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02. CloudFormation Create

This guide walks through creating and updating an AWS CloudFormation stack that launches an EC2 instance, adds security groups, and attaches an Elastic IP (EIP).

Step-by-Step Walkthrough​

Step 1: Set Region​

  1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console.
  2. Switch region to US East (N. Virginia) — us-east-1.

Step 2: Open CloudFormation​

  1. Search for CloudFormation in the console.
  2. Open the service.

Step 3: Create Stack​

  1. Click Create stack → With new resources (standard).
  2. Choose Upload a template file and select 0-just-EC2.yaml.
  3. Click View in Application Composer to visualize the template.
IAM Roles Example

Step 4: Configure Stack​

  1. Enter Stack name: demoCloudFormation.
  2. No parameters required for this template.

Step 5: Add Tags​

  1. Add a tag, for example: Name = CFDemo.
  2. Leave all other options as default.

Step 6: Review and Create​

  1. Review the configuration.
  2. Click Create stack.
  3. Monitor progress in the Events tab.
IAM Roles Example

Step 7: Verify EC2 Instance​

  1. Open the EC2 console.
  2. Confirm:
    • Instance Type: t2.micro
    • Correct AMI ID
    • Tags: CloudFormation + CFDemo
IAM Roles Example

Step 8: Update Stack​

  1. In CloudFormation, select the existing stack → Update.
  2. Choose Replace current template and upload 1-ec2-with-sg-eip.yaml.
  3. Provide parameters (e.g., SecurityGroupDescription = demo description).

Step 9: Preview Change Set​

  1. Review proposed changes:
    • New resources: Security Groups, Elastic IP
    • EC2 instance replacement (Replacement: true)
  2. Note: The original instance will be terminated and replaced.

Step 10: Execute Update​

  1. Submit the update and monitor Events.
  2. Verify:
    • Two instances briefly (old and new).
    • New instance has attached security groups.
    • Elastic IP is allocated and associated.
IAM Roles Example

Step 11: Inspect Resources​

  1. In the CloudFormation stack:
    • Go to Resources tab to view all created items.
    • Go to Template → View in Application Composer for a visual architecture.
IAM Roles Example

Step 12: Cleanup​

  1. To remove all resources:
    • Delete the CloudFormation stack.
    • CloudFormation will delete resources in the correct order.

You have successfully created and updated a CloudFormation stack with EC2, Security Groups, and Elastic IP.