Launch an EC2 Instance

Learn how to launch and connect to an EC2 instance. This step-by-step guide covers the essential steps to get your instance up and running.

Steps to Launch an Instance

Sign in to AWS Management Console
- Navigate to the EC2 Dashboard.
Launch Instance
- Click "Launch Instance" to start the instance creation wizard.
Choose AMI
- Select an Amazon Machine Image (AMI). Options include:
  - Amazon Linux 2
  - Ubuntu Server
  - Microsoft Windows Server
Choose Instance Type
- Select the instance type based on your requirements (e.g., t3.micro for low-cost testing).
Configure Instance
- Set up network settings, IAM roles, and other configurations.
Add Storage
- Attach Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes. Default volume size and type can be modified.
Add Tags
- Apply tags to organize and identify instances (e.g., Name: MyWebServer).
Configure Security Group
- Define inbound and outbound rules. For example, allow HTTP (port 80) and SSH (port 22).
Review and Launch
- Review your settings and click "Launch". Select an existing key pair or create a new one.

Linux: Use SSH:

ssh -i "your-key.pem" ec2-user@your-instance-public-dns

Windows: Use Remote Desktop (RDP). Download the RDP file and use the password generated during instance launch.

Development: Developers use EC2 instances to test new applications before deploying them to production.

Practice launching and configuring instances: Key for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect and AWS Certified DevOps Engineer exams.