aws ec2 run-instances --key-name vockey --instance-type t3.

micro --image-id ami-

0211c3296405e1021 --user-data file:///home/ec2-user/UserData.txt --security-group-
ids sg-04c548b78e3bcd9a9 --subnet-id subnet-01190fd246c213a80 --associate-public-
ip-address --tag-specifications
'ResourceType=instance,Tags=[{Key=Name,Value=WebServer}]' --output text --query
'Instances[*].InstanceId'

Using Auto Scaling in AWS (Linux)

Lab overview

In this lab, you use the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) to create an Amazon
Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instance to host a web server and create an Amazon
Machine Image (AMI) from that instance. You then use that AMI as the basis for
launching a system that scales automatically under a variable load by using Amazon
EC2 Auto Scaling. You also create an Elastic Load Balancer to distribute the load
across EC2 instances created in multiple Availability Zones by the auto scaling
configuration.

Starting architecture:

Starting architecture showing AWS infrastructure with a Command Host instance in a

public subnet.

Final architecture:

Final architecture showing an Elastic Load Balancer and EC2 instances in an Auto
scaling group in private subnets spread across two Availability Zones.

Objectives
After completing this lab, you will be able to do the following:

Create an EC2 instance by using an AWS CLI command.

Create a new AMI by using the AWS CLI.

Create an Amazon EC2 launch template.

Create an Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling launch configuration.

Configure scaling policies and create an Auto Scaling group to scale in and scale
out the number of servers based on a variable load.

Duration
This lab requires approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Accessing the AWS Management Console

At the top of these instructions, choose Start Lab to launch the lab.

A Start Lab panel opens displaying the lab status.

Wait until the message "Lab status: ready" appears, and then choose X to close the
Start Lab panel.

At the top of these instructions, choose AWS to open the AWS Management Console on
a new browser tab. The system automatically signs you in.

Tip If a new browser tab does not open, a banner or icon at the top of your browser
will indicate that your browser is preventing the site from opening pop-up windows.
Choose the banner or icon, and choose Allow pop-ups.

Arrange the AWS Management Console so that it appears alongside these instructions.
Ideally, you should be able to see both browser tabs at the same time to follow the
lab steps.

Important: Do not change the lab Region unless specifically instructed to do so.

Task 1: Creating a new AMI for Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling

In this task, you launch a new EC2 instance and then create a new AMI based on that
running instance. You use the AWS CLI on the Command Host EC2 instance to perform
all of these operations.

Task 1.1: Connecting to the Command Host instance

In this task, you use EC2 Instance Connect to connect to the Command Host EC2
instance that was created when the lab was provisioned. You use this instance to
run AWS CLI commands.

On the AWS Management Console, in the Search bar, enter and choose EC2 to open the
EC2 Management Console.

In the navigation pane, choose Instances.

From the list of instances, select the Command Host instance.

Choose Connect.

On the EC2 Instance Connect tab, choose Connect.

Note: If you prefer to use an SSH client to connect to the EC2 instance, see the
guidance to Connect to Your Linux Instance.

Now that you are connected to the Command Host instance, you can configure and use
the AWS CLI to call AWS services.

Task 1.2: Configuring the AWS CLI

The AWS CLI is preconfigured on the Command Host instance.

To confirm that the Region in which the Command Host instance is running is the
same as the lab (the us-west-2 Region), run the following command:

curl http://169.254.169.254/latest/dynamic/instance-identity/document | grep region

You use this Region information in the next steps.

To update the AWS CLI software with the correct credentials, run the following
command:

aws configure
At the prompts, enter the following information:

AWS Access Key ID: Press Enter.

AWS Secret Access Key: Press Enter.

Default region name: Enter the name of the Region from the previous steps in this
task (for example, us-west-2). If the Region is already displayed, press Enter.

Default output format: Enter json

Now you are ready to access and run the scripts detailed in the following steps.

To access these scripts, enter the following command to navigate to their

directory:

cd /home/ec2-user/
Task 1.3: Creating a new EC2 Instance
In this task, you use the AWS CLI to create a new instance that hosts a web server.

To inspect the UserData.txt script that was installed for you as part of the
Command Host creation, run the following command:

more UserData.txt
This script performs a number of initialization tasks, including updating all
installed software on the box and installing a small PHP web application that you
can use to simulate a high CPU load on the instance. The following lines appear
near the end of the script:

find -wholename /root/.*history -wholename /home/*/.*history -exec rm -f {} \;

find / -name 'authorized_keys' -exec rm -f {} \;
rm -rf /var/lib/cloud/data/scripts/*
These lines erase any history or security information that might have accidentally
been left on the instance when the image was taken.

At the top of this page, choose Details, and choose Show.

Copy the KEYNAME, AMIID, HTTPACCESS, and SUBNETID values into a text editor
document, and then choose X to close the Credentials panel.

In the following script, replace the corresponding text with the values from the
previous step.

aws ec2 run-instances --key-name KEYNAME --instance-type t3.micro --image-id AMIID

--user-data file:///home/ec2-user/UserData.txt --security-group-ids HTTPACCESS --
subnet-id SUBNETID --associate-public-ip-address --tag-specifications
'ResourceType=instance,Tags=[{Key=Name,Value=WebServer}]' --output text --query
'Instances[*].InstanceId'
Enter your modified script into the terminal window, and run the script.

The output of this command provides you with an InstanceId. Subsequent steps in
this lab refer to this value as NEW-INSTANCE-ID. Replace this value as needed
throughout this lab.

Copy and paste the InstanceId value into a text editor to use later.
To use the aws ec2 wait instance-running command to monitor this instance's status,
replace NEW-INSTANCE-ID in the following command with the InstanceID value that you
copied in the previous step. Run your modified command.

aws ec2 wait instance-running --instance-ids NEW-INSTANCE-ID

Wait for the command to return to a prompt before proceeding.

Your instance starts a new web server. To test that the web server was installed
properly, you must obtain the public DNS name.

To obtain the public DNS name, in the following command, replace NEW-INSTANCE-ID
with the value that you copied previously, and run your modified command:

aws ec2 describe-instances --instance-id NEW-INSTANCE-ID --query

'Reservations[0].Instances[0].NetworkInterfaces[0].Association.PublicDnsName'
Copy the output of this command without the quotation marks.

The value of this output is referred to as PUBLIC-DNS-ADDRESS in the next steps.

In a new browser tab, enter the output that you copied from the previous step.

It could take a few minutes for the web server to be installed. Wait 5 minutes
before continuing to the next steps.

Do not choose Start Stress at this stage.

In the following command, replace PUBLIC-DNS-ADDRESS with the value that you copied
in the previous steps, and then run your modified command.

http://PUBLIC-DNS-ADDRESS/index.php
If your web server does not appear to be running, check with your instructor.

Task 1.4: Creating a Custom AMI

In this task, you create a new AMI based on that instance that you just created.

To create a new AMI based on this instance, in the following aws ec2 create-image
command, replace NEW-INSTANCE-ID with the value that you copied previously, and run
your adjusted command:

aws ec2 create-image --name WebServerAMI --instance-id NEW-INSTANCE-ID

By default, the aws ec2 create-image command restarts the current instance before
creating the AMI to ensure the integrity of the image on the file system. While
your AMI is being created, proceed to the next task.

Task 2: Creating an auto scaling environment

In this section, you create a load balancer that pools a group of EC2 instances
under a single Domain Name System (DNS) address. You use auto scaling to create a
dynamically scalable pool of EC2 instances based on the image that you created in
the previous task. Finally, you create a set of alarms that scale out or scale in
the number of instances in your load balancer group whenever the CPU performance of
any machine within the group exceeds or falls below a set of specified thresholds.

You can perform the following task by using either the AWS CLI or the AWS
Management Console. For this lab, you use the AWS Management Console.

Task 2.1: Creating an Application Load Balancer

In this task, you create a load balancer that can balance traffic across multiple
EC2 instances and Availability Zones.

On the EC2 Management Console, in the left navigation pane, locate the Load
Balancing section, and choose Load Balancers.

Choose Create load balancer.

In the Load balancer types section, for Application Load Balancer, choose Create.

On the Create Application Load Balancer page, in the Basic configuration section,
configure the following option:

For Load balancer name, enter WebServerELB

In the Network mapping section, configure the following options:

For VPC, choose Lab VPC.

For Mappings, choose both Availability Zones listed.

For the first Availability Zone, choose Public Subnet 1.

For the second Availability Zone, choose Public Subnet 2.

These options configure the load balancer to operate across multiple Availability
Zones.

In the Security groups section, choose the X for the default security group to
remove it.

From the Security groups dropdown list, choose HTTPAccess.

The HTTPAccess security group has already been created for you, which permits HTTP
access.

In the Listeners and routing section, choose the Create target group link.

Note: This link opens a new browser tab with the Create target group configuration
options.

On the Specify group details page, in the Basic configuration section, configure
the following options:

For Choose a target type, choose Instances.

For Target group name, enter webserver-app

In the Health checks section, for Health check path, enter /index.php

At the bottom of the page, choose Next.

On the Register targets page, choose Create target group.

Once the target group has been created successfully, close the Target groups
browser tab.

Return to the Load balancers browser tab, and locate the Listeners and routing
section. For Default action, choose Refresh to the right of the Forward to
dropdown list.

From the Forward to dropdown list, choose webserver-app.

At the bottom of the page, choose Create load balancer.

You should receive a message similar to the following:

Successfully created load balancer: WebServerELB

To view the WebServerELB load balancer that you created, choose View load balancer.

To copy the DNS name of the load balancer, use the copy option , and paste the DNS
name into a text editor.

You need this information later in the lab.

Task 2.2: Creating a launch template

In this task, you create a launch template for your Auto Scaling group. A launch
template is a template that an Auto Scaling group uses to launch EC2 instances.
When you create a launch template, you specify information for the instances, such
as the AMI, instance type, key pair, security group, and disks.

On the EC2 Management Console, in the left navigation pane, locate the Instances
section, and choose Launch Templates.

Choose Create launch template.

On the Create launch template page, in the Launch template name and description
section, configure the following options:

For Launch template name - required, enter web-app-launch-template

For Template version description, enter A web server for the load test app

For Auto Scaling guidance, select Provide guidance to help me set up a template
that I can use with EC2 Auto Scaling.

In the Application and OS Images (Amazon Machine Image) - required section, choose
the My AMIs tab.

Notice that WebServerAMI is already chosen.

In the Instance type section, choose the Instance type dropdown list, and choose
t3.micro.

In the Key pair (login) section, confirm that the Key pair name dropdown list is
set to Don't include in launch template.

Amazon EC2 uses public key cryptography to encrypt and decrypt login information.
To log in to your instance, you must create a key pair, specify the name of the key
pair when you launch the instance, and provide the private key when you connect to
the instance.

Note: In this lab, you do not need to connect to the instance.

In the Network settings section, choose the Security groups dropdown list, and
choose HTTPAccess.
When you launch an instance, you can pass user data to the instance. The data can
be used to run configuration tasks and scripts.

Choose Create launch template.

You should receive a message similar to the following:

Successfully created web-app-launch-template.

Choose View launch templates.

Task 2.3: Creating an Auto Scaling group

In this task, you use your launch template to create an Auto Scaling group.

Choose web-app-launch-template, and then from the Actions dropdown list, choose
Create Auto Scaling group.

On the Choose launch template or configuration page, in the Name section, for Auto
Scaling group name, enter Web App Auto Scaling Group

Choose Next.

On the Choose instance launch options page, in the Network section, configure the
following options:

From the VPC dropdown list, choose Lab VPC.

From the Availability Zones and subnets dropdown list, choose Private Subnet 1
(10.0.2.0/24) and Private Subnet 2 (10.0.4.0/24).

Choose Next.

On the Configure advanced options – optional page, configure the following options:

In the Load balancing – optional section, choose Attach to an existing load

balancer.

In the Attach to an existing load balancer section, configure the following

options:

Choose Choose from your load balancer target groups.

From the Existing load balancer target groups dropdown list, choose webserver-app |
HTTP.

In the Health checks section, under Additional health check types, select Turn on
Elastic Load Balancing health checks.

Choose Next.

On the Configure group size and scaling policies – optional page, configure the
following options:

In the Group size – optional section, enter the following values:

Desired capacity:2

Minimum capacity: 2
Maximum capacity: 4

In the Scaling policies – optional section, configure the following options:

Choose Target tracking scaling policy.

For Metric type, choose Average CPU utilization.

For Target value, enter 50

This change tells auto scaling to maintain an average CPU utilization across all
instances of 50 percent. Auto scaling automatically adds or removes capacity as
required to keep the metric at or close to the specified target value. It adjusts
to fluctuations in the metric due to a fluctuating load pattern.

Choose Next.

On the Add notifications – optional page, choose Next.

On the Add tags – optional page, choose Add tag and configure the following
options:

For Key, enter Name

For Value - optional, enter WebApp

Choose Next.

On the Review page, choose Create Auto Scaling group.

These options launch EC2 instances in private subnets across both Availability
Zones.

Your Auto Scaling group initially shows an Instances count of zero, but new
instances will be launched to reach the desired count of two instances.

Note: If you experience an error related to the t3.micro instance type not being
available, then rerun this task by choosing the t2.micro instance type instead.

Task 3: Verifying the auto scaling configuration

In this task, you verify that both the auto scaling configuration and the load
balancer are working by accessing a pre-installed script on one of your servers
that will consume CPU cycles, which invokes the scale out alarm.

In the left navigation pane, choose Instances.

Two new instances named WebApp are being created as part of your Auto Scaling
group. While these instances are being created, the Status check for these two
instances is Initializing.

Observe the Status check field for the instances until the status is 2/2 checks
passed. Wait for the two new instances to complete initialization before you
proceed to the next step.

You might need to choose Refresh to see the updated status.

Once the instances have completed initialization, in the left navigation pane in
the Load Balancing section, choose Target Groups, and then select your target
group, webserver-app.

On the Targets tab, verify that two instances are being created. Refresh this list
until the Health status of these instances changes to healthy.

You can now test the web application by accessing it through the load balancer.

Task 4: Testing auto scaling configuration

Open a new web browser tab, and paste the DNS name of the load balancer that you
copied earlier into the address bar, and press Enter.

On the web page, choose Start Stress.

This step calls the application stress in the background, which causes the CPU
utilization on the instance that serviced this request to spike to 100 percent.

On the EC2 Management console, in the left navigation pane in the Auto Scaling
section, choose Auto Scaling Groups.

Select Web App Auto Scaling Group.

Choose the Activity tab.

After a few minutes, you should see your Auto Scaling group add a new instance.
This occurs because Amazon CloudWatch detected that the average CPU utilization of
your Auto Scaling group exceeded 50 percent, and your scale-up policy has been
invoked in response.

You can also check the new instances being launched on the EC2 Dashboard.

Conclusion
Congratulations! You now have successfully done the following:

Created an EC2 instance by using an AWS CLI command

Created a new AMI by using the AWS CLI

Created an Amazon EC2 launch template

Created an Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling launch configuration

Configured scaling policies and created an Auto Scaling group to scale in and scale
out the number of servers based on variable load