AWS EC2 Getting Started Guide

What is AWS EC2?

AWS EC2 (Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud) is a cloud service that allows you to rent virtual servers, called instances, to run your applications or websites. Instead of buying physical hardware, you can use AWS EC2 to get the computing power you need when you need it.

Why Use AWS EC2?

Scalability: You can easily scale your server up or down based on your needs.
Cost-effective: You only pay for what you use.
Flexible: Supports various operating systems like Linux, Windows, etc.
Reliable: Runs in the AWS Cloud, which is known for its security and reliability

Free Tier Benefits

AWS offers a free tier for new users, which includes 750 hours of EC2 usage per month for a year using the t2.micro instance. This is great for testing or small projects.

From the AWS Management Console, search for EC2 and open the EC2 dashboard then click Launch Instance

Add Name and Tags

Choose an AMI (Amazon Machine Image)

An AMI is like a template that defines the operating system and software for your instance. For example, you can choose Amazon Linux (as shown in the image you provided) or other options like Ubuntu or Windows.

Choose an Instance Type

The estimated monthly cost for running a t2.micro EC2 instance 24/7 for a 30-day month in AWS is as follows:

SUSE: $10.51 per month
Linux: $10.51 per month
Windows: $13.82 per month
RHEL: $20.88 per month

On-demand pricing refers to a payment model where users are charged based on the actual usage of resources such as compute power, storage, or network services without requiring any long-term commitments.

Configure Security Settings

This involves setting up a Security Group, which acts like a firewall. You can define which ports (like port 22 for SSH) are allowed to connect to your instance.

Launch the Instance

Once you’ve reviewed your configuration, click Launch. You will be prompted to create or use an existing key pair. This is needed to securely access your instance.