How to Set Up an EC2 Instance with a Custom AMI

Why Use a Custom AMI?

When launching an EC2 instance, you usually start with a basic Amazon Machine Image (AMI), which is like a template. However, setting up a new server each time can be time-consuming if you need to,

• Install the same software (Apache, Node.js, MySQL, etc.).
• Configure system settings, users, and security.
• Set up applications repeatedly for multiple instances.

To save time, AWS allows you to create a custom AMI with all your required configurations. This means whenever you launch a new instance, it already includes everything you need, making deployments faster and easier.

Step 1. Launch an EC2 Instance.

• Log in to AWS Console and go to EC2 Dashboard.
• Click Launch Instance, and Choose an Ubuntu AMI.
• Select Instance Type (e.g., t2.micro for free tier).
• Configure Security Group Allow SSH (port 22) and HTTP (port 80).
• Click Launch Instance and connect via SSH.

ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@your-instance-ip

Step 2. Install and Configure Software.

Update the System & Install Apache Web Server.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

Check Apache is Running.

sudo systemctl status apache2

Test in Browser.

http://your-ec2-public-ip

You should see the Apache default page.

Step 3. Create a Custom AMI.

• Go to EC2 Dashboard, and select the running instance.
• Click Actions Image and Templates, Create Image.
  
• Enter a Name & Description Click Create Image.
  
  
• The AMI creation will take a few minutes.

Now, your custom AMI is saved and can be used anytime.

Step 4. Launch a New Instance from the Custom AMI.

• Go to EC2 Console and click Launch Instance.
  
• Click My AMIs Select the AMI you created.
  
• Now confirm the changes.
  
• Choose Instance Type, Security Group, and Key Pair.
• Click Launch and connect via SSH.
• Check if Apache is Pre-installed.
  

If it's running, your custom AMI works perfectly.

Conclusion

Using a custom AMI saves time and effort because every new EC2 instance you launch already includes all the software and settings you configured earlier.

• Instead of setting up everything manually each time, you can launch pre-configured instances in minutes.
• This is especially useful for scaling applications, testing environments, and creating backups.