AWS: How to change the instance type or size on Amazon EC2

In this video you will learn how to change the type or size of an existing EC2 instance on Amazon Web Services (AWS). I will walk you through the step-by-step process which will allow you to change the underlying instance whenever you need.


TIMESTAMPS:
Introduction: 0:00
The three steps to change the type or size of an existing EC2 instance: 0:21
Demo: How to change the type and size of an existing EC2 instance: 0:36


VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
In this video I'll show you how to change the type or size of an existing EC2 instance.
In many cases, it is hard to predict the required instance type or size for a workload. But with AWS, you don't have to make a final decision up front. You can simply get started with an initial estimate and adapt as you go.

You can always change the size or type of an existing EC2 instance in three simple steps. All you have to do is:


1: stop the instance,
2: change the underlying type or size,
and 3: start the instance again.

Let me quickly walk you through this process in the AWS Management Console.

Step 1: Stop the instance: Right here we have a Web Server that's running on an instance type of t2.micro. Let's select the instance, go to "Instance state", click on "Stop instance" and confirm this dialog. This can take a few minutes but is usually done within a few seconds.

Now let's go to Step 2: Change the instance type. Once the instance state is "Stopped", we'll select the instance again and click on "Actions" → "Instance settings" → Change instance type". This will open a new page where we can select the new instance type. We're currently on a t2.micro instance and could now increase the size, for instance to a t2.medium. We could also migrate to a newer instance of type t3 and either leave the size or change it, too. But we could also completely change the type to, for instance, an m4.large, and click on "Apply.

With the new instance type and size, we can now make sure the instance is selected again and click on "Instance state" → "Start instance". As you can see, the instance state is pending while the instance starts up, and a few seconds later is is up and running again.

Two things to note: The instance ID and the Private IP address haven't even changed. The only thing that's new is the public IP address, so please make sure to take this into account.

If you like this video, please make sure to give me a thumbs up. Thanks for watching, see you in the next one.


ABOUT THIS CHANNEL
My name's Dennis and I share tips to help you grow your Amazon Web Services (AWS) skills, build well-architected applications, and learn the best tools and skills required to help you on your cloud journey. If you're a developer, business owner or hobbyist who is interested in learning about AWS and the cloud make sure to subscribe for helpful training videos.

I'm working at AWS as a Developer Advocate and Technical Evangelist, taking care of the builder community in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. I'm AWS Certified (SA Pro, DevOps Pro, Security Specialist, and all Associate-level certifications) and have been actively developing for the cloud since 2011. During that time I've helped countless developers and businesses build their applications in the cloud through training, content, and consulting.

If you have any questions or want to request a topic or tutorial just leave a comment on any of my videos and I'll see what I can do to answer it.

Thanks for watching, welcome to the cloud!

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