In this article, we will discuss AWS EC2 and how to create and deploy your services on AWS EC2.
Before we get started, I assume you all have an account on the AWS Console.

Prerequisite

1. An account on AWS Console

2. An app to deploy

Let’s Start

Deploying a service on an AWS EC2 instance involves several steps. Since you've already created an AWS account, follow the process step-by-step. This assumes your service is ready (e.g., built and tested locally) and you have basic familiarity with AWS and command-line tools. If not, don't worry.

Step 1: Set Up Your EC2 Instance

1. Log in to AWS Management Console

   • Go to the AWS Console, and navigate to the EC2 service (search for "EC2" in the search bar).

2. Create an Instance

   • Name and tags: Name of your service.

   • Application and OS Images (Amazon Machine Image): In image choose Amazon Linux or Ubuntu. By The Way i choose ubuntu.

   • Choose free tier for practice

• Instance type: t2.micro

• Create Key Pair: Give your instance a memorable name or any name you prefer. Choose RSA and .pem. Remember, you cannot access your instance without this key pair.

• Network settings: Create Security group and Allow SSH traffic and Allow HTTP traffic from the internet.

• Keep the rest of the settings the same, and then launch the instance.

3. Launch an EC2 Instance

After clicking "Launch Instance," your instances window will show one running instance. Be sure to stop or terminate the instance after testing by selecting the option through the instance state.

Step 2: Connect to Your EC2 Instance

1. SSH into the Instance

• Open a terminal on your local machine.

• Run:

    ssh -i loopback4-key.pem ubuntu@<public-ip>
  

  Replace with your instance’s public IP (e.g., 54.123.45.67). For Amazon Linux 2, use ec2-user instead of ubuntu.

2. Update the System

• Run:

    sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y  # For Ubuntu
    # OR
    sudo yum update -y  # For Amazon Linux
  

Step 3: Install Node.js and Dependencies

Install Tools

1. In my app LoopBack 4 requires Node.js (LTS recommended, e.g., 18.x or 20.x).

   • For Ubuntu:

    curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
    sudo apt install -y nodejs

• For Amazon Linux 2:

    curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
    sudo yum install -y nodejs

• Verify: node -v and npm -v.

2. Install Git

   • If you plan to clone your repo:

    sudo apt install git -y (Ubuntu)

    sudo yum install git -y (Amazon Linux 2)

3. Install other services needed for your app, such as databases and any additional components.

Step 4: Deploy Your LoopBack 4 Microservice

1. Transfer Your Code via Git
   Option 1: Use Git

• Clone your repo:

    git clone <your-repo-url>
    cd <your-repo-folder>
    npm install
  

• SSH back in, then:

    cd ~/app
    npm install
  

2. Copy Files from Local Machine to EC2 (via Terminal / SCP)

   Prerequisites:

• You have your .pem private key.

• Your local machine has scp or rsync installed.

• The EC2 instance's security group allows SSH (port 22).

Using scp (Secure Copy):

For ubuntu image:

scp -i /path/to/your-key.pem -r /path/to/your/project-folder ubuntu@your-ec2-ip:/home/ec2-user/

Permissions & Post-Transfer Tips

• After uploading, you might want to set permissions:

    chmod -R 755 your-folder
  

  3. Check your Inbound Setting inside EC2 Security group. (Optional) To make your EC2 instance accessible, verify the inbound rules in your Security Group:

     • If you need open access, you can add a new inbound rule:

       • Type: All TCP

       • Port Range: 0–65535

       • Source: 0.0.0.0/0 (for all IPs)

⚠️ Warning: Allowing all TCP traffic from anywhere (0.0.0.0/0) is a major security risk and should only be used temporarily for testing. It's recommended to restrict access to specific IP addresses or only open required ports (e.g., 22 for SSH, 80/443 for web apps).

4. Test your app

    npm start

• Open a browser or use curl from another terminal:
  curl http://<public-ip>:80

• If it works, stop the app with Ctrl+C.

Of course! Here's an even more fun and casual version:

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Conclusion

And that’s it! You’ve just deployed your service on AWS EC2, and it wasn’t as scary as it seemed, right? 🎉 It’s like learning to ride a bike — once you get the hang of it, you’ll be zooming down the cloud highway in no time. 🚴‍♂️💨

With EC2, you’ve got a powerful tool in your hands to host your app, scale it up when things go wild, and even scale it down when you're feeling lazy. (We all have those days.) 😎 And hey, AWS isn’t going to judge you for taking a nap while your services run smoothly in the background. 😴

So go ahead, launch that app, pop a celebratory snack, and give yourself a high-five for being a cloud wizard. 🧙‍♂️🚀 You’ve got this!

Make sure you terminate your EC2 instance or stop it. Otherwise, AWS may charge you.

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