Timeline
1 – 4 weeks
Location
Wollongong, AU
Overview
I set up and manage the cloud infrastructure and deployment pipelines that keep your applications running reliably. From AWS EC2 and S3 configuration to Docker containerisation, GitHub Actions CI/CD pipelines, and Nginx reverse proxy setup I build the DevOps foundation that lets your development team ship fast and your users stay happy. Every setup includes monitoring, alerting, and clear runbooks.
Good infrastructure is invisible: deployments happen in minutes without drama, the site stays up during traffic spikes, and nobody is SSH-ing into a server at midnight to restart something. I set up cloud hosting, CI/CD pipelines, and monitoring so your application ships continuously and fails loudly in staging instead of quietly in production.
I am pragmatic about platforms. Many projects belong on Vercel or a managed platform where the operational burden disappears entirely; others need a VPS or AWS setup with Nginx, PM2, and a proper database server for cost or control reasons. I recommend based on your traffic, budget, and team and I will tell you when the boring, cheaper option is the right one.
What's Included
- AWS or VPS server setup and hardening
- Docker containerisation of your application
- GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline (test, build, deploy)
- Nginx reverse proxy with SSL (Let's Encrypt)
- Environment variable management
- Database backup automation
- Uptime monitoring and alerting setup
- Documentation and runbook for your team
Key Features
AWS Infrastructure
EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, CloudFront the right AWS services for your workload, configured securely and cost-efficiently.
Docker Containerisation
Your application packaged into Docker containers for consistent environments from development to production no more 'works on my machine'.
CI/CD Pipelines
GitHub Actions workflows that run tests, build your app, and deploy automatically on every merge to main with rollback on failure.
SSL & Security Hardening
Free SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt, firewall configuration, SSH key authentication, and security group rules servers locked down from day one.
Monitoring & Alerts
Uptime monitoring, error rate tracking, and CPU/memory alerts via UptimeRobot, Datadog, or AWS CloudWatch you know about problems before your users do.
Automated Backups
Daily database backups with point-in-time recovery, stored in S3 with lifecycle policies so data loss is never a concern.
How I Work
- 1
Infrastructure review
We look at what you run today hosting, deployments, backups, monitoring and identify the gaps that will hurt first as you grow.
- 2
Platform recommendation
A clear proposal for where your application should live and why, including realistic running-cost expectations across the options.
- 3
Pipeline setup
CI/CD with GitHub Actions: automated tests, preview deployments, and one-click (or fully automatic) production releases.
- 4
Hardening
SSL, firewalls, environment secrets management, automated backups, and uptime monitoring with alerts that reach you before customers notice.
- 5
Handover & runbook
Documentation of the entire setup plus a runbook for common operations, so your infrastructure is never a black box only I understand.
Ways to Work Together
Fixed-Scope Setup
Your hosting, deployment pipeline, and monitoring designed, built, and documented as a one-off project.
Best for: Teams putting proper infrastructure under an existing application.
Managed Maintenance
Ongoing monthly care: updates, security patches, backup verification, and being the person who responds when monitoring alerts fire.
Best for: Businesses that want infrastructure handled without hiring for it.
Migration Project
Moving your application between providers to the cloud, between clouds, or off an expensive setup with minimal downtime.
Best for: Applications outgrowing or overpaying for their current hosting.
Real Project Example
TourHill production infrastructure for a live booking platform
TourHill runs in production serving real bookings, on infrastructure I set up end to end: GitHub Actions for CI/CD, PM2 process management behind Nginx, PostgreSQL and Redis for data and caching, and automated deployments so changes reach production safely.
- Automated CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions from commit to production
- Nginx + PM2 serving a Next.js 15 application reliably in production
- PostgreSQL and Redis configured for data persistence and caching
- Live platform at tourhill.com running on this setup today
Serving Wollongong & All of Australia
I support Australian businesses from Wollongong, NSW, deploying to Australian cloud regions (AWS Sydney and equivalents) when latency for local users or data residency matters. Being in your time zone means infrastructure questions get answered during your working day not the next morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Further Reading
Related Services
Ready to get started?
Tell me about your project and I will get back to you within 24 hours with a plan and quote.