Tutorial: Launch and configure a Windows Server 2016 instance
Amazon Lightsail is the easiest way to get started with Amazon Web Services (AWS) if you just need virtual private servers. Lightsail includes everything you need to launch your project quickly – a virtual machine, SSD-based storage, data transfer, DNS management, and a static IP – for a low, predictable price.
This tutorial shows you how to launch and configure a Windows Server 2016 instance on Lightsail. It includes steps to connect to your instance via RDP, create a static IP and attach it to your instance, and create a DNS zone and map your domain. When you’re done with this tutorial, you have the fundamentals to get your instance up and running on Lightsail.
Contents
Step 1: Sign up for AWS
This tutorial requires an AWS account. Sign up for AWS
Step 2: Create a Windows Server 2016 instance in Lightsail
Get your Windows Server 2016 instance up and running in Lightsail. For more information, see Get started with Windows Server-based instances.
-
Sign in to the Lightsail console
. -
On the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose Create instance.
-
Choose the AWS Region and Availability Zone for your instance.
-
Choose your instance image.
-
Choose Microsoft Windows as the platform.
-
Choose OS Only, then choose Windows Server 2016 as the blueprint.
-
-
Choose an instance plan.
A plan includes a low, predictable cost, machine configuration (RAM, SSD, vCPU), and data transfer allowance. You can try the $8 USD Lightsail plan without charge for one month (up to 750 hours). AWS credits one free month to your account.
Note
As part of the AWS Free Tier, you can get started with Amazon Lightsail for free on select instance bundles. For more information, see AWS Free Tier on the Amazon Lightsail Pricing page
. -
Enter a name for your instance.
Resource names:
-
Must be unique within each AWS Region in your Lightsail account.
-
Must contain 2 to 255 characters.
-
Must start and end with an alphanumeric character or number.
-
Can include alphanumeric characters, numbers, periods, dashes, and underscores.
-
-
Choose one of the following options to add tags to your instance:
-
Add key-only tags or Edit key-only tags (if tags have already been added). Enter your new tag into the tag key text box, and press Enter. Choose Save when you’re done entering your tags to add them, or choose Cancel to not add them.
-
Create a key-value tag, then enter a key into the Key text box, and a value into the Value text box. Choose Save when you’re done entering your tags, or choose Cancel to not add them.
Key-value tags can only be added one at a time before saving. To add more than one key-value tag, repeat the previous steps.
Note
For more information about key-only and key-value tags, see Tags.
-
-
Choose Create instance.
Step 3: Connect to your Windows Server 2016 instance with RDP
Connect to your Windows Server 2016 instance using the browser-based RDP client in the Lightsail console. For more information, see Connect to your Windows instance.
-
On the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose the RDP quick-connect icon for your Windows Server 2016 instance.
-
After the browser-based RDP client window opens, you can begin configuring your Windows Server 2016 instance:
Step 4: Create a static IP address and attach it to your Windows Server 2016 instance
The default public IP for your Windows Server 2016 instance changes if you stop and start the instance. A static IP address, attached to an instance, stays the same even if you stop and start your instance.
Create a static IP address and attach it to your Windows Server 2016 instance. For more information, see Create a static IP and attach it to an instance in the Lightsail documentation.
-
On the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose your running Windows Server 2016 instance.
-
Choose the Networking tab, then choose Create static IP.
-
The static IP location, and attached instance are pre-selected based on the instance that you chose earlier in this tutorial.
-
Enter a name for your static IP.
Resource names:
-
Must be unique within each AWS Region in your Lightsail account.
-
Must contain 2 to 255 characters.
-
Must start and end with an alphanumeric character or number.
-
Can include alphanumeric characters, numbers, periods, dashes, and underscores.
-
-
Choose Create.
Step 5: Create a DNS zone and map a domain to your Windows Server 2016 instance
Transfer management of your domain's DNS records to Lightsail. This allows you to more easily map a domain to your Windows Server 2016 instance, and manage all of your website’s resources using the Lightsail console. For more information, see Create a DNS zone to manage your domain’s DNS records in the Lightsail documentation.
-
On the Domains & DNS tab of the Lightsail home page, choose Create DNS zone.
-
Enter your domain, then choose Create DNS zone.
-
Make note of the name server addresses listed on the page.
You add these name server addresses to your domain name’s registrar to transfer management of your domain’s DNS records to Lightsail.
-
After management of your domain’s DNS records are transferred to Lightsail, add an A record to point the apex of your domain to your LAMP instance, as follows:
-
In the Assignments tab of the DNS zone, choose Add assignment.
-
In the Select a domain field, choose the domain or subdomain.
-
In the Select a resource drop down, select the LAMP instance you created earlier in this tutorial.
-
Choose the Assign.
Allow time for the change to propagate through the internet's DNS before your domain begins routing traffic to your LAMP instance.
-
Next steps
Here are a few additional steps you can perform after launching a Windows Server 2016 instance in Amazon Lightsail:
