AWS deployment script fails due to hardcoded configuration

An AWS SES deployment script failed in non-production environments due to hardcoded domain and email values, which were tailored only for production. This prevented environment-agnostic deployment, requiring manual edits for development and staging environments.

Issue

The script was designed for a single production domain (name.com) and hardcoded critical configuration values, including:

• Domain names (e.g., name.com).
• Email addresses (e.g., now@name.com).

As a result, deployment attempts in development and staging environments failed because they required different domains and email configurations. This violated the principle of reusable, environment-agnostic automation.

Culprit

The root cause was direct embedding of environment-specific values in the script, specifically:

• Hardcoded domain and email variables in the script logic.
• No mechanism for dynamic configuration or environment-specific overrides.
• Violated best practices for infrastructure-as-code and reusable deployment scripts.

Solution

A dynamic configuration approach was implemented to enable environment-agnostic deployment:

Key Changes

1. Environment Variables: Replaced hardcoded values with environment-specific variables (e.g., SES_DOMAIN, SES_FROM_EMAIL).
2. Centralized Configuration: Introduced an .env file to store environment-specific values, serving as the single source of truth for all configurations.
3. Script Integration: Modified the script to source environment variables at runtime, ensuring flexibility across environments.

Benefits

• Environment-Agnostic Deployment: The script now works seamlessly in development, staging, and production without manual edits.
• Automated Configuration Updates: Changes to environment-specific values (e.g., domains, emails) are applied automatically when .env is updated.
• Reduced Configuration Drift: Eliminated inconsistencies between environments by standardizing configuration management.
• Improved Maintainability: Configuration is centralized and easier to manage, reducing the risk of errors.

This solution ensures that AWS SES deployments are flexible, reusable, and consistent across all environments.