Step 1: Sign In to AWS Console

Start by visiting https://aws.amazon.com and logging into your account. If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to create it. AWS offers a free tier, which allows limited usage of EC2 with certain instance types (like t2.micro) free for 12 months.

Once you’re logged in, go to the AWS Management Console. From the Services menu, select EC2. This takes you to the EC2 Dashboard.

Step 2: Launch Instance

On the EC2 Dashboard, click the “Launch Instance” button. This opens the setup wizard where you’ll configure everything for your virtual server

Step 3: Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI)

An AMI is like a blueprint for your EC2 instance. It includes the operating system and software configuration. You can select from:

• Amazon Linux (good for general purposes)
• Ubuntu (popular for development)
• Windows Server (if you want a Windows-based server)
• Or even custom AMIs created by other users

Step 4: Choose an Instance Type

This decides your server’s hardware specs — CPU, RAM, and networking capacity.

Some common types:

• t2.micro – perfect for light workloads and is free tier eligible
• t3.medium, m5.large, and so on — these offer more power for bigger needs

Step 5: Configure Key Pair for SSH Access

To securely log into your instance later, you need a key pair.

• Create a new key pair or use an existing one if you already have it.
• Download the .pem file when prompted — keep it safe because you can’t retrieve it again.
• On Linux/macOS, use the .pem file directly.
• On Windows, use tools like PuTTY with a .ppk version of your key.

Step 6: Network and Security Settings

You’ll need to tell AWS where your instance lives and how it connects to the internet.

• Choose a VPC and subnet (you can stick to the default values for now).
• Configure Security Group — this acts like a firewall. By default, AWS creates one for you, but you can add more rules.

For example:

• Allow port 22 (SSH) so you can connect to a Linux instance
• Allow port 80 (HTTP) if you’re running a web server
• Allow port 443 (HTTPS) for secure web traffic

Only allow trusted IP addresses, especially if you’re working in a sensitive environment.

Step 7: Configure Storage

Your instance needs storage to hold the OS and other files. By default, AWS includes one EBS volume (Elastic Block Store) with most AMIs.

• You can add more volumes or resize the root volume (e.g., increase to 20GB if 8GB is too small).
• Choose the storage type (general purpose SSD is fine for most cases).

Step 8: Review and Launch

Once you’ve made all your selections:

• Review your configuration details
• Confirm the key pair selection
• Click “Launch Instance”

AWS will now start provisioning your instance. In a few moments, you’ll see it listed in the EC2 dashboard with a status of “running.”

Step 9: Connect to Your Instance

Once it’s running, connect to it by doing the following:

1. Select the instance in the EC2 dashboard.
2. Click the “Connect” button.
3. AWS will show connection instructions. For a Linux instance via terminal:

bash

chmod 400 your-key.pem

ssh -i “your-key.pem” ec2-user@your-public-ip

Use ubuntu as the username if it’s an Ubuntu AMI. Replace your-public-ip with the IP address shown in your instance details.

If it’s a Windows instance, use RDP to connect. AWS provides a username and lets you decrypt the password using your private key.

Step 10: Use and Maintain Your Server

You’re now connected! From here, the EC2 instance is yours to configure.

Examples:

• Install a web server like Apache or Nginx
• Set up a database like MySQL
• Host static or dynamic websites
• Run cron jobs or scheduled tasks
• Upload and store files

Remember to stop or terminate instances when you’re done, especially if you’re not using the free tier — charges can add up fast.

• Pro Tips

• Tag your resources: Add names and descriptions to help manage instances.
• Enable CloudWatch: Use AWS CloudWatch to monitor performance metrics like CPU and memory usage.
• Use IAM roles: Securely give instances permission to access other AWS services.
• Create snapshots: Back up your EBS volumes so you can recover if needed.
• Consider Auto Scaling: For dynamic apps, EC2 supports auto scaling to handle traffic spikes.

• Wrap-Up

Setting up an EC2 instance might feel overwhelming at first, but once you go through it a few times, it becomes second nature. You’ve now learned how to choose an image, configure the instance, enable secure access, and connect — all building blocks of cloud computing.

Conclusion

Creating an EC2 instance is one of the foundational skills in cloud computing and a critical first step toward understanding how infrastructure works on AWS.While the setup may seem detailed at first, it quickly becomes second nature with practice. More importantly, understanding each component — from AMIs to security groups — prepares you for more advanced topics like auto-scaling, load balancing, and cloud automation.