EC2 is a web service offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that provides scalable virtual servers in the cloud. It allows you to rent virtual machines, known as instances, to run your applications and workloads. EC2 offers a wide range of instance types, allowing you to choose the resources (such as CPU, memory, storage, and networking capacity) that best suit your specific needs.
OVERVIEW:
EC2 provides virtual servers in the cloud, allowing you to launch instances with different operating systems (such as Windows and various Linux distributions) and customize the configurations to meet your requirements. EC2 allows you to easily horizontally scale your instances in or out based on demand. You can add or remove instances as needed to handle changes in traffic or workload, ensuring that your applications have the necessary resources to perform optimally.
With EC2, you have control over your instances, including the ability to select the instance type, choose the desired operating system and software, configure security settings, manage storage options, and more. AWS provides a highly reliable and secure infrastructure for EC2 instances. They use redundant systems and data centers to ensure high availability and to protect against failures.
EC2 provides various security features, such as secure instance access, security groups (firewall rules), and encryption options for data at rest and in transit. AWS also offers additional security services that you can use in conjunction with EC2, like Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). EC2 seamlessly integrates with other AWS services, allowing you to leverage a comprehensive suite of cloud services.
EC2 follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model, meaning you only pay for the compute resources you consume. This provides cost flexibility and allows you to scale your infrastructure while keeping costs under control.
BENEFITS:
- Elastic Scalability
- Flexible Instance Types
- Pay-as-You-Go Pricing
- Reliable Infrastructure
- Easy Management and Automation
- Integration with Other AWS Services
- Security and Compliance
- Monitoring and Visibility
- Global Infrastructure
- Developer-Friendly
KEY-FEATURES:
- Virtual Servers
- Flexibility
- Scalability
- Multiple Availability Zones
- Elastic IP Addresses
- Security
- Monitoring and Metrics
- Load Balancing
- Auto Scaling
- Integration with AWS Services
Example:
- Log in to your AWS account (You can also create one if you don’t already have one, it is
free as long as you use free tier options) and search for EC2 in the services search.
- In the EC2 console, you can create EC2 instance by clicking on `Launch Instance`.
3. You can name EC2 instance here. For this tutorial, enter my-public-instance. We are creating the Free-tier version of the EC2 instance. Here we can see in the image operating system drop down that Amazon Linux is pre-selected. We will keep it as is.
4. You can select an SSH key that you have already created if you want to connect with the EC2 instance via command line. If you do not have SSH key added onto the AWS account, you also can create an SSH key by clicking on Create new key pair.
5) Now you can click on the Launch Instance button. Your EC2 Instance will be created.
6) Instance has been created
Conclusion:
AWS EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) is a versatile service offering virtual servers in the cloud. With flexible instance types, reliable infrastructure, and integration with other AWS services, EC2 provides a robust platform for running applications. Its pay-as-you-go pricing model offers cost efficiency, while its security features protect resources and data. Overall, EC2 empowers businesses with scalable, reliable, and cost-effective cloud computing solutions.
