Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
A pre-configured template for creating virtual machines in Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Description
An Amazon Machine Image (AMI) is a key component of Amazon Web Services (AWS) that serves as a blueprint for launching instances, which are virtual servers in the AWS cloud. An AMI contains the necessary information to create a fully functional instance, including the operating system, application server, and applications. Users can choose from a variety of pre-built AMIs provided by AWS, third-party vendors, or create their own custom AMIs tailored to specific requirements. This flexibility allows for rapid deployment and scaling of applications. AMIs also make it easy to replicate environments and ensure consistency across multiple instances, which is particularly useful for load balancing and disaster recovery scenarios. Users can store their custom AMIs in Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS), ensuring that they can be accessed and deployed whenever needed, while also managing version control to track changes over time.
Examples
- Amazon Linux 2 AMI: A widely used AMI that provides a stable, secure, and high-performance execution environment for applications running on AWS.
- Windows Server 2019 AMI: An AMI specifically designed for running Windows-based applications, offering compatibility with Microsoft services and tools.
Additional Information
- Custom AMIs can be created from existing instances, allowing users to capture the state of their applications and configurations for future use.
- AMIs are region-specific, meaning that an AMI created in one AWS region is not automatically available in another region, requiring users to copy it if needed.