How to Create the EC2 Instance

How to Create the EC2 Instance: A Step-by-Step Guide

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) is one of the core services offered by AWS, allowing users to create and manage virtual servers in the cloud. EC2 instances provide scalable computing capacity, making them ideal for hosting applications, running test environments, or performing data analysis. This guide will walk you through how to create the EC2 instance step-by-step.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have the following:

1. An AWS account: If you don’t already have one, sign up at aws.amazon.com.
2. Basic understanding of AWS services: Familiarity with the AWS Management Console is helpful.
3. Billing information configured: Setting up EC2 instances incurs costs based on usage, so ensure your billing details are accurate.

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Step 1: Log in to the AWS Management Console  -> Steps to Create an AWS Account

1. Go to AWS Management Console.
2. Enter your login credentials and click Sign In.
3. Navigate to the EC2 service by typing “EC2” in the search bar and selecting EC2 from the results.

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Step 2: Launch an EC2 Instance

1. In the EC2 dashboard, click on the Launch Instance button.
2. You will be taken to the instance creation wizard.

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Step 3: Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI)

The AMI determines the operating system and software pre-installed on the instance.

1. Browse the list of available AMIs and select one. Common options include:
• Amazon Linux (Free-tier eligible)
• Ubuntu Server
• Microsoft Windows Server
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
2. For this guide, we’ll use Amazon Linux 2023 (Free-tier eligible).

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Step 4: Select the Instance Type

Instance types define the hardware configuration, including CPU, memory, and networking capacity.

1. Choose an instance type that suits your needs. For beginners or low-demand workloads, select t2.micro (free-tier eligible).
2. Click Next: Configure Instance Details.

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Step 5: Configure Instance Details

Here, you can customize your instance settings:

1. Number of Instances: Default is 1.
2. Network: Select the default VPC or a custom VPC if you have one.
3. Subnet: Choose the subnet where the instance will reside.
4. Auto-assign Public IP: Set this to Enable if you want your instance to have a public IP address.
5. IAM Role: Assign an IAM role to the instance for secure access to AWS services. For example, if you plan to use AWS Session Manager, ensure the IAM role has the AmazonSSMManagedInstanceCore policy attached.
6. Advanced Settings: You can configure shutdown behavior, instance metadata options, and more.
7. Click Next: Add Storage.

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Step 6: Add Storage

Define the storage requirements for your instance.

1. The default size is 8 GiB for general-purpose (gp2) volumes. Adjust this based on your needs.
2. Click Add New Volume if additional storage is required.
3. Click Next: Add Tags.

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Step 7: Add Tags

Tags help organize your AWS resources.

1. Click Add Tag.
2. Enter a key-value pair, such as:
• Key: Name
• Value: MyEC2Instance
3. Click Next: Configure Security Group.

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Step 8: Configure Security Group

Security groups act as virtual firewalls, controlling inbound and outbound traffic.

1. Select Create a new security group.
2. Add rules for required protocols:
• Type: SSH
• Protocol: TCP
• Port Range: 22
• Source: My IP (to restrict access to your IP address only)
3. Click Review and Launch.

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Step 9: Review and Launch

1. Review all the settings and ensure they match your requirements.
2. Click Launch.
3. A pop-up will prompt you to create or use an existing key pair. Key pairs are used to securely access your instance.
• Create a new key pair: Download the .pem file and keep it secure.
• Use an existing key pair: Select one if you have it.
4. Check the acknowledgment box and click Launch Instances.

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Step 10: Connect to Your EC2 Instance

After launching, you can connect to your instance.

1. In the EC2 dashboard, click Instances on the left menu.
2. Locate your instance and note its Public IPv4 Address.
3. Open a terminal (Linux/Mac) or PuTTY (Windows) and run the SSH command:

ssh -i /path/to/your-key.pem ec2-user@your-public-ip

4. Replace /path/to/your-key.pem with the path to your downloaded key file and your-public-ip with the instance’s public IP address.

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Step 11: Access EC2 via AWS Session Manager

AWS Session Manager allows you to connect to your EC2 instance without using SSH or a public IP.

1. Ensure the instance has an IAM role with the AmazonSSMManagedInstanceCore policy.
2. Install and configure the SSM Agent if it’s not already installed. (Amazon Linux and Ubuntu usually come with it pre-installed.)
3. In the AWS Management Console, go to Session Manager under the Systems Manager service.
4. Click Start Session, select your instance, and click Start Session to open a terminal in your browser.

This approach enhances security by eliminating the need for open SSH ports and public IP addresses.

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Common Use Cases for EC2 Instances

Understanding the practical applications of EC2 instances can help you better leverage their capabilities. Here are some common use cases:

1. Web Hosting: Deploy websites and web applications with ease, scaling resources based on traffic.
2. Application Development and Testing: Use EC2 for staging and testing environments to ensure high-quality application deployment.
3. Big Data Processing: Run data analytics workloads using distributed computing frameworks like Hadoop or Spark.
4. Machine Learning: Train and deploy machine learning models on EC2 instances with high-performance GPUs.
5. Disaster Recovery: Implement failover mechanisms and backups to ensure business continuity during disruptions.

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Tips for Managing EC2 Instances

1. Monitor Usage: Use CloudWatch to track resource utilization and set alarms for cost control.
2. Terminate Unused Instances: Stop or terminate instances when not in use to avoid unnecessary costs.
3. Optimize Costs: Use spot instances or reserved instances for predictable workloads to reduce costs.
4. Security Best Practices:
• Regularly update your instance’s operating system and applications.
• Use IAM roles instead of hardcoding credentials.
• Enable encryption for sensitive data.

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Conclusion

Learning how to create the EC2 instance is an essential skill for anyone working with AWS. This step-by-step guide provides all the details needed to set up your virtual server effectively. Whether you’re a developer, sysadmin, or cloud enthusiast, EC2’s flexibility and scalability make it a powerful tool for a variety of tasks.

Remember to explore advanced features such as auto-scaling groups, Elastic Load Balancers, and AWS Systems Manager for managing multiple instances efficiently. With consistent practice, you’ll master EC2 and harness its full potential to meet your business or personal needs.