Week 3 Worklog

Week 3 Objectives

  • Understand how Amazon EC2 instances operate within AWS infrastructure.
  • Learn how to configure and launch EC2 instances using AMI, Instance Types, and Key Pairs.
  • Explore the relationship between EC2, EBS volumes, and Instance Store.
  • Practice snapshot creation, volume attachment, and backup strategies.
  • Learn how to automate EC2 setup using User Data and retrieve Metadata for instance configuration.
  • Gain basic knowledge of EFS and FSx for scalable and shared file storage.

Tasks to be carried out this week

DayTaskOn-site?Date
1- Introduction to Amazon EC2
- Understand how virtualization works: Hardware Node, Hypervisor, and EC2 Instance layers
- Explore Instance Types and their effects on CPU, Memory, and Network performance		09/22/2025
2- Learn about AMI (Amazon Machine Image): how to select and launch EC2 instances
- Understand root volume mapping and custom AMI creation
- Study EC2 pricing models (On-demand, Reserved, Spot, Savings Plan)		✅09/23/2025
3- Study Instance Store: NVMe-based high-performance ephemeral storage
- Compare with EBS Volumes and discuss persistence, durability, and replication
- Practice launching instances with Instance Store and EBS		09/24/2025
4- Learn EBS (Elastic Block Store) architecture and how it connects to EC2 via EBS Network
- Explore EBS Volume types (SSD, HDD) and durability (99.999%)
- Perform EBS snapshot and restore operations		09/25/2025
5- Understand User Data and Metadata
- Write simple user-data scripts for automatic package installation and setup
- Retrieve EC2 metadata (IP, hostname, security groups) using http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/		09/26/2025
6- Explore advanced storage services: EFS (Elastic File System) and FSx
- Learn use cases for shared file access and high-performance workloads
- Introduction to AWS Application Migration Service for VM migration to AWS		09/27/2025

Week 3 Achievements

  • Understood the EC2 architecture:

    • EC2 instances run on a hypervisor layer (Nitro/KVM) atop physical hardware nodes.
    • Each instance uses an AMI template to define its OS and configuration.
    • Gained insight into how instance types define compute, memory, and networking capacity:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.

  • Learned about Instance Store vs EBS:

    • Instance Store provides temporary, ultra-fast NVMe storage tied to the hardware node.
    • EBS provides persistent block storage replicated across storage nodes within an AZ for reliability.
    • Understood use cases: instance store for high IOPS workloads, EBS for durability:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.

  • Explored EBS architecture and operations:

    • Studied how EBS connects via a dedicated EBS Network within an Availability Zone.
    • Learned about EBS volume types (SSD, HDD), EBS-optimized instances, and multi-attach support.
    • Practiced creating, attaching, detaching, and taking snapshots for backup.

  • Configured EC2 instances and Key Pairs:

    • Generated SSH key pairs for secure access.
    • Connected to EC2 via public subnet using SSH.
    • Understood key pair encryption and its link to private/public subnets.

  • Used User Data and Metadata for automation:

    • Wrote bash scripts for boot-time installation of packages and environment setup.
    • Accessed metadata endpoints to retrieve configuration data (IP, hostname, SGs).
    • Learned to automate EC2 provisioning without manual SSH setup.

  • Gained familiarity with higher-level storage services:

    • Overviewed EFS for shared POSIX file systems across instances.
    • Learned about FSx for Windows-based or high-performance workloads.
    • Explored Application Migration Service as a tool for moving workloads to AWS.

  • Developed a clear understanding of how compute and storage layers interact inside an AWS Availability Zone, and how these form the foundation for higher-level services.