AWS EC2 Launch Instance
Launch an EC2 instance step by step by choosing an AMI, instance type, networking, security group, and key pair, then connect over SSH.
Launching an EC2 instance is one of the most common first AWS tasks because it turns abstract cloud concepts into a working server. The launch flow asks you to make a few foundational decisions: which AMI to use, which instance type fits the workload, which VPC and subnet the machine should join, which security group defines allowed traffic, and which key pair or access path you will use to sign in.
The AMI choice defines the starting operating system and package baseline. For general labs, an Amazon Linux or Ubuntu image is usually enough. Instance type selection follows: a small t3 or t4g instance works well for light testing, while CPU-heavy or memory-heavy workloads may need a different family. Then choose the network placement carefully. A public subnet plus public IP makes first-time access easy, but many production instances belong in private subnets behind a load balancer.
| Launch decision | What to check |
|---|---|
| AMI | OS version, architecture, support expectations |
| Instance type | CPU, RAM, burst behavior, cost |
| Subnet | Public or private placement, AZ choice |
| Security group | Minimum inbound ports needed |
| Key pair | Secure SSH access or SSM-based access plan |
After launch, connect with SSH if the security group allows it and you have the private key. Typical first commands are uname -a, df -h, free -m, and systemctl status on the services you care about. These quick checks confirm the instance booted correctly and that you are in the expected environment.
For production, keep two habits in mind. First, attach an IAM role so applications can access AWS APIs without static keys. Second, avoid wide-open inbound rules such as SSH from 0.0.0.0/0. EC2 is simple to launch, but safe defaults require a bit more thought than the console wizard suggests.
Continue with AWS EC2 Security Groups and AWS EC2 Key Pairs for the two settings beginners most often misconfigure.
aws ec2 run-instances --image-id ami-1234567890abcdef0 --instance-type t3.micro --key-name demo-key --security-group-ids sg-1234567890abcdef0 --subnet-id subnet-1234567890abcdef0
ssh -i demo-key.pem ec2-user@203.0.113.10
uname -a
df -h
Operational note
Treat EC2 instances as managed infrastructure, not pets. Capture launch settings in infrastructure as code, keep bootstrap steps repeatable, and monitor CPU, memory, disk, and patch level from the start. That way replacing an instance is a routine operation instead of a risky manual repair exercise. Shared standards like this make future environments easier to launch, review, and support.
Launch workflow
Which EC2 launch setting controls the machine image used to boot the instance?
Post-launch access
What is usually needed to SSH into a newly launched Linux EC2 instance?