Create Your First Amazon EC2 Instance (Windows)
Amazon EC2 allows you to launch different types of cloud instances and pay for them with a pay-per-use approach. With Amazon EC2 you can create new servers in a few minutes and use different images (AMI) to personalize them. AWS provides several Microsoft Windows Server AMIs that enable you to run almost any compatible Windows-based solution. You can use Windows-based applications, websites, and web-services written in .NET, for data processing, media transcoding, and any other task requiring Windows software.
By completing this Hands-on Lab, you will be able to launch and access your first Amazon EC2 instance running Microsoft Windows Server.
Lab Objectives
Upon completion of this Lab you will be able to:
- Use the AWS Management Console to create an EC2 instance using the Windows operating system
- Use the AWS Management Console to work with EC2 Key Pairs
- Access the EC2 instance using Remote Desktop
Lab Prerequisites
You should be familiar with:
- Some familiarity with Windows and Remote Desktop Connection is helpful but not required
- Some familiarity with the AWS Management Console is helpful but not required
Updates
November 27th, 2023 - Migrated retrieving metadata step to powershell
October 11th, 2023 - Updated the instructions and screenshots to reflect the latest UI
May 31st, 2022 - Updated instructions and screenshots to reflect the new launch instance wizard
August 27th, 2020 - Updated the screenshots to match the new EC2 instances user interface
June 14th, 2019 - Updated the format of the Lab to improve quality
December 4th, 2018 - Added a validation Lab Step to check the work you perform in the Lab
Environment before
Environment after
Matt has worked for multiple Fortune 500 companies as a DevOps Engineer and Solutions Architect. He is an AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional, and an AWS Certified Solution Architect - Associate. He enjoys reading and learning new technologies.