Running a script on a fresh EC2 instance using AWS SDK: What's the method?

I have been successfully utilizing AWS's Javascript SDK to launch custom EC2 instances, which has worked well so far.

Now, I am looking to make these instances capable of running specific tasks upon creation, such as cloning a repository from Github, installing a software stack, and configuring various services.

This is in line with the process I follow for deploying local virtual machines, where I use Ansible provisioning scripts to handle similar tasks.

Given my requirements, which AWS service would be most suitable for accomplishing this using the AWS Javascript SDK?

Is there a way to create a template script that can accept runtime variables to execute tasks on the newly created instance? I have heard about the user-data, but I am unsure how it integrates with the AWS SDK and if it offers enough customization options.

In essence, I am seeking a method to utilize the SDK to achieve the following:

"Execute this script on the newly created instance, located here, replacing placeholder values with the input provided at runtime."

Any suggestions or tips on how to approach this challenge?

javascriptamazon-web-servicesamazon-ec2

Answer №1

In accordance with Mark B.'s suggestion, utilizing UserData is the ideal approach for executing commands upon launching an instance. Since you have included the javascript tag in your question, here is a sample code snippet demonstrating how to pass commands within the ec2.runInstances method:

let AWS = require('aws-sdk')
let ec2 = new AWS.EC2({region: 'YOUR_REGION'})
// Sample commands for creating a folder, file, and deleting it
let commands = [
    '#!/usr/bin/env bash',
    'mkdir /home/ubuntu/test',
    'touch /home/ubuntu/test/examplefile',
    'rm -rf /home/ubuntu/test'
];
let params = {
    ...YOUR PARAMS HERE...
    UserData: new Buffer(commands.join("\n")).toString('base64')
}
// Encoding with Base64 is necessary for execution by the userdata interpreter
ec2.runInstances(params).promise().then(res => { console.log(res); })

Answer №2

One option for executing server initialization code when launching new instances is by providing the user-data during the same AWS SDK/API call. This is considered the optimal method for running any setup scripts.

Another possibility to trigger a script on an instance through the SDK is using the SSM service's Run Command feature. However, this approach necessitates that the AWS SSM agent is already installed on the instance. Although useful for remote server management, utilizing user-data is typically more suitable for initializing an instance upon first boot.

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