Sacred Temple File Uploader - Serverless Application

A beautiful temple-themed file upload system built with AWS Lambda

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🌟 Features

🏯 Temple-inspired Design

Animated design with floating elements and sacred-themed UI

📁 Secure File Upload

Secure file upload to AWS S3 bucket with encryption

💾 Metadata Storage

Comprehensive metadata storage in DynamoDB table

🔗 Auto-generated URLs

Auto-generated presigned URLs for secure file access

📱 Fully Responsive

Responsive design that works on all devices

⏳ Temporary Links

1-hour temporary download links for enhanced security

🛠️ Tech Stack

AWS Lambda (Python)

Amazon S3

Amazon DynamoDB

HTML5

CSS3

JavaScript

Custom CSS Animations

🌐 Architecture Overview

High-Level Design

Serverless File Upload System with AWS Services

AWS Components and Purpose

Component	AWS Service	Description / Purpose
🗂 File Storage	Amazon S3	Secure, scalable storage for user-uploaded files and static assets
⚡ Compute	AWS Lambda	Serverless backend for processing file uploads and triggering workflows
📊 Database	Amazon DynamoDB	NoSQL database to store file metadata and user access details
🔐 Security	AWS IAM Policies	Manages permissions and access control for secure interactions

Workflow Summary

1. User Uploads a File → Through an API endpoint
2. API Gateway → Routes request securely to AWS Lambda
3. Lambda Function → Validates, processes, and uploads file to Amazon S3
4. DynamoDB → Stores metadata like file name, timestamp, and user details
5. Lambda → API Gateway → User → Returns success response with download link

⚙️ AWS Services Configuration

2.1 Amazon S3 Bucket Setup

The S3 bucket is used for secure file storage, enabling temporary access links with expiration policies to ensure data privacy and controlled sharing.

Configuration Details

Setting	Value	Purpose
Bucket Name	majisimpleb	Unique name for storing uploaded files
Region	ap-south-1	Asia Pacific (Mumbai) for low latency
Access Control	Private (Default)	Prevents public access to files by default
Temporary URL	Enabled via pre-signed URLs	Provides time-limited secure access
Lifecycle Policy	Enabled	Automatically manages file expiration

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

1. Open AWS Console → Navigate to S3 Service
2. Click "Create Bucket"
3. Enter Bucket Name: majisimpleb
4. Select Region: ap-south-1 (Asia Pacific - Mumbai)
5. Uncheck "Block All Public Access" (for pre-signed URLs)
6. Enable Bucket Versioning (recommended for file recovery)
7. Click Create Bucket to finalize
8. Configure Bucket Policies and IAM Roles to restrict access

2.2 Amazon DynamoDB Table Setup

The DynamoDB table stores file metadata, allowing secure tracking of files, managing expiration policies, and generating download statistics.

Configuration Details

Setting	Value	Purpose
Table Name	lambda	Stores metadata for uploaded files
Partition Key	id (String)	Unique identifier for each file
Capacity Mode	On-Demand	Automatically scales read/write capacity
Encryption	AWS Managed Key (KMS)	Ensures data encryption at rest
Backup	Point-in-Time Recovery	Enables data restoration for 35 days

Data Stored in DynamoDB

Field	Type	Description
id	String	Unique file identifier
original_filename	String	Actual name of the uploaded file
upload_timestamp	String	Exact time the file was uploaded
expiration_time	String	When the file should expire and be deleted
s3_object_reference	String	Direct reference to S3 object key
download_count	Number	Tracks download frequency

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

1. Open AWS Console → Navigate to DynamoDB Service
2. Click Create Table
3. Configure basic settings:
   • Table Name: lambda
   • Partition Key: id (String)
4. Under Capacity Mode, select On-Demand
5. Enable Encryption using AWS Managed Key (KMS)
6. Turn on Point-in-Time Recovery for backups
7. Click Create Table to finalize

2.3 IAM Policies and Roles

The IAM Role ensures secure interaction between AWS Lambda, S3, and DynamoDB following the least privilege principle.

Configuration Details

Setting	Value	Purpose
Execution Role	AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole	Base role for Lambda to run securely
Managed Policy #1	AmazonS3FullAccess	Allows Lambda to read/write S3 objects
Managed Policy #2	AmazonDynamoDBFullAccess	Allows Lambda CRUD operations on DynamoDB

Purpose of IAM Role

Component	Access Granted	Why It's Needed
Lambda → S3	Read / Write	Upload, retrieve, and delete files in bucket
Lambda → DynamoDB	Full CRUD Operations	Manage file metadata efficiently
Lambda → CloudWatch	Logs & Monitoring	Monitor execution and debug errors

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

1. Open AWS Console → Navigate to IAM Service
2. Click Roles → Create Role
3. Choose Trusted Entity: AWS Service → Select Lambda
4. Attach Managed Policies:
   • AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole (for logging)
   • AmazonS3FullAccess (for S3 operations)
   • AmazonDynamoDBFullAccess (for DynamoDB access)
5. Review and Create Role
6. Assign this role to your Lambda function

🔄 Application Workflow

Step	Action	AWS Service	Outcome
1️⃣	User Interface	Web App (HTML, CSS, JS)	User selects file using secure web form
2️⃣	Lambda Trigger	AWS Lambda	API Gateway sends file data to Lambda
3️⃣	S3 Storage	Amazon S3	File stored securely with unique identifier
4️⃣	Metadata Recording	Amazon DynamoDB	File details saved in database
5️⃣	URL Generation	AWS Lambda + S3	Pre-signed URL generated with 1-hour expiration
6️⃣	User Feedback	API Gateway → Web App	User receives success message with download link

🛡️ Security Features

Access Control

• 🧑‍💻 IAM Roles with least privilege
• 🚫 No Public S3 Access by default
• 🗂 Granular DynamoDB Policies

Data Protection

• ⏳ Temporary URLs with expiration
• 🔒 No Persistent Public Links
• 🗄 Secure Metadata Storage

Monitoring & Logging

• 📂 S3 Access Logs
• 🔍 DynamoDB Query Logs
• 📊 CloudWatch Monitoring

Temporary URL Mechanism

Secure file sharing using pre-signed S3 URLs with 1-hour expiration:

Feature	Purpose
⏳ 1-Hour Expiration	Limits link validity to prevent unauthorized access
🔒 No Public Access	Files remain private inside S3 bucket
🚀 Secure Sharing	Shareable only via temporary Lambda-generated links
♻️ Auto Cleanup	Expired links and files automatically removed

🚀 Deployment Steps

6.1 Infrastructure Setup

Create S3 Bucket

aws s3api create-bucket --bucket majisimpleb --region ap-south-1

Create DynamoDB Table

aws dynamodb create-table \
  --table-name lambda \
  --attribute-definitions AttributeName=id,AttributeType=S \
  --key-schema AttributeName=id,KeyType=HASH \
  --billing-mode PAY_PER_REQUEST

6.2 IAM Role Configuration

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "s3:PutObject",
        "s3:GetObject",
        "s3:DeleteObject"
      ],
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::majisimpleb/*"
    },
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "dynamodb:PutItem",
        "dynamodb:GetItem",
        "dynamodb:UpdateItem",
        "dynamodb:DeleteItem"
      ],
      "Resource": "arn:aws:dynamodb:ap-south-1:*:table/lambda"
    }
  ]
}

6.3 Lambda Function Deployment

Configuration

Setting	Value / Description
Runtime	Python 3.9 / Node.js 16.x
Handler	Processes upload events from API Gateway
Environment Variables	S3_BUCKET=majisimpleb DYNAMODB_TABLE=lambda URL_EXPIRATION=3600 (1 hour)

Lambda File Overview: Contains main logic for file validation, S3 storage, DynamoDB metadata recording, and pre-signed URL generation.

📦 Usage Instructions

1. Access the Upload Portal - Open the web interface in your browser
2. Select File - Choose the file to upload using the file picker
3. Initiate Upload - Click the "Upload File" button
4. Receive Link - Copy the temporary download link after successful upload
5. Share Securely - Distribute the link only with intended recipients

Note: Download links automatically expire after 1 hour for security.

💰 Cost Optimization

• Pay-per-use Pricing: Only pay for actual service usage
• Serverless Architecture: No idle resource costs
• Automatic Scaling: Handles varying workloads seamlessly
• Zero Maintenance: No need to manage servers or infrastructure

📝 Project Summary

The Sacred Temple File Uploader is a secure, scalable, and fully serverless file upload solution built on AWS. It showcases modern cloud architecture patterns, including:

• Event-driven processing: AWS Lambda handles uploads automatically
• Managed services: S3 for storage and DynamoDB for metadata ensure reliability
• Secure access: IAM policies enforce least-privilege access
• Cost-efficiency: Pay-per-use model with automatic scaling

By combining S3, Lambda, DynamoDB, and IAM, this solution provides a highly available, maintainable, and secure file upload service without server management.

Best Practices Implemented:

• Proper security configurations
• Error handling and logging
• Cost optimization strategies
• Seamless user experience for secure file sharing

View Complete Project on GitHub