This tutorial demonstrates how to create an EC2 instance on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and installing IIS web server on it.
What is AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive and widely used cloud platform with global reach that offers secured and cost-efficient cloud computing services i.e. Compute, Storage, Databases, Machine Learning, Networking etc. hosted in data centers located in various areas globally.
EC2 instance
An Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instance is a virtual server in the AWS cloud environment. EC2 instances are secure and scalable and are used for a wide range of applications, including web hosting, data processing, machine learning, gaming, and more.
Below are the steps that will be used in this tutorial
Step 1: Sign in into AWS management console and create the EC2 instance.
Step 2: Connect to the instance.
Step 3: Create the IIS web server.
Step 1: Sign in into AWS management console and create the EC2 instance.
- On google, search for AWS management console
- Sign in into the console or Create a profile.
- Search for EC2 on the home page.
- scroll down and launch instance
- Give the instance a name, you can add other tags
- In the Application and OS Images, in the quick start tab, select an OS image for your instance. Select Windows for this tutorial.
- Select the free Microsoft Windows server 2025 Base as the Amazon machine image
- For instance type, select t3.micro
- For key pair, Create new key pair
- Give the keypair a name, ensure key pair type is RSA then craete a key pair. Notice the keypair file is downloaded.
- Scroll down to Firewall (security groups), select Ensure RDP from anywhere and Allow HTTP from the internet are both selected. This will ensure your server can be accessed anywhere over the internet.
- Launch instance and wait for it to be successful.
Step 2: Connect to the instance and create the IIS web server
- Connect to instance
- Select the RDP Client tab, check the Connect using RDP and Download the RDP file
- Wait for the file to download. Select Get password
- Upload private key file, navigate and select the key file downloaded previously.
- Decrypt password
- Copy password
- Open the RDP file that was downloaded
- Connect
- Paste the password previously copied. OK
Boom here comes your remote desktop.
Step 3: Create the IIS web server
- Search for PowerShell on the desktop, run as Admin
- Enter the command Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server -IncludeManagementTools. Press Enter
- Wait
Notice the Exit Code says successful
- Exit the remote desktop to the AWS management console. Select the instance, copy the public IP address.
- Paste the IP address in a new tab on your browser.
- Press*Enter* and observe the web server that was deployed
Notice the IIS web server was successfully accessed from the public internet.
- To ensure you dont run out your credit on AWS, Terminate and delete Instance immediately after usage.
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I hope this was helpful. Please drop questions and comments in the comment session
Top comments (2)
Good article. Good for people who are starting with Ec2 instances
Great resource! Thanks for sharing