Converting an Existing PV AMI to HVM on Amazon EC2: A Guide
Converting an Existing PV AMI to HVM on Amazon EC2: A Guide
AWS EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances offer two virtualization types: Paravirtual (PV) and Hardware Virtual Machine (HVM). PV instances were the early approach, however, HVM instances are now the default choice due to their superior performance and broader functionality.
Are you stuck with a PV AMI and want to convert it to HVM? This article will guide you step-by-step on how to accomplish this task.
1. What are PV and HVM?
Paravirtual (PV) AMIs were the original virtualization type offered by AWS. They operate by allowing the guest operating system to communicate directly with the hypervisor to increase performance. However, they lack the ability to take advantage of performance improvements and additional functionality provided by virtualization hardware extensions.
Hardware Virtual Machine (HVM) AMIs, on the other hand, present a fully virtualized set of hardware to the guest operating system. HVM instances can leverage virtualization hardware extensions for better performance, and they support a broader range of instance types.
2. How to Convert an existing PV AMI to HVM
Step 1: Create a Snapshot of the PV Instance
First, we need to create a snapshot of the EBS volume attached to the PV instance. To do this, navigate to the EC2 Dashboard, then ‘Volumes’. Select the volume attached to the PV instance and click ‘Actions’ > ‘Create Snapshot’.
Step 2: Create a new HVM instance
Next, launch a new HVM instance. This can be any HVM AMI (for this guide, we’ll use the Amazon Linux AMI). Ensure it’s in the same region and Availability Zone as your PV instance.
Step 3: Stop the newly created HVM instance
Once the HVM instance is running, stop it by selecting it from the ‘Instances’ list, then clicking ‘Actions’ > ‘Instance State’ > ‘Stop’.
Step 4: Detach the root EBS volume from the HVM instance
From the EC2 Dashboard, go to ‘Volumes’. Detach the EBS volume that was automatically attached to the HVM instance during creation. To do this, select the volume, click ‘Actions’ > ‘Detach Volume’.
Step 5: Create a new EBS volume from the snapshot
Now, go to ‘Snapshots’ in the EC2 Dashboard. Select the snapshot we created earlier, then click ‘Actions’ > ‘Create Volume’. Make sure the volume is created in the same Availability Zone as the HVM instance.
Step 6: Attach the new volume to the HVM instance
Select the newly created volume from ‘Volumes’, then click ‘Actions’ > ‘Attach Volume’. Attach it to the HVM instance we created earlier. Make sure to specify the device name as ‘/dev/xvda’.
Step 7: Start the HVM instance
Finally, navigate back to ‘Instances’, select the HVM instance, and click ‘Actions’ > ‘Instance State’ > ‘Start’.
And voila! You have successfully converted a PV AMI to an HVM instance. To confirm this, you can check the ‘virtualization type’ in the instance description.
Conclusion
The transition from PV to HVM instances in Amazon EC2 allows users to take advantage of enhanced performance capabilities and a wider range of instance types. While the conversion process may seem complex, following the steps outlined in this guide should make the process straightforward.
Remember, always back up your data before making significant changes to your instances, and ensure that your applications are compatible with HVM before making the switch.
Happy converting!
keywords: Amazon EC2, PV AMI, HVM AMI, convert PV to HVM, EC2 instance, EBS volume, snapshot, virtualization type
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