Create an EC2 Instance

In this lecture, we are going to:

• Launch our first EC2 instance (virtual server)

• Review the important configuration settings

• Use User Data to create a web server

• Learn how to start, stop, and terminate an instance

🔹 Step 1: Navigate to EC2

1. Search EC2

2. Click Launch Instance from Dashboard or Instance Page

🔹 Step 2: Name Your Instance

• Name: My First Instance

• This creates a tag for your instance

🔹 Step 3: Choose an AMI (Operating System)

• Select: Amazon Linux 2023 (kernel-6.1) AMI

• ✔ Free tier eligible

• Architecture: 64-bit (x86)

🔹 Step 4: Choose Instance Type

• Scroll down and select: t3.micro or t2.micro (default)

• ✔ Free tier eligible

• Includes:

  • Basic CPU

  • Small RAM

🔹 Step 5: Create Key Pair

• Name: EC2 Tutorial

• Type: RSA

📌 Format:

• .pem → Mac, Linux, Windows 10+

• .ppk → Windows 7/8 (PuTTY)

👉 This is used for SSH access.

‼️ Make sure to save it locally. You'll use it in later chapters.

🔹 Step 6: Configure Network & Security

• Keep default network settings

• Instance gets a public IP

🔐 Security Group Rules:

• Allow SSH (port 22) from anywhere

• Allow HTTP (port 80) from anywhere

👉 Required for:

• SSH access

• Web server access

🔹 Step 7: Configure Storage

• Default: 8 GB EBS (gp2)

• ✔ Free tier allows up to 30 GB

⚠️ Important:

• Delete on termination = Enabled

  👉 Storage is deleted when instance is terminated

🔹 Step 8: Add User Data (Bootstrap Script)

Scroll to Advanced Details → User Data

Paste the provided script.

#!/bin/bash
# Use this for your user data (script from top to bottom)
# install httpd (Linux 2 version)
yum update -y
yum install -y httpd
systemctl start httpd
systemctl enable httpd
echo "<h1>Hello World from $(hostname -f)</h1>" > /var/www/html/index.html

👉 This script will:

• Install updates

• Install Apache (httpd)

• Create a web server (HTML page)

📌 Runs only once at launch

🔹 Step 9: Launch Instance

• Review configuration

• Click Launch Instance

• Go to View All Instances

⏱️ Instance will move:

• Pending → Running

🔹 Step 10: Explore Instance Details

You will see: Instance ID

• Public IPv4 address

• Private IPv4 address

• Instance type (t2.micro)

• AMI (Amazon Linux 2)

• Security group (launch-wizard-1)

Click the checkbox next to instance and you be able to see details, status and security and storage info

🔹 Step 11: Access Web Server

• Copy Public IPv4 address

• Open browser and Enter Ipv4 address in browser search bar

http://<your-public-ip>

⚠️ Important: Use HTTP, not HTTPS

👉 You should see:

“Hello World” webpage

If you click open address from aws it will stuck in loop due to https://<your-public-ip>

❓ Understand IP Behavior

• Public IP → Can change after stop/start instance

• Private IP → Stays the same

🤑 Manage Instance State

💡 Key Takeaways

• EC2 allows you to create servers in seconds

• You only pay for what you use

• Public IP can change, private IP stays

• User Data automates setup

• This is the foundation of cloud computing