AWS EC2 Automation: Creating Launch Templates and Auto Scaling Groups
In this article, we will explore the process of automating EC2 instance provisioning and scaling using launch templates and auto scaling groups on AWS. We will delve into the step-by-step instructions, from creating a launch template with custom configurations to setting up an auto scaling group for dynamic workload management. By harnessing the power of automation in AWS EC2, businesses can optimize their infrastructure and achieve greater operational agility.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Benefits of Automation in AWS EC2
Creating a Launch Template
3.1. Navigating to "Launch Templates"
3.2. Creating a New Launch Template
3.3. Configuring the Launch Template
3.4. Customizing Network Settings
3.5. Providing User Data for Instance Initialization
3.6. Launching Instances from the TemplateManaging Instances with Launch Templates
4.1. Viewing Created Instances
4.2. Accessing Jenkins through Port 8080Setting Up an Auto Scaling Group
5.1. Accessing "Auto Scaling Groups"
5.2. Creating a New Auto Scaling Group
5.3. Configuring VPC and Subnets
5.4. Load Balancing Options
5.5. Defining Capacity Parameters
5.6. Reviewing and Creating the Auto Scaling GroupVerifying Auto Scaling and Instance Creation
6.1. Viewing Instances in the EC2 Dashboard
6.2. Understanding Auto Scaling Group Server DistributionConclusion
Automation in AWS EC2
Automation in AWS EC2 involves automating various tasks related to the management and operation of EC2 instances. This can include tasks such as provisioning, configuring, scaling, and monitoring instances without manual intervention.
For real life example of automation in EC2 is the use of AWS Auto Scaling. With Auto Scaling, you can define scaling policies based on metrics like CPU utilization, network traffic, or request count. When the workload increases, Auto Scaling automatically launches additional EC2 instances to handle the increased demand. Similarly, when the workload decreases, it can automatically terminate instances to optimize costs. This automation ensures that the infrastructure scales up or down based on the workload without requiring manual intervention from administrators.
Launch templates in AWS EC2
Standardization: Launch templates allow you to define a template configuration for your EC2 instances, including instance type, AMI, security groups, storage volumes, and more. This ensures that new instances are consistently provisioned with the desired settings, promoting standardization and reducing the risk of configuration errors.
Simplified Management: By using launch templates, you can easily manage and update the configuration of your EC2 instances. When you need to make changes, you can update the launch template, and any new instances launched from that template will inherit the updated configuration automatically. This simplifies management and reduces the need for manual configuration changes on individual instances.
Scalability and Flexibility: Launch templates enable you to create scalable and flexible EC2 environments. You can define scaling groups that leverage launch templates to automatically launch and manage instances based on demand. This allows you to easily scale your infrastructure up or down as needed, supporting dynamic workloads and optimizing resource utilization.
Version Control: Launch templates support versioning, allowing you to maintain different versions of the template. This gives you control over the changes made to the template configuration and the ability to roll back to previous versions if needed.
Overall, launch templates provide a streamlined approach to instance provisioning, configuration management, scalability, and version control in AWS EC2, promoting efficiency, consistency, and flexibility in managing your infrastructure.
Instance Types
Amazon EC2 has a large number of instance types that are optimised for different uses. The different combinations of CPU, memory, storage and networking capacity in instance types give you the freedom to choose the right mix of resources for your apps. Each instance type comes with one or more instance sizes, so you can adjust your resources to meet the needs of the workload you want to run.
AMI
An Amazon Machine Image (AMI) is an image that AWS supports and keeps up to date. It contains the information needed to start an instance. When you launch an instance, you must choose an AMI. When you need multiple instances with the same configuration, you can launch them from a single AMI.
Create a Launch template on AWS
Create a launch template with Amazon Linux 2 AMI and t2.micro instance type with Jenkins and Docker setup.
Create 3 Instances using Launch Template, there must be an option that shows a number of instances to be launched.
Access the EC2 dashboard and navigate to "Launch Templates." Click on the "Create launch template" button.
Provide a name, description, and select the desired Amazon Machine Image (AMI) for Amazon Linux 2.
Specify the EC2 instance type based on CPU, memory, and key pair requirements.
Configure network settings, including VPC, subnet, and security groups to align with your needs.
In the additional section, scroll down to the "User data" section to provide a shell script for Docker and Jenkins installation during instance initialization.
Create the launch template and proceed to launch instances.
#!/bin/bash
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install docker.io -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install openjdk-11-jre
curl -fsSL https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian/jenkins.io-2023.key | sudo tee \
/usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc > /dev/null
echo deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc] \
https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian binary/ | sudo tee \
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list > /dev/null
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install jenkins
sudo systemctl start jenkins
sudo systemctl enable jenkins
Go to the "Action" section in the launch template and select "Launch instance from template."
Enter the number of instances and choose additional configurations if you want and click on launch instance.
Launch the instances and navigate to the EC2 dashboard's instance section to confirm the creation of 3 instances.
After opening the inbound rule for port 8080 in the security group, Jenkins will be accessible.
Create an Auto-Scaling group
Navigate to "Auto Scaling Groups" in the EC2 dashboard. Click on the "Create Auto Scaling group" button.
Enter a name for the group and choose the previously created launch template or create a new one if needed for your Auto Scaling group.
Choose the VPC and subnet(s) where your instances will be launched.
Choose the appropriate load balancing option based on your requirements.
Provide the desired capacity and maximum capacity of the group to create servers.
Review the configuration settings and click "Create Auto Scaling group" to create the group.
After successful creation, navigate to the instance section in the EC2 dashboard to observe the presence of 6 servers.
Out of the 6 servers, 3 were created using the launch template, while the remaining 3 were launched by the Auto Scaling group, as specified in the desired capacity.
In the dynamic world of cloud computing, automation is key to maximizing efficiency and flexibility in managing AWS EC2 instances. By automating the creation of launch templates and setting up auto scaling groups, organizations can streamline their processes, reduce manual intervention, and ensure consistent configurations across their infrastructure. Launch templates provide a standardized approach to instance provisioning, while auto scaling groups enable automatic scaling based on workload demands. Together, they empower businesses to optimize resource utilization, improve scalability, and achieve cost efficiency. By embracing AWS EC2 automation through launch templates and auto scaling groups, organizations can unlock the full potential of their infrastructure, enabling them to focus on innovation and growth in the rapidly evolving cloud landscape.
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