Launching EC2 Microsoft Windows Instance and deploy IIS (Internet Information Service)
Practicing launching AWS EC2 and deploying IIS converted Microsoft Windows webserver
Step 1: Launch an Window EC2 Instance Log in to AWS Management Console:
Go to the AWS Management Console and log in with your credentials. Navigate to EC2 Dashboard:
In the services menu, select EC2 to open the EC2 Dashboard. Launch Instance:
Click on the Launch Instance button. Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI):
Select a Windows Server AMI. You can find Windows Server options in the Quick Start tab. Choose an Instance Type:
Select an instance type that meets your requirements (e.g., t2.micro for free tier eligibility). Configure Instance Details:
Configure the instance details as needed. Ensure you have selected the correct VPC and subnet. Make sure to choose a subnet that has internet access (public subnet) if you plan to access the instance via the internet. Add Storage:
Add storage as needed. The default settings are usually sufficient for a basic Windows Server setup. Add Tags:
Add tags to help identify your instance (optional). Configure Security Group:
Create a new security group or select an existing one. Ensure the security group allows RDP traffic: Type: RDP Protocol: TCP Port Range: 3389 Source: Select My IP to allow your IP address or choose Anywhere for a broader access (less secure). Review and Launch:
Review your settings and click on Launch. Key Pair:
When prompted, select an existing key pair or create a new one. Download the key pair file (.pem) if you create a new one. This is essential for accessing your instance. Launch Instance:
Click on Launch Instances
Step 2: Connect to the Windows Instance via RDP Once the instance is running, you’ll need to connect to it using RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). Steps to Connect Using RDP:
- In the EC2 dashboard, select the running instance.
- Click on the Connect button at the top of the screen.
- Under the RDP Client tab, click Download Remote Desktop File. This will download a .rdp file to your local machine.
- Open the downloaded .rdp file. This will launch the Remote Desktop Connection application.
- When prompted, enter the username (usually Administrator) and password provided by AWS. If you don't have the password, click on Get Password to retrieve it using your key pair.
- Click OK to connect to the instance.
Step 3. Installing IIS and convert the instance into a web server
After logging into the Windows Server instance via RDP:
- Open Server Manager from the start menu.
- Click on Add roles and features to start the wizard.
- Follow these steps: -Installation Type: Select "Role-based or feature-based installation." -Server Selection: Choose the local server (this is usually the default selection). -Server Roles: Scroll down and check the box for Web Server (IIS). -Features: You can leave the default features selected or add additional features based on your requirements. -Confirmation: Review your selections and click Install.
- Wait for the installation to complete. Once finished, your instance will have IIS installed, effectively converting it into a web server.
Step 4: Configuring IIS
- Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager from the start menu.
- Verify that the default website is running. You can do this by typing the public IP address of your EC2 instance into a web browser (e.g., http://). If needed, you can configure websites, add bindings, and set up SSL certificates.
Step 5: Test the Deployment
- Open a web browser and enter the public IP address of your EC2 instance.
- If everything is configured correctly, you should see the IIS welcome page
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Web Application Hosting: Scenario: You have a web application built using ASP.NET or other technologies supported by IIS. Benefit: Hosting it on an AWS Windows Server instance with IIS provides a scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solution. You can easily manage traffic spikes, ensure high availability, and leverage AWS's global infrastructure.
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Development and Testing Environment: Scenario: Your development team needs an environment that mirrors your production setup to test new features, perform integration testing, or run QA tests. Benefit: Using AWS, you can quickly spin up and tear down Windows Server instances with IIS, providing a consistent and isolated environment for your developers and testers.
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Legacy Application Support: Scenario: You have legacy applications that require IIS for operation and cannot be easily migrated to other web servers or platforms. Benefit: Deploying these applications on AWS Windows Server instances with IIS ensures they continue to operate reliably, with the added benefits of cloud infrastructure such as backup, recovery, and monitoring.
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Disaster Recovery: Scenario: You need a reliable disaster recovery solution for your web applications running on IIS. Benefit: By setting up IIS on AWS, you can replicate your web servers and have them ready to take over in case of an on- premises failure, ensuring business continuity and reducing downtime.
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Scaling and Load Balancing: Scenario: Your web application needs to handle a large number of concurrent users and requires load balancing to distribute the traffic.
Benefit: AWS allows you to deploy multiple Windows Server instances with IIS behind an Elastic Load Balancer (ELB), enabling automatic scaling based on demand and providing a seamless user experience.
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Geographically Distributed Applications: Scenario: You need to serve users from different geographical regions with low latency. Benefit: AWS's global infrastructure lets you deploy IIS web servers in multiple regions, ensuring that users from various locations can access your application with minimal delay.
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Secure Web Hosting: Scenario: Your application handles sensitive data and requires robust security measures. Benefit: AWS provides various security features such as Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), security groups, and encryption, which, when combined with IIS, can ensure a secure hosting environment for your web applications.
This project is licensed under the Victor Sangmu Kim, making it freely available for anyone to use.