Is it possible to automate the creation of AMIs in AWS?

Question

These are steps I found in an AWS document: You can create an AMI using the AWS Management Console or the command line.

The following diagram summarizes the process for creating an Amazon EBS-backed AMI from a running EC2 instance. Start with an existing AMI, launch an instance, customize it, create a new AMI from it, and finally launch an instance of your new AMI.

Is it possible for these to be automated? I am not sure which service to use at the moment or if it even is possible. any ideas appreciated

Answer 1

I think the best tool you can try among the existing tool is packer. Out of the box, Packer comes with support to build images for Amazon EC2, CloudStack, DigitalOcean, Docker, Google Compute Engine, Microsoft Azure, QEMU, VirtualBox, VMware, and more.

Modern, Automated

HashiCorp Packer automates the creation of any type of machine image. It embraces modern configuration management by encouraging you to use automated scripts to install and configure the software within your Packer-made images. Packer brings machine images into the modern age, unlocking untapped potential and opening new opportunities.

Here is repo that contain complete life cycle

This Packer AMI Builder creates a new AMI out of the latest Amazon Linux AMI, and also provides a cloudformation template that leverages AWS CodePipeline to orchestrate the entire process. packer

All you need

git add .
git commit -m "SHIP THIS AMI"
git push origin master

ami-builder-packer

This Packer AMI Builder creates a new AMI out of the latest Amazon Linux AMI, and also provides a cloudformation template that leverages AWS CodePipeline to orchestrate the entire process.

Also packer provide cross-cloud service provider AMI builder AWS, Azure and Google cloud etc.