Introduction
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) is a web service offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It allows users to launch and manage virtual machines, known as instances, in a scalable and flexible manner. This documentation provides an overview of the architecture and best practices for setting up EC2 instances.
EC2 Instance Types
AWS EC2 offers various instance types to cater to different workloads and performance requirements. The instance types differ in terms of CPU, memory, storage, and network capabilities. When setting up EC2 instances, it's crucial to choose the appropriate instance type that suits your specific use case.
Common instance families include:
General Purpose (e.g., t3, m5)
Compute Optimized (e.g., c5, c6g)
Memory Optimized (e.g., r5, x1)
Storage Optimized (e.g., i3, h1)
Security Groups
Security Groups act as virtual firewalls that control inbound and outbound traffic for EC2 instances. It is essential to configure security groups to restrict access to only the necessary ports and protocols to enhance the security of your instances.
Best practices include:
Only open ports are required for the application to function.
Limit access to specific IP ranges if possible.
Regularly review and audit security group rules
Key Pairs
When launching EC2 instances, you must use key pairs for secure login. Key pairs consist of a public key that AWS stores, and a private key that you download to your local machine. This key pair is required to authenticate and access your instances.
Key pair best practices:
Generate key pairs securely and store private keys in a safe location.
Never share your private key with anyone.
Rotate key pairs periodically for increased security.
Elastic IP Addresses
EC2 instances are assigned dynamic public IP addresses by default, which may change after a stop/start cycle. To ensure that your instances have a fixed public IP address, you can use Elastic IP addresses. These addresses can be associated with your instances and remain static even after stop/start operations.
Remember:
Elastic IP addresses are limited in number per AWS account, so use them judiciously.
Always release unused Elastic IP addresses to avoid unnecessary charges.
EC2 Launch Process
The process of launching an EC2 instance involves several steps:
Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) - This is the operating system and pre-installed software for your instance.
Select an Instance Type - Choose the appropriate instance type based on your workload requirements.
Configure Instance Details - Set options such as the number of instances, network settings, and storage.
Add Storage - Define the storage volumes required for your instance.
Configure Security Group - Set up the security group to control inbound/outbound traffic.
Review and Launch - Verify your settings and launch the instance.
Here is the quick video for Ec2 creation..
Monitoring and Alerting
Monitoring EC2 instances is vital to ensure they perform optimally and detect any issues promptly. AWS provides CloudWatch, a monitoring service that can collect and track metrics, monitor logs, and set alarms.
Monitoring best practices:
Monitor CPU utilization, memory, disk space, and network performance.
Set up CloudWatch alarms to receive notifications for specific events or when metrics breach defined thresholds.
Cost Optimization
To optimize costs with EC2 instances, consider the following practices:
Use reserved instances for steady-state workloads.
Utilize spot instances for non-critical and fault-tolerant workloads at significantly reduced costs.
Regularly review and right-size your instances based on actual usage.
Conclusion
AWS EC2 provides a powerful and flexible way to deploy virtual servers in the cloud. By following the best practices outlined in this documentation, you can ensure a secure, scalable, and cost-efficient EC2 architecture for your applications and workloads. Always stay updated with the latest AWS documentation and security guidelines to maintain a robust cloud infrastructure.
Amish Kohli