Safely Upgrade an EC2 Instance from t1.micro to Large

If you’re using a t1.micro instance in your production environment and you’re ready to scale up, upgrading to a larger instance type could be just what you need. Fortunately, AWS makes it relatively straightforward, but there are best practices to ensure this transition is smooth and, most importantly, safe for your production system.

To start, you should always back up your data. This is non-negotiable, especially when tinkering with production environments. AWS offers several ways to perform backups, including creating Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) of your instances or utilizing Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) Snapshots if your storage is backed by EBS.

1. Backup Your Data:

   • Create a snapshot of your EBS volumes. This will ensure that you can revert back in case anything goes wrong during the upgrade.
   • Alternatively, or additionally, create an AMI of your current instance, which captures the full state of your instance at that time.

2. Check for Compatibility and Limitations:

   • Before stopping your instance, make sure the new instance type is compatible with your existing resources, especially if specific network or hardware configurations are required. For example, ensure that any specialized hardware requirements are met.

3. Stop the Instance:

   • Using the AWS Management Console, locate your instance, then stop it. Stopping the instance ensures that no data is being actively processed, which helps prevent corruption or data loss.
   • Be aware that stopping and changing the instance type will incur downtime, so plan this action during a maintenance window when service disruption will be minimal.

4. Change the Instance Type:

   • With the instance stopped, you can now change its type by choosing the appropriate size: in this case, from t1.micro to a large instance.
   • Navigate to the Instance Settings > Change Instance Type dialog to select the new instance type.

5. Start the Instance:

   • After changing the instance type, start the instance back up. Monitor the system during the startup to ensure it is behaving as expected.
   • Testing is critical here. Verify all services and applications are running correctly post-upgrade.

6. Post-Upgrade Checks:

   • Once again, check if all applications are functioning as they should. Validate performance improvements and check logs for any unexpected behavior.
   • If you detect any issues, you can revert to the saved AMI or EBS snapshot to return the instance to its previous state.

An important note on changing instance types: Network configurations such as static IP addresses should not be affected by this change, as they adhere to the Elastic Network Interface (ENI) rather than the instance type. However, it’s always good practice to verify post-migration.

For further assistance, refer to the AWS Changing the Instance Type documentation, which provides additional context and detailed steps for both the AWS Management Console and CLI.