Introduction

In recent years, cloud computing has revolutionized the way organizations manage their infrastructure and deploy applications. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been at the forefront of this transformation, offering a wide range of services and features to meet the diverse needs of businesses around the world. One such offering is AWS Local Zones, which brings high-performance, low-latency cloud resources closer to specific geographic regions. In this article, we will explore how to configure your server to harness the power of AWS Local Zones in Nigeria, optimizing performance and reducing latency for your applications.

Inspiration for This Article

The inspiration for writing this article stems from a recent interview I had with the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of a forward-thinking company. During the interview, the CTO posed a crucial question: "How would you deploy our service to better serve the Nigerian market?" In response, I proposed a strategic approach: deploying the service within the AWS Local Zone in Nigeria to optimize performance and reduce latency for Nigerian users.

The concept of AWS Local Zones perfectly aligns with the need for low-latency access to cloud resources, making it an ideal solution for serving specific geographic regions with enhanced performance. By choosing to utilize the Local Zone in Nigeria, businesses can deliver a seamless and responsive user experience, a critical factor for success in today's digital landscape.

Additionally, I emphasized that flexibility is key. If there is a requirement to expand the service's reach beyond Nigeria, whether to the United States or Europe, AWS CloudFront can be employed. AWS CloudFront is a content delivery network service that ensures fast and reliable content delivery globally, further enhancing the service's global accessibility.

With this strategic combination of AWS Local Zones in Nigeria and the scalability offered by AWS CloudFront, businesses can effectively cater to the specific needs of their target markets, whether local or international, while maintaining optimal performance and latency levels. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on configuring your server to implement this strategy successfully, ensuring your service's success in the Nigerian market and beyond.

Understanding AWS Local Zones

AWS Local Zones are an extension of AWS regions, designed to provide low-latency access to specific geographic areas. While traditional AWS regions are located in major cities, Local Zones are deployed in proximity to these regions but are designed to serve specific geographic locations with faster access to AWS resources. In the case of Nigeria, the availability of an AWS Local Zone means that businesses can access cloud resources with minimal latency, making it an attractive option for deploying servers and applications.

Configuring Your Server for Nigeria, AWS Local Zones

Step 1: Choose the Region Closest to Nigeria (Africa - Cape Town)
The first step in configuring your server to utilize AWS Local Zones in Nigeria is to choose the AWS region that is closest to Nigeria, which is Africa (Cape Town). AWS regions are geographically distributed, and selecting the nearest region helps minimize latency and ensures optimal performance for your users in Nigeria.

Step 2: Enable AWS Local Zone in Nigeria setting in EC2 section
Enabling the AWS Local Zone in Nigeria is a critical step to access low-latency cloud resources within the region.
Here's how to do it:

• Navigate to the EC2 Dashboard: In the AWS Management Console, navigate to the EC2 dashboard. You can do this by clicking on the "Services" menu at the top left corner, selecting "Compute," and then clicking on "EC2."

• Choose the Africa (Cape Town) Region: Ensure that you have selected the Africa (Cape Town) region as your current region. You can check and change your region in the top-right corner of the AWS Management Console. Click on the region name and select "Africa (Cape Town)" from the drop down menu.

• Enable Local Zone for Nigeria:
  a. In the EC2 dashboard, locate the "Local Zones" option in the navigation pane on the left-hand side. Click on it to access the Local Zones section.
  b. Within the Local Zones section, you should see the Nigeria Local Zone listed if it's available in the Africa (Cape Town) region. It may be named something like "af-south-1-lag-1."
  c. Click on the Nigeria Local Zone to select it.
  d. In the details pane, you should see an option to "Enable Local Zone." Click on this option to initiate the process.
  e. Follow the on-screen instructions and confirm the enabling of the Local Zone. AWS will guide you through the necessary steps and configurations specific to the Nigeria Local Zone.
  Wait for Confirmation: AWS will take a short amount of time to enable the Local Zone. Once the process is complete, you will receive confirmation that the Local Zone is now available for use within the Africa (Cape Town) region.

Step 3: Create a Subnet in Your VPC
Once you've enabled the AWS Local Zone in Nigeria and created the VPC, the next crucial steps involve setting up the necessary networking components and launching your server instance within the Local Zone.
Here's how to do it:

• Navigate to the VPC Dashboard: In the AWS Management Console, navigate to the VPC dashboard. You can do this by clicking on the "Services" menu at the top left corner, selecting "Networking & Content Delivery," and then clicking on "VPC."

• Create a Subnet in Your VPC:
  a. In the VPC dashboard, locate the "Subnets" option in the navigation pane on the left-hand side. Click on it to access the Subnets section.
  b. Click the "Create Subnet" button.
  c. Follow the wizard to create a subnet within your VPC. When specifying the subnet's availability zone, make sure to choose the availability zone associated with the Nigeria Local Zone "Nigeria (Lagos)/af-south-1-lag-1" that you enabled in Step 2. This ensures that your subnet is within the Local Zone's region.
  Step 4: Launch the Local Zone Instance
  With your VPC and subnet in place, it's time to launch your server instance within the AWS Local Zone. However, it's essential to note that there are certain instance types that may not be available in this specific availability zone.
  Here's how to proceed:

• Navigate to the EC2 Dashboard: In the AWS Management Console, navigate to the EC2 dashboard. You can do this by clicking on the "Services" menu at the top left corner, selecting "Compute," and then clicking on "EC2."

• Launch Your Local Zone Instance:
  a. In the EC2 dashboard, click on the "Launch Instance" button to create a new server instance.
  b. Follow the instance creation wizard, ensuring that you select the appropriate subnet you created earlier within the Local Zone. Make sure you choose the availability zone associated with the Nigeria Local Zone that you enabled in Step 2.
  c. During instance type selection, please be aware that some instance types may not be available in the Nigeria Local Zone due to regional limitations.
  To find compatible instance types:
  In the "Choose an Instance Type" step of the wizard, click on the "View all instance types" link.
  In the "Search" field at the top right corner of the instance type selection page, enter "availability zones: af-south-1-lag-1" and press Enter.
  This search will filter and display instance types that are compatible with the Nigeria Local Zone (af-south-1-lag-1).
  d. Continue with the configuration of your server instance, selecting an instance type that is compatible with the Nigeria Local Zone.
  e. Configure storage, set up security groups as needed, and review other settings.
  Step 5: IP Address Location Verification
  After launching your server instance within the AWS Local Zone in Nigeria, it's essential to verify the IP address location. This step ensures that your server is correctly configured to serve users in Nigeria. Here's how to check the IP address location:

• Verify IP Address Location:
  a. Use an online IP geolocation service or website to verify the location associated with your ec2 instance public IP address.
  b. Open a web browser and visit an IP geolocation service or website (e.g., "https://ipinfo.io" or "https://iplocation.net").
  c. Enter your server's public IP address obtained in Step 2 into the provided field or search bar on the website.
  d. The service will provide information about the approximate location, including the country. Confirm that the IP address location corresponds to Nigeria.