Provision Shared AWS ElastiCache and Parameter Store Instances

Description:

We need to create two shared AWS services — ElastiCache (Redis) and Parameter Store — that will act as common infrastructure for all Saayam microservices. This needs to be the lowest cost option.

ElastiCache (Redis):
To serve as a central in-memory store for microservice data. The first instance of any microservice fetching static data from the database should cache it here; all subsequent instances will read from this store before querying the DB. Has to be in the form of key:value pairs.

Parameter Store:
To securely store configuration parameters, database credentials, and service-level secrets. All microservices should be able to fetch their required configuration and credentials from here rather than using local .env files. This needs to be done at a team level.

This setup will help reduce database load, improve performance, and standardize configuration management across services.

Action Items:

1. Create low-cost shared instances (e.g., t4g.micro) for both ElastiCache (choose between Valkey and Redis based on cost) and Parameter Store.
2. Configure IAM permissions and region consistency (Virginia + Ireland).
3. Document connection details and access policies for relevant microservice teams.