Deploy Helix Core on AWS

1. To deploy your Helix Core Server on AWS, click on the link (you will receive one after signing up here).
2. Create or log in to your AWS account.
   • Click View Purchase options.
   • Review the offer and terms & conditions then click Continue to Configuration.
     • Select Fulfillment option [Keep it default].
     • Select Software version – [Choose the latest one].
     • Select the Region - By default, N. Virginia is selected.
       • This template supports all regions except opt-in regions, China regions, and GovCloud regions. We recommend selecting a region closest to your end users or a region that meets your compliance/security needs.
   • Click on Continue to Launch.
   • Review Usage Instructions and then select Choose Action [Keep it default – Launch CloudFormation].
   • Click on Launch.
3. On the Create Stack Tab select the pre-requisite parameters [Keep the default values as is].
   • Prepare template > Upload or choose an existing template.
   • Template source > amazon S3 URL > [Keep the default URL value as is].
   • Then click on Next.
4. On the Specify Stack Details Tab -> Fill in the parameter values. 
   • Then click on the Next button.
5. On the Configure Stack Options Tab -> Review the parameters and fill in the required parameters.
   • Then click on the Next button.
6. On the Review and Create Tab -> Review the parameters and click on the Submit button.

Once submitted- Under the Resources Tab > You can view all the resources being created.

Then define your parameters:

Stack Name

1. Create a name following your organization's standard naming convention. If you don't have a standard convention, we recommend making the name easy to recognize. For example, perforce-${environment}-${team/department}
2. If you deploy multiple instances of Helix Core on AWS in the same region, create unique names for each. For example: production, team a, or team b. CloudFormation Stack names must be unique within an AWS region. If you get the error "Stack [XYZ] already exists," double-check that your chosen stack name is unique.

Other Parameters

The Environment parameter is used in both resource naming and the tag on all resources.

Environment default is “prod.” We do not recommend changing this name. But it can be done if your needs require it.

VPC Network Configuration

Your VPC contains all the network settings that give you access to use your Perforce Helix Core software in the cloud.

1. To start, you must whitelist at least one IP address. We recommend using the public IP address of the machine you are using to set up the stack on AWS.
2. Replace 1.1.1.1 with your IPv4 address. Find your IP address >>
3. /32 will remain unless there is a continuous block of IP addresses that need to be whitelisted. You can always add and delete IP addresses after you deploy.

Perforce Helix Core Server Configuration

Define how you want the Helix Core server to be setup. Certain admin actions will require SSH access, for example operating system updates, Helix Core updates, reviewing logs, or expanding volume size. Daily use will not require SSH.

1. To set up SSH, select an existing key or create a new one from your EC2 dashboard.
2. The remaining fields in this section are optional. Once you are using the tool, you can adjust these at any time.
3. If you know how much data you are using today, you may consider adjusting your Depot Volume Size to 1.5x your current data usage.

Helix Plan Configuration (Optional)

1. To use the Perforce project management tool, click here.
2. Helix Plan will be deployed to your AWS environment on its own server. We do not recommend adjusting resource defaults for initial setup.

Not sure you will use Helix Plan right away? Deploy now and stop the Helix Plan server until you are ready to start using. This will reduce your cloud operating costs.

Helix Swarm Configuration (Optional)

1. To use Helix Swarm, click here.
2. Helix Swarm will be deployed to your AWS environment on its own server. We do not recommend adjusting resource defaults for initial setup.