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Step-by-Step Tutorial on Migrating from Local Server to AWS

Step-by-Step Tutorial on Migrating from Local Server to AWS

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of migrating your website or web application from a local server to Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS offers a range of cloud computing services that can help you scale your application, improve reliability, and reduce costs.

Prerequisites

  • Basic knowledge of web servers and AWS services
  • An AWS account
  • Your website files and database backup
  • Access to your domain registrar to update DNS settings

Step 1: Set Up an AWS Account

If you don’t already have an AWS account, you can create one at https://aws.amazon.com/. Once you have created an account, log in to the AWS Management Console.

Step 2: Launch an EC2 Instance

  1. Go to the EC2 dashboard.
  2. Click on “Launch Instance” to create a new virtual server.
  3. Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) – select an image that matches your server’s operating system.
  4. Choose an instance type based on your application’s requirements.
  5. Configure the instance details, such as the number of instances, network settings, and storage.
  6. Add tags to your instance for easier identification.
  7. Configure security groups to control inbound and outbound traffic to your instance.
  8. Review your settings and launch the instance.

Step 3: Connect to Your EC2 Instance

  1. Once your instance is running, you can connect to it using SSH (Secure Shell).
  2. Open your terminal and navigate to the directory where your private key is stored.
  3. Use the following command to connect to your instance:
    ssh -i your-key.pem ec2-user@your-ec2-public-dns
  4. You are now connected to your EC2 instance.

Step 4: Transfer Your Website Files

Now that you are connected to your EC2 instance, you can transfer your website files from your local server to the instance.

  1. Zip your website files on your local server.
  2. Use the SCP command to securely transfer the zip file to your EC2 instance:
    scp -i your-key.pem your-zip-file.zip ec2-user@your-ec2-public-dns:/path/to/destination
  3. SSH into your EC2 instance and unzip the transferred file.

Step 5: Set Up a Database on AWS

If your website or web application uses a database, you will need to set up a database on AWS. You can use Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) to easily create and manage databases.

  1. Go to the RDS dashboard.
  2. Click on “Create database” and select the database engine that your application uses.
  3. Choose the instance specifications, storage, and settings for your database.
  4. Configure the database instance, including setting up a username and password.
  5. Review your settings and create the database instance.

Step 6: Import Your Database

Once your database instance is up and running, you can import your database backup from your local server.

  1. Export your database from your local server as a SQL file.
  2. Copy the SQL file to your EC2 instance using the SCP command.
  3. Connect to your RDS database instance using a MySQL client.
  4. Import the SQL file into your RDS database.

Step 7: Update Your Application Configuration

You will need to update your application configuration to connect to the new database on AWS.

  1. Update your application’s database connection settings with the endpoint, username, and password of your RDS instance.
  2. Test your application to ensure it can connect to the database on AWS.

Step 8: Point Your Domain to AWS

Finally, you will need to update your domain’s DNS settings to point to your application running on AWS.

  1. Go to your domain registrar’s website and log in to your account.
  2. Find the option to manage your domain’s DNS settings.
  3. Update the DNS records to point to the public IP address or domain name of your EC2 instance.
  4. Save the changes and wait for the DNS propagation to complete.

Step 9: Monitor and Maintain Your AWS Environment

Once your website or web application is running on AWS, it is important to monitor and maintain your environment to ensure optimal performance and security.

Consider setting up monitoring and alerts using AWS CloudWatch to track key metrics and receive notifications of any issues.

Regularly update your software, apply security patches, and back up your data to prevent any data loss.

Conclusion

By following this step-by-step tutorial, you should now have successfully migrated your website or web application from a local server to AWS. AWS offers a range of services to help you scale and secure your application, allowing you to focus on your core business activities.