DEV Community: Chimdi Uche Eni

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating and Attaching Volumes in AWS.

Chimdi Uche Eni — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 19:25:03 +0000

INTRODUCTION

Launching an EC2 instance on AWS is similar to creating a cloud-based virtual machine. However, it needs storage, which is where volumes come in, just like any other computer. In AWS, a volume is essentially a virtual hard drive (also known as an EBS volume) that houses the data, programs, and files on your server. Your instance wouldn't have a location to save modifications or install applications without it. You will discover the functions of volumes, their management, and their importance in the operation of cloud servers in this guide.

Before you begin, ensure your AWS account is operational. If you haven’t set one up yet, no worries, I’ve broken it down step-by-step in a previous guide. You’ll also need Git Bash for this setup, so be sure to download it if you haven’t already.

Let's begin!

Log in to your AWS account and create an instance, but for this, we will launch two instances.
Name the instances (web1 and web2):
Select Amazon Linux 2:
Use t2 micro and select the already created key pair from the last article:
Allow HTTP: with this setup, you’ll be able to view and test your work directly in the browser.

Make sure both instances are in the same region and availability zones.
Don't forget to copy the IP address

Open GiT BASH

Connect to the key pair: cd downloads
Connect to the instance: ssh -i your-key.pem ec2-user@ip address:
Update the system and install: to update (sudo yum update -y), and to install(sudo yum install httpd -y) (Operational) Customize each server’s homepage so you can tell them apart: echo "This is Web Server 1" | sudo tee /var/www/html/index.html

Now we go back to the EC2 dashboard

Create a Target Group:
Name the target group:

Leave every other thing in default and click next to add both instances.

Register both instances: make sure you tick both boxes, and then create.

Go back to the dashboard so we can create the load balancer

Create a load balancer:
Select the Application Load Balancer:
Name it:
Select the availability Zone of your instance:
Select the target group that you created earlier: Go back to the dashboard and copy your DNS and paste it in your web browser, and that's it

At first, getting your AWS load balancer to function can be a little challenging, but after Apache configuration, security groups, and health checks all work together, it becomes easy. Don't worry if yours didn't load immediately. The most important thing is to ensure that your load balancer is correctly linked, your firewall rules are open, and your EC2 instances are in good health. You're ready for scalable, seamless web traffic once things are in place.

Until next time, stay curious.

Step-by-Step Beginner Guide: Set Up Apache on AWS EC2 with Git Bash.

Chimdi Uche Eni — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 18:00:05 +0000

INTRODUCTION
Ever wondered how websites go live? In this guide, you’ll learn how to launch your web server on AWS EC2 using Git Bash on Windows. We’ll use Apache, a popular web server that delivers your site to anyone who visits it. No techy background needed, just clear, beginner-friendly steps. By the end, you’ll have a live server you can access from any browser. Let’s get started!

Log in to your AWS account and create an instance:
Name the instance (ApacheServer):
Selete Ubuntu:
Use t2 micro and select the already created key pair from the last article:
Allow HTTP: with this setup, you’ll be able to view and test your work directly in the browser.
Launch the Instance: Now, copy the IP address

OPEN GiTBASH

Connect your key pair: cd downloads
Run this to set permission: chmod 400 your-key.pem
Connect to the instance: ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@ip address When prompted, type yes and press Enter.
Upgrade the system and Install: to upgrade(sudo apt upgrade -y) and to install(sudo apt install apache2 -y):
Start Apache and Enable on Boot:
Go back to your instance dashboard and copy the IP address and paste it into your web browser. You should see IT WORKS!

🎉 AMAZING RIGHT!
You’ve just launched a working Apache server on AWS using Git Bash.

And there you have it, my very first Apache web server running in the cloud, powered by AWS and set up entirely through Git Bash. Not bad for a beginner, right? This is just the beginning.
Until next time, stay curious.

🚀My First Web Server with NGINX: Step by Step guide.

Chimdi Uche Eni — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 01:47:55 +0000

INTRODUCTION
Deploying a web server on the cloud doesn’t have to be complicated, and AWS makes it even easier. In this beginner-friendly guide, I’ll walk you through how I installed NGINX on an Ubuntu-based EC2 instance, step by step. Ubuntu is a popular, beginner-friendly Linux operating system often used on servers. NGINX (pronounced as “engine-x”) is a powerful, high-performance web server used to host websites and apps.

Before you begin, make sure you have the following in place: Make sure your AWS account is up and running. If you haven’t set one up yet, no worries, I’ve broken it down step-by-step in a previous guide. You’ll also need Git Bash for this setup, so be sure to download it if you haven’t already."

Alright, let’s dive in, shall we?

Login to your AWS account and create an instance:
Name the Instance (mynginxweb):
Select Ubuntu Server:
Use t2 micro and select the already created key pair from the last article:

Allow HTTP: with this setup, you’ll be able to view and test your work directly in the browser.
Launch the Instance:

Don't forget to copy the Ip address

Open GiT BASH

Connect to the key pair: _cd downloads.
_
Connect to the instance: ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@ip address

When prompted, type yes and press Enter.
Upgrade the system and Install: to upgrade(sudo apt install nginx -y) and to install(sudo apt install nginx -y).

To start and Enable the NGINX: to Start(sudo systemctl start nginx) and to Enable(sudo systemctl enable nginx)

You can also check if NGINX is running and active.(sudo systemctl status nginx).
Go back to your instance dashboard and copy the IP address and paste it into your web browser. You should see the default NGINX welcome page!

I went further to customize my page with sudo nano /var/www/html/index.nginx-debian.html

🎉 That’s it! You’ve launched an Ubuntu EC2 instance, connected via SSH, installed NGINX, and served your first web page from the cloud, a solid first step into cloud computing and DevOps.

Until next time, stay curious.

Beginner's Journey: How I Launched an EC2 Instance for the First Time.

Chimdi Uche Eni — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 02:21:44 +0000

Launching your cloud server might sound complex, but with AWS EC2, it’s surprisingly straightforward. In this article, I’ll walk you through how I set up my very first virtual machine using a t2.micro instance. Whether you’re just getting started with DevOps or exploring cloud infrastructure for the first time, this beginner-friendly guide will help you take that first step with no overwhelm.

Before we begin, ensure you have the following ready:

An AWS account: To get started, you’ll need an AWS account. If you don’t have one, you can create it at https://aws.amazon.com/registration-confirmation/

Already have an account? Log in to your AWS root account to get started.

Create an EC2 Instance: In the AWS Management Console, use the search bar to find EC2, then click “Launch Instance” to begin setting up your virtual server.

To get your EC2 instance up and running, complete the following steps:
a. Enter a name for your instance (e.g., my_happy_instance).
Note: Avoid using spaces in the instance name stick to underscores or hyphens instead

b. Select an operating system: For this beginner-level setup, we’ll be using Amazon Linux — a lightweight, secure, and AWS-optimized OS that’s perfect for getting started.

c. Choose an instance type: For this article and basic testing, select t2.micro, which is free-tier eligible and ideal for beginners experimenting with AWS.

d. Create a key pair: Key pairs are essential for securely connecting to your EC2 instance. You can either select an existing key pair (if you’ve previously created one) or generate a new key pair. Be sure to download and store it securely.

e. Configure your security group: For this tutorial, create a new security group and enable the following inbound rule:
SSH (port 22): Allow access from anywhere (0.0.0.0/0) to connect to your instance via the internet.

⚠️ Note: Allowing SSH from anywhere is fine for testing, but for production environments, it's best to restrict access to specific IP addresses for security.

f. Review your settings, then click “Launch Instance” to create and deploy your EC2 virtual machine.

Download Git Bash: If you're using Windows, download and install Git Bash, a terminal tool that allows you to run Linux commands and securely connect to your EC2 instance using SSH

Navigate to your key pair location: Make sure you change into the directory where your key pair was downloaded.

Update the file permissions to secure the key

Connect to your instance using the following SSH command: Go back to the EC2 dashboard and copy your instance’s public IPv4 address. You’ll need this IP to connect to your instance via SSH in Git Bash

When prompted during your first SSH connection, type yes and press Enter. This confirms the connection and adds your instance to the list of known hosts.

You’ll see a terminal prompt that looks something like this: that means you're now logged in and ready to interact with your instance

Let’s run a small, satisfying command just to make sure your EC2 instance is up and responding.

Create a File: To verify that your EC2 instance is working as expected, we’ll start by creating a simple text file.

Read the File: Let’s take a peek inside the file we just created just to make sure the magic happened.

🎉Boom! You just ran your first command on the cloud🎉

**
🎉And that’s it!!!. You just launched your first EC2 instance and ran your first cloud command! It might’ve seemed complex at first, but now you’ve taken a solid step into the world of cloud computing.