Modify EC2 Instance Type

Modifying EC2 Instance Type

EC2 instance type modification diagram

Overview

ℹ️ Information: Selecting the appropriate Amazon EC2 instance type is a critical decision that determines the compute capabilities of your virtual server. The instance type you choose affects several key performance factors:

  • Compute: CPU architecture (Intel, AMD, AWS Graviton ARM-based processors, GPU accelerators)
  • Memory: RAM allocation for applications and workloads
  • Network: Bandwidth and throughput capabilities
  • Storage: EBS optimization and local instance storage options

Step-by-Step Instance Type Modification

Step 1: Access the EC2 Instance

Sign in to the AWS Management Console: - Navigate to the EC2 service - In the navigation pane, select Instances - Locate and select your Windows-instance

Step 2: Confirm Instance Stoppage

Make sure the instance is Stopped. If not, choose Instance state → Stop instance and wait for it to stop.

Confirming instance stop

⚠️ Warning: An EC2 instance must be in the stopped state before you can modify its instance type. This will temporarily interrupt any applications running on the instance.

Step 3: Change the Instance Type

Access the instance type settings: - Click on Actions - Expand Instance settings - Select Change instance type

Accessing instance type settings

Step 4: Select the New Instance Type

In the Change instance type dialog: - From the New instance type dropdown, search t3.medium and select it. - Review the new specifications (vCPUs, memory, network performance) - Scroll down and click Change instance type

Selecting new instance type

Step 5: Restart the Instance

  1. After the instance type has been changed:

    • Select the Windows-instance
    • Verify the new Instance type is displayed correctly
    • Click on Instance state
    • Select Start instance

    Verifying instance type change

Step 6: Verify Instance Status

  1. Monitor the instance status:

    • Wait approximately 5 minutes for the instance to fully initialize
    • Confirm that Status check shows 3/3 checks passed
    • Verify that Instance state displays Running.
    • Note: The public IP address changes after a restart.

    Starting the instance

🔒 Security Note: When changing instance types, security groups, IAM roles, and other security configurations remain unchanged. However, it’s a good practice to review these settings after any instance modification.