the_information_nexus/tech_docs/cloud/aws_lab.md

The Ultimate CLI Muscle Memory Training Plan

(For Nerds Who Want to Achieve Cloud Networking CLI Mastery Fast)

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1. The Setup: Build a Home Lab That Mimics Production

Hardware (Bare Minimum)

• Proxmox Server (or any hypervisor) – Run nested VMs/containers.
• MicroPC/Raspberry Pi – For low-power networking (BGP, VPNs).
• Spare Laptop – As a jump host/terminal.

Software Stack

Tool	Purpose	Install Command
AWS CLI v2	Cloud-native networking	curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip" && unzip awscliv2.zip && sudo ./aws/install
Terraform	IaC for repeatable labs	sudo apt-get install terraform
FRRouting	BGP/OSPF practice	sudo apt-get install frr
WireGuard	VPN tunneling	sudo apt-get install wireguard
tcpdump	Packet-level debugging	sudo apt-get install tcpdump
jq	JSON parsing for AWS CLI outputs	sudo apt-get install jq
Tmux	Terminal multiplexing for drills	sudo apt-get install tmux

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2. The Drills: Daily CLI Workouts

(30-60 mins/day, designed for muscle memory)

Drill 1: AWS Networking Speed Run (15 mins)

Goal: Automate VPC creation + troubleshoot.

# Create a VPC with Terraform (save as `vpc.tf`)
resource "aws_vpc" "lab" {
  cidr_block = "10.0.0.0/16"
  tags = { Name = "cli-muscle-memory" }
}

# Deploy and debug
terraform init && terraform apply -auto-approve
aws ec2 describe-vpcs --query 'Vpcs[].CidrBlock' | jq
aws ec2 delete-vpc --vpc-id $(aws ec2 describe-vpcs --query 'Vpcs[?Tags[?Key==`Name` && Value==`cli-muscle-memory`]].VpcId' --output text)

Pro Tip: Time yourself. Aim for <2 mins by Day 7.

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Drill 2: BGP + VPN Chaos (20 mins)

Goal: Simulate hybrid cloud failures.

1. Set Up FRRouting (BGP) on a Linux VM:

   sudo vtysh
   configure terminal
   router bgp 65001
    neighbor 192.168.1.1 remote-as 65002
    timers bgp 10 30  # Aggressive timers for failure sim
   

2. Break It:

   sudo ifconfig eth0 down  # Kill primary interface
   

3. Fix It:

   show ip bgp summary  # Diagnose
   sudo ifconfig eth0 up && sudo systemctl restart frr
   

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Drill 3: Packet Kung Fu (10 mins)

Goal: Diagnose HTTPS failures without logs.

# Capture TLS handshake failures
sudo tcpdump -i any 'tcp port 443 and (tcp-syn|tcp-ack)!=0' -nnvv -w tls.pcap

# Analyze in Wireshark (or CLI):
tshark -r tls.pcap -Y 'ssl.handshake.type == 1'  # Find failed handshakes

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Drill 4: Cost-Ops Reflex Training (15 mins)

Goal: Find and nuke wasteful resources.

# Find untagged EC2 instances
aws ec2 describe-instances --query 'Reservations[].Instances[?!not_null(Tags[?Key==`Owner`])].InstanceId' | jq

# Terminate with prejudice
aws ec2 terminate-instances --instance-ids $(aws ec2 describe-instances --query 'Reservations[].Instances[?!not_null(Tags[?Key==`Owner`])].InstanceId' --output text)

# Find idle NAT Gateways
aws ec2 describe-nat-gateways --filter Name=state,Values=available --query 'NatGateways[?NetworkInterfaces[0].Status!=`in-use`].NatGatewayId' | jq

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3. The Gauntlet: Weekly Challenges

(Simulate real outages—no Google allowed!)

Challenge 1: "The Silent NACL"

• Scenario: All traffic to TCP/443 is blocked, but Security Groups are open.
• Tools Allowed: Only tcpdump, aws ec2 describe-network-acls.
• Fix Time: <10 mins.

Challenge 2: "BGP Route Leak"

• Scenario: Your VM can’t reach the internet, but ping 8.8.8.8 works.
• Tools Allowed: vtysh, ip route.
• Fix Time: <15 mins.

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4. Pro Tips for CLI Dominance

1. Alias Everything:

   alias aws-vpcs='aws ec2 describe-vpcs --query "Vpcs[*].{ID:VpcId,CIDR:CidrBlock}" --output table'
   alias kill-nats='aws ec2 describe-nat-gateways --query "NatGateways[?NetworkInterfaces[0].Status!=\`in-use\`].NatGatewayId" --output text | xargs -I {} aws ec2 delete-nat-gateway --nat-gateway-id {}'
   

2. CLI-Only Days:
   • Spend 1 day/week without a GUI (AWS Console, Wireshark, etc.).
3. Keybindings:
   • Master Ctrl+R (reverse search), Ctrl+A/E (line navigation).

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5. Measure Your Progress

Skill	Beginner	Master
VPC Creation	3+ mins (manual clicks)	<60 secs (CLI/Terraform)
BGP Troubleshooting	Relies on logs	tcpdump + vtysh in <5 mins
Cost Hunting	Manual Cost Explorer	One-liner to find waste

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Final Wisdom

• Repetition > Theory: Do each drill 3x/week until it’s boring.
• Break Things Intentionally: Corrupt BGP tables, drop packets, then fix.
• Automate Your Punishment: Write scripts that break your lab nightly, forcing you to debug.

Want a ready-to-go Proxmox/K8s lab config? I can share Terraform templates to auto-build breakable environments!