3.31 What is an AWS AMI

An Amazon Machine Image (AMI) is a pre-configured virtual machine image used to create an Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instance. It contains the information needed to launch a fully-functional instance, including the operating system, application server, and any additional software or configuration settings.

AMIs are available for a variety of operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS, and can be customized to meet specific needs. They are also available in different formats, including machine images for EC2 instances, Docker images, and virtual machine images for use with other virtualization platforms.

Using an AMI can save time and effort when setting up new instances, as it eliminates the need to manually install and configure software. It also ensures consistency across instances, as all instances launched from the same AMI will have the same configuration and software.

In addition to using pre-built AMIs, users can also create their own custom AMIs. This allows for greater flexibility and control over the software and configurations used in instances. Custom AMIs can be created from existing instances, or from scratch using tools like Amazon EC2 Image Builder.

Overall, AMIs are a powerful tool for simplifying and streamlining the process of launching new instances in the AWS cloud. They offer a wide range of pre-built options, as well as the ability to customize and create new images to meet specific needs.