build and communicate between web and windows apps in different environments. I am hoping to open source the solution (once I get approval from company), since I really think it's a perfect wrapper around AWS tools that can help small to mid size companies that don't have the time to create Chef servers and clients. I will post back once it's open sourced if anyone is running into a similar problems. Here is a blog post I wrote in regards to my findings .