Devoperation

A Step-by-Step Guide:

Launching an EC2 Instance, Installing a Web Server, and Monitoring with CloudWatch.

Rohit Gupta's photo
Rohit Gupta
·

3 min read

A Step-by-Step Guide:

In the vast realm of Amazon Web Services (AWS), launching an EC2 instance and setting up a web server might seem like a daunting task. But fear not! This blog post will guide you through the process step by step. By the end of this journey, you'll not only have a fully functional web server up and running on an Ubuntu EC2 instance, but you'll also have it monitored with Amazon CloudWatch. Let's dive in!

Step 1: Launching an EC2 Instance

  1. Sign in to AWS Console: Log in to your AWS account and access the AWS Management Console.

  2. Navigate to EC2: Go to the EC2 Dashboard by clicking on the "Services" dropdown and selecting "EC2."

  3. Launch Instance: Click on the "Instances" tab and then click the "Launch Instance" button.

  4. Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI): Select an Ubuntu AMI for your instance.

  5. Choose an Instance Type: Choose an instance type that fits your needs.

  6. Configure Instance: Configure instance details, including network settings and storage.

  7. Add Tags: Optionally, add tags to your instance for better organization.

  8. Configure Security Group: Configure inbound rules to allow HTTP traffic (port 80).

  9. Review and Launch: Review your settings and click "Launch."

  10. Create Key Pair: Choose an existing key pair or create a new one to access your instance securely.

Step 2: Installing a Web Server (Nginx)

  1. SSH into Instance: Use the key pair to SSH into your EC2 instance.

  2. Update Packages: Run sudo apt update to update package information.

  3. Install Nginx: Run sudo apt install nginx to install the Nginx web server.

  4. Start Nginx: Start the Nginx service using sudo service nginx start.

  5. Access Web Server: Open a web browser and enter your instance's public IP address. You should see the default Nginx welcome page.

Step 3: Setting Up CloudWatch Monitoring

  1. Navigate to CloudWatch: Return to the AWS Management Console and select "CloudWatch" from the "Services" dropdown.

  2. Create Alarm: Click on "Alarms" in the navigation pane and then click "Create Alarm."

  3. Select Metric: Choose the "EC2" namespace and select the metric you want to monitor (e.g., CPU utilization).

  4. Define Conditions: Set the threshold value and conditions that trigger the alarm.

  5. Configure Actions: Define actions to take when the alarm state is triggered (e.g., sending a notification).

  6. Add Name and Description: Give your alarm a meaningful name and description.

  7. Create Alarm: Click "Create Alarm" to set up the monitoring alarm.

Step 4: Observing CloudWatch Metrics

  1. Monitor Dashboards: Go back to the EC2 Dashboard and click on "Monitor" to see real-time metrics.

  2. View Alarms: Access the "Alarms" tab to view the status of your configured alarms.

Congratulations! You've successfully launched an EC2 instance, installed a web server, and set up monitoring using Amazon CloudWatch. You're now equipped to manage your instances and applications with confidence. This journey demonstrates the power and flexibility AWS provides, empowering you to host and monitor your services effortlessly. So go ahead, explore and innovate in the cloud, because with AWS, the sky's the limit!

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