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I'm totally new on aws, and I was wondering some questions.

There is what I understood : Let's imagine I launch a p2.xlarge instance, with ubuntu AMI on it. I got my instance with ubuntu on it. Now let's imagine I install some packages, (I want to do deep learning so I need to install a lot of stuff an framework). Well, but, I want to pause the instance when I don't make computation, to no pay. If I stop it, will I loose the packages I installed on it since there is no persistant data ? Same thing if I want to add a user to not be a super user all the time..

Last thing : I read about the EBS system, but I can't install all my packages on it right ? If yes, how ? Since it's just a storage place...

Thanks you very much!

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  • "Since it's just a storage place..." I think you mean EFS, not EBS?
    – ceejayoz
    Nov 4, 2016 at 13:49
  • Well, I read than EBS what just to stock persistant data, no ? You mount it in your EC2 instance and that's it ?
    – Pusheen_the_dev
    Nov 4, 2016 at 13:51
  • EBS is essentially just a hard drive. An instance has a root EBS volume attached, which is where your packages would install. Just like a normal hard drive, turning off the server doesn't wipe out the EBS volume. When you turn it back on, the files are all still there.
    – ceejayoz
    Nov 4, 2016 at 13:52
  • Oh, I see. So, if I create an instance, all is transparent and I have nothing to do with anything to have data persistence ?
    – Pusheen_the_dev
    Nov 4, 2016 at 14:03
  • As long as it's not an instance-store-backed instance. AWS has been doing away with these - they're only available at all in the older instance types.
    – ceejayoz
    Nov 4, 2016 at 14:14

1 Answer 1

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You need to read about AMI Types

All AMIs are categorized as either backed by Amazon EBS or backed by instance store. The former means that the root device for an instance launched from the AMI is an Amazon EBS volume created from an Amazon EBS snapshot. The latter means that the root device for an instance launched from the AMI is an instance store volume created from a template stored in Amazon S3.

In short if you use EBS-Backed AMI then your data will persist after stop-start and if you choose the Instance-Backed AMI then you won't be able to stop the instance at all, it can either be running or terminated.

Go with AMI backed AMI's.

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  • Hi! So, when I'm on the console, I don't choose an AMI from the store but to create one ? But to create a snapshot, I need to launch the instance before then mount an ebs, snap it and link it to instance for next time ? Or it's directly when creating the instance an option ?
    – Pusheen_the_dev
    Nov 4, 2016 at 14:05
  • You need not create an ami, you can search for Ubuntu in the store and in the details sectiosn look for Root Device Type. It should be ebs.
    – kn330
    Nov 4, 2016 at 14:10

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