My EC2 Server is Live! Getting hands-on with cloud infrastructure was something I wanted to do for a while. So I started with a simple goal: launch a server and make a webpage accessible over the internet.

For this, I used Amazon Web Services and specifically Amazon EC2. Step 1: Launching the InstanceI created a new EC2 instance with the following setup: •Operating System: Amazon Linux•Instance Type: Free-tier eligible•Key Pair: Created for SSH access•Security Group:Allowed SSH (port 22)Allowed HTTP (port 80)One mistake here can block everything later, so I made sure the ports were correctly configured. Step 2: Installing the Web ServerAfter connecting to the instance, I installed Apache: sudo yum update -ysudo yum install httpd -ysudo systemctl start httpdsudo systemctl enable httpd Then I created a simple webpage:echo " Step 3: Accessing the ServerUsing the public IP address of the instance, I opened it in a browser.The page loaded successfully, confirming:•Server is running•Web service is active•Network access is working Problems I FacedNot everything worked instantly:Initially forgot to allow HTTP trafficMixed up private IP and public IPHad to restart Apache onceThese small mistakes helped me understand how each layer matters. Key TakeawaysEC2 gives full control but requires manual setupSecurity groups act like a firewallEven a simple deployment has multiple checkpoints What’s Next?I plan to improve this setup by:Adding a domainUsing a static IPExploring load balancing Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. as well , this person and/or