--- title: "How to Process AWS EC2 Backup with EBS Snapshots" description: "Be prepared and don't just rely on AWS to bail you out. Learn how to create AWS EC2 backup using EBS snapshots in this tutorial." canonical: "https://adamtheautomator.com/aws-ec2-backup/" --- # How to Process AWS EC2 Backup with EBS Snapshots > Be prepared and don't just rely on AWS to bail you out. Learn how to create AWS EC2 backup using EBS snapshots in this tutorial. Source: https://adamtheautomator.com/aws-ec2-backup/ --- ATA Learning Tap to hide [ ATA Learning ](/) * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Search for: * [](https://twitter.com/adbertram) * [](https://github.com/Adam-the-Automator) * [](https://www.linkedin.com/company/adam-the-automator-llc) * [](/feed/) ![How to Process AWS EC2 Backup with EBS Snapshots](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/How-to-Backup-AWS-EC2-Instances-with-EBS-Snapshots.jpg) # How to Process AWS EC2 Backup with EBS Snapshots [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4122a8cb07a9edbf3d2bc5b54fe7d21ed3e9a68acb4d978973fa8899c236c06b?s=192&d=mm&r=g)Justin Sylvester](https://adamtheautomator.com/author/justin-s/)12 March 20216 min. read Categories: [Cloud](/category/cloud/) Tags:[AWS](/tag/aws/) Table of Contents * [Prerequisites](#h-prerequisites) * [Creating an EBS Snapshot from the AWS Management Console](#h-creating-an-ebs-snapshot-from-the-aws-management-console) * [Navigating to the EC2 Console](#h-navigating-to-the-ec2-console) * [Creating an EBS Snapshot in the EC2 Console](#h-creating-an-ebs-snapshot-in-the-ec2-console) * [Creating an EBS Snapshot using the AWS CLI](#h-creating-an-ebs-snapshot-using-the-aws-cli) * [Next Steps](#h-next-steps) [_Amazon Web Services (AWS)_](https://aws.amazon.com/what-is-aws/) EC2 instances are a convenient way to run workloads on Virtual Machines (VM). But what happens if the storage they’re attached to fails or becomes corrupt? It’s time to begin discussing an AWS EC2 backup. Not a reader? Watch this related video tutorial! **_Not seeing the video? Make sure your ad blocker is disabled._** When you backup an EC2 instance, you’ll be talking [_Elastic Block Store (EBS)_](https://aws.amazon.com/ebs/?ebs-whats-new.sort-by=item.additionalFields.postDateTime&ebs-whats-new.sort-order=desc) volumes, more specifically [_EBS snapshots_](https://aws.amazon.com/ebs/snapshots/). EC2 stores all volumes with EBS and taking an EBS snapshot is a great way to backup your data. In this tutorial, you’re going to learn how to create EBS snapshots with the [_AWS Management Console_](https://aws.amazon.com/console/) and the [_AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI)_](https://aws.amazon.com/cli/). Related:[How to Manage and Automate AWS EC2 Snapshots with PowerShell](https://adamtheautomator.com/ec2-snapshot/) > _If you’d like to manage [EC2](https://adamtheautomator.com/ec2-snapshot/) backups/EBS snapshots the easy way, be sure to check out [Veeam Backup for AWS](https://www.veeam.com/aws-native-backup-recovery.html?utm_campaign=08NM-AWS-GB_Global_EN_0_Custom_Trial_aws-backup&utm_source=adamtheautomator.com&utm_medium=dcm&st=pa&ccode=dcmbloggers&dclid=CJaf4vSkjfUCFQ2ClgodW9IEHA). Veeam takes care of not only creating EBS snapshots but manages replication, intelligently monitors for changed blocks, and provides a public API._ ## Prerequisites This article will be a tutorial. If you plan on following along step-by-step, you will need the following: * An [_AWS Account_](https://aws.amazon.com/free/?all-free-tier.sort-by=item.additionalFields.SortRank&all-free-tier.sort-order=asc) * An [_AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/vpc/latest/userguide/vpc-getting-started.html#getting-started-create-vpc) * An [_EC2 instance with an attached volume_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/WindowsGuide/EC2_GetStarted.html) * An [_IAM User_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_users_create.html) with: * AWS Management Console access * Programmatic access to AWS Services * The [_IAM permissions_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_users_change-permissions.html) required to perform snapshot-related activities. > _IAM policy creation and AWS Application Programming Interface (API) permissions are outside the scope of this article. Always adhere to the [principle of least privilege](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/best-practices.html#grant-least-privilege) when authorizing accounts to perform actions._ * The [_AWS CLI_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/install-cliv2.html) installed and authenticated with your IAM user on your local machine. ## Creating an EBS Snapshot from the AWS Management Console There are a few different ways to create EBS snapshots. Let’s get started creating snapshots via the AWS management console. > _EBS Snapshots may incur storage costs. For more information on how EBS billing is calculated, reference the [AWS Documentation](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/ebs-snapshot-billing/)._ ### Navigating to the EC2 Console To get started: 1. [Open the AWS Management Console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/) and sign in to your AWS account by supplying your AWS (root) or IAM account credentials. 2\. Click **Services** on the upper left-hand corner of your screen. ![AWS Management Console showing services drop-down menu.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T083935.953.png) AWS Management Console showing services drop-down menu. 3\. Select **EC2** from the **Services** drop-down menu. The **EC2** option is located under the **Compute** category, as shown below. This option will take you to the EC2 console. ![AWS Management Console showing services drop-down menu and EC2 selection.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T084027.757.png) AWS Management Console showing services drop-down menu and EC2 selection. You should now be on the **Resources** dashboard. The **Resources** dashboard provides quick insight into the EC2-related resources that are established within your selected [_region_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/using-regions-availability-zones.html#concepts-regions). In the screenshot below, you can see that this tutorial’s **Resources** dashboard indicates that the following are established for the signed-in user in the US East (N. Virginia) region. ![EC2 Console Resources Dashboard showing established resources.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T084120.091-1.png) EC2 Console Resources Dashboard showing established resources. ### Creating an EBS Snapshot in the EC2 Console Once you’ve navigated to the EC2 console and are looking at your expected region, it’s time to create an EBS Snapshot (AWS EC2 backup). To accomplish this task: 1. Select **Snapshots** under **Elastic Block Store** from the navigation pane located on the left-hand side of the screen. ![EC2 Console showing Snapshots selection.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T084239.067.png) EC2 Console showing Snapshots selection. 2\. Next, select **Create Snapshot** from the top of your screen. Selecting **Create Snapshot** will bring you to a menu that requires some additional input. ![Snapshots section of the EC2 Console showing Create Snapshot selection.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T084313.451.png) Snapshots section of the EC2 Console showing Create Snapshot selection. 3\. On the **Create Snapshot** page, set the resource type to **Volume** under the **Select resource type** field. Setting the resource type to **Volume** tells AWS to capture a snapshot of a single EBS volume; not all volumes attached to the EC2 instance. ![Create Snapshot menu showing Volume and Instance selection.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T084403.064.png) Create Snapshot menu showing Volume and Instance selection. 4\. Next, select the Volume ID of the EBS Volume to snapshot from the dropdown menu. The Volume ID is a unique identifier that is assigned to each [_EBS Volume_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ebs-describing-volumes.html). In the following screenshot, you will see that this tutorial’s Volume ID **vol-0b4f056a0b709240a** is selected. ![Create Snapshot menu showing completed Volume field.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T084450.344.png) Create Snapshot menu showing completed Volume field. 5\. Now enter a description for your EBS Snapshot in the **Description** field. The **Description** field is optional and can hold up to 255 characters. You’ll see this description later on as a property on the EBS snapshot. This tutorial will use **Volume Snapshot for ATA Blog** for the description. ![Create Snapshot menu showing the completed Description field.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T085927.345-1024x488.png) Create Snapshot menu showing the completed Description field. 6\. Next, you can [_tag_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/Using_Tags.html) your EBS snapshot using optional key/value pairings. Tags are a powerful way to manage and organize your resources within AWS. This tutorial will use tags that exemplify a common use case for a server. > _Other common tags include Name, Owner, Environment, and Purpose._ ![Create Snapshot menu showing completed Tag field.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T095433.815.png) Create Snapshot menu showing completed Tag field. 7\. Now click on the **Create Snapshot** button to create the EBS snapshot. ![Create Snapshot menu showing Create Snapshot selection. ](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T095537.594.png) Create Snapshot menu showing Create Snapshot selection. > _This tutorial did not cover the **[Encrypted](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/EBSEncryption.html)** field. EBS snapshots created from unencrypted EBS Volumes cannot be encrypted during EBS snapshot creation. To encrypt an EBS Snapshot taken from an unencrypted EBS Volume, you must first complete the unencrypted EBS Snapshot, [copy the unencrypted EBS Snapshot](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ebs-copy-snapshot.html), and apply the desired encryption. Snapshots that are taken from encrypted volumes are automatically encrypted._ 8\. When complete, the EC2 console prompts you with the following success message. Discard the message by selecting **Close.** ![Message indicating success Snapshot Create Request.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T095648.023.png) Message indicating success Snapshot Create Request. You should now see the EBS snapshot listed in the console with a **pending** status. It will remain in this status until all modified EBS volume blocks are transferred to Amazon S3. ![Snapshots section of the EC2 Console showing pending snapshot.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T095727.586.png) Snapshots section of the EC2 Console showing pending snapshot. > _Initial EBS snapshots take longer to create because they are full backups, unlike subsequent incremental backups. If it seems like the snapshot is taking longer than it should, trigger a refresh of the status using the refresh icon located in the upper right-hand corner of your screen._ Once the snapshot is complete, you’ll see a **Status of** **completed** as shown below. ![Snapshots section of the EC2 Console showing completed snapshot.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T095801.396.png) Snapshots section of the EC2 Console showing completed snapshot. You have now created an AWS EC2 backup! ## Creating an EBS Snapshot using the AWS CLI In the last section, you created an EBS snapshot using AWS’s web-based console, but that is not the only way to do it! You can also backup an EC2 instance by creating a snapshot via the AWS CLI. To create your snapshot with the AWS CLI assuming you have the AWS CLI installed and authenticated to your account: 1. Open a command prompt or PowerShell console on your Windows computer 2\. Run the `aws ec2 describe-volumes` command with the `--query` parameter to output a list of instances and volume IDs. Note the Volume ID that you want to snapshot. ```bash aws ec2 describe-volumes --query 'Volumes[*].Attachments[].{VolumeID:VolumeId,InstanceID:InstanceId}' --output text ``` 3\. Run the command `aws ec2 create-snapshot` providing the following parameters: * `volume-id` – the unique Volume ID of the EBS Volume that you are attempting to backup * `description` – the description that you would like to apply to the backup * `tag-specifications` – the tags that you would like to append to the backup The following command creates a snapshot of the volume that you specify to the right with the `--volume-id` parameter with the description of _Volume Snapshot for ATA Blog via the AWS CLI_ and two Tags; _Name: FileServer01_ and _Purpose: Enterprise File Storage_. ```bash # Be sure to insert your volume ID aws ec2 create-snapshot --volume-id --description 'Volume Snapshot for ATA Blog via the AWS CLI' --tag-specifications 'ResourceType=snapshot,Tags=[{Key=Name,Value=FileServer01},{Key=Purpose,Value=Enterprise File Storage}]' ``` ![AWS CLI output showing successful command output. ](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T100104.613.png) AWS CLI output showing successful command output. > _AWS allows you to [configure the default output format of AWS CLI commands](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/cli-usage-output-format.html), based on user preference. Output format selections include JSON, YAML, YAML-Stream, Text, and Table. The output of your command is dependent on the configuration of your AWS CLI and may be different than the output displayed above._ 4\. Now check on the status of the snapshot with the `aws ec2 describe-snapshots` command by providing the snapshot’s ID to the `--snapshot-id` parameter. Find the snapshot ID from the `SnapshotID` property returned in step 2. > _If you don’t know the snapshot ID, search all of your snapshots using `aws ec2 describe-snapshots --owner self`._ ```bash # Be sure to insert your snapshot ID aws ec2 describe-snapshots --snapshot-id ``` Eventually, the `describe-snapshots` command should return a `Progress` of `100%` and a `State` of `completed` as shown below. ![AWS CLI output showing completed EBS Snapshot.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Untitled-2021-03-07T100315.738.png) AWS CLI output showing completed EBS Snapshot. Great work! You just programmatically created an EBS Snapshot using the AWS CLI! ## Next Steps In this tutorial, you’ve learned how to create backups of Amazon EC2 instances with EBS snapshots using the web-based AWS console and programmatic AWS CLI. If you’re done testing with the snapshot you’ve created in this tutorial, be sure to [_delete it_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ebs-deleting-snapshot.html) to avoid being charged! To go farther, how about trying to [_restore an EC2 instance_](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/backup-recovery/restore.html)? 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