Day 3: Understanding EC2
Understanding EC2 and Launching Your First EC2 Instance
Welcome to Day 3 of our exciting "30 Days of AWS" journey! If you've been following along from the beginning, kudos to you for getting into the world of Amazon Web Services. Your dedication and curiosity are truly commendable. For those who might have just joined us or are specifically interested in today's topic, a warm welcome to you as well! While each article in this series delves into a different facet of AWS, rest assured that they are all interconnected, building upon the knowledge we've been cultivating day by day. If you're here for the first time, I encourage you to take a moment to catch up on our previous discussions. This will not only enhance your understanding but also ensure a seamless flow as we dive deeper into the fascinating journey of AWS with me. In today's installment, we're going to explore "Understanding EC2 and Launching Your First EC2 Instance". As always, feel free to engage, ask questions, and share your thoughts in the comments. Your participation is what makes this series vibrant and valuable. I'm thrilled to have you join us on this journey. Let's get started!
What is EC2?
Imagine You traveled to a new place. Amazon EC2 is a magical cloud hotel where you can rent virtual rooms for your computer stuff. It's like checking into a hotel but for computers. EC2 lets you create and manage these virtual rooms, known as instances, where you can run your apps and do computer magic without worrying about buying real machines.
Meet Your Cloud Buddy - EC2:
EC2 gives you virtual computers that you can dress up with different sizes and powers, depending on your tasks. It's like having a wardrobe full of cloud costumes!
Fleeting Friends - Instances: Think of instances as charming guests at your cloud party. You can invite as many as you want, and they can come and go as they please. Whether it's a quick chat or a long-term stay, EC2 lets you manage your cloud guest list like a host.
Out of these various kinds of instances, you can select what you want and with a couple of clicks, your instance will be readily available.
Play the Swap Game - Elastic IP: Elastic IP is your cloud phone number that never changes. You can think of it as a cool way to switch between different instances without anyone even noticing. Just like swapping seats in a game of musical chairs!
Basically when you attach an Elastic IP to any instance when you stop and start your instance any number of times your IP address won't change. In addition to that if you want to change the association of this Elastic IP to another instance you can do that so by disassociating from the current instance. There are a lot of benefits of using an Elastic IP address that you can read through official documentation as well.
Security Blanket - Security Groups: Much like a protective shield, security groups wrap around your instances to keep them safe from unwanted guests. It's like having security bouncers who only let in the folks you trust, and they won't let anyone else crash the party.
Size Matters - Instance Types: EC2 offers a variety of instance types, each with its special abilities. Think of them as a diverse group of superheroes, with some being super speedy, while others are great at crunching numbers or handling graphics.
Bill's Big Secret - Pricing: EC2 has a secret pricing plan that's as complex as decoding a treasure map. But don't worry, AWS lets you estimate costs before you go exploring. Think of it like planning a budget for a road trip - you can figure out how much you need before you hit the road.
Here is the link to AWS Cost Calculator: https://calculator.aws/ where you can create estimates of your resource that are going utilize and based on the pricing if you want you can make tweaks to your configuration.
On and Off like a Bulb - Start and Stop: EC2 instances are as obedient as a light bulb. You can turn them on when you need them and turn them off when you're done. It's like having a magical switch that saves energy and money whenever you're not using them.
If you are not consuming any resource at any point in time, it is always recommended that you stop the running resources and start them whenever you want to consume or even you can write scheduling jobs to automate this procedure.
Rock-Solid Backup - Snapshots: EC2 snapshots are like taking a selfie with your cloud instance. They capture your instance's state at a certain moment, so you can always go back in time if you want to revert to a previous version. It's like having a time machine for your cloud!
Let's get into action and Launch an EC2 Instance from the AWS Management Console.
Step 1: Login to AWS Console
Login to AWS Management COnsole using this link https://console.aws.amazon.com/
Successful login, you will see a welcome screen below.
Step 2: Navigating to EC2 Dashboard
Search for EC2 using the search bar on the top left.
Now you will be able to see EC2 Home Screen as follows
Step 3: Launching Amazon Linux Server from Console
Click on Launch Instance from the ec2 home screen
The next page will be like follows
Provide the Name of the Server, Select Operating Systems of your Choice, Storage and Instance type, and other details.
After making all the necessary changes you wanted click on the right side.
If you get the following message popup notification, which means you are successfully launched your first-ever EC2 instance.
Now Click on Instances at the top as highlighted below image, you will be able to see the instance you just created.
This is the Instance I just launched.
Okay, we have come a way log we launched the server but how can we connect to it???
There are multiple ways to do that and let's see the simplest way of all.
Step 4: Connecting to Instance
Select the Instance you just created like the previous image and from the top right menu click on connect then you will land on the following screen. Make sure the first option EC2 Instance Connect is selected and click on Connect
Hurray!!! You have connected to VM on AWS.
But Wait 🛑
If you faced any struggles in following the blog. Still didn't get clarity and looking for a video to follow, no worries just click on the below link to know
How to Launch a Linux and Windows EC2 Instance from AWS Management Console?
Remember, EC2 is your cloud friend, ready to grant your computing wishes in all shapes and sizes. As you journey through the cloud, think of EC2 as your trusty companion, helping you tackle tasks, save money, and explore the digital skies like a pro. Happy cloud adventures, and may your EC2 instances shine brightly in AWS.
Hope you find this blog helpful. Please share your thoughts in the comments it will help me to refine and provide more insightful content. See you on my other blog.