Launch a Drupal instance

with Amazon Lightsail

Amazon Lightsail is the easiest way to get started on AWS. It offers virtual servers, storage, databases and networking, plus a cost-effective, monthly plan.

This tutorial shows you how to launch and configure a Drupal instance on Lightsail. It includes steps to connect to your instance by using SSH, sign in to your Drupal website, create a static IP, attach it to your instance, create a DNS zone, and map your domain to your instance.

Get started with Amazon Lightsail for free. 

About this Tutorial
Time 30 minutes                                           
Cost Free Tier Eligible
Use Case Compute
Products Amazon Lightsail
Audience Developer
Level Beginner
Last Updated September 11, 2020

1. Create an Amazon Lightsail account

This tutorial is free tier eligible. 

Once you created an Amazon Lightsail account, sign into the Amazon Lightsail console

Already have an account? Sign-in

2. Create a Drupal instance in Amazon Lightsail

Note: For more information about creating an instance in Lightsail, see Creating an Amazon Lightsail instance in the Amazon Lightsail documentation.


a. Choose Create instance in the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page.


b. Choose the AWS Region and Availability Zone for your instance.


c. Choose your instance image.

  • Choose Linux as the platform.
  • Choose Drupal as the blueprint.

d. Choose an instance plan.

A plan includes a low, predictable cost, machine configuration (RAM, SSD, vCPU), and data transfer allowance. You can try the $3.50 USD Lightsail plan without charge for one month (up to 750 hours). AWS credits one free month to your account.


e. Enter a name for your instance. 

  • Must be unique within each AWS Region in your Lightsail account.
  • Must contain 2 to 255 characters.
  • Must start and end with an alphanumeric character or number.
  • Can include alphanumeric characters, numbers, periods, dashes, and underscores.

f. Choose Create instance. 

3. Connect to your instance via SSH and get the password for your Drupal website

The default password to sign in to your Drupal website is stored on the instance.

Complete the following steps to connect to your instance using the browser-based SSH client in the Lightsail console, and get the password to sign in to your Drupal website.

For more information, Getting the application user name and password for your 'Certified by Bitnami' instance in Amazon Lightsail.


a. On the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose the SSH quick-connect icon for your Drupal instance.


b. After the browser-based SSH client window opens, enter the following command to retrieve the default application password:

cat $HOME/bitnami_application_password

c. Make note of the password displayed on the screen. You use it later to sign in to the administration dashboard of your Dupral website.


h. Chose Create instance. 


Within minutes, your Drupal instance is ready, and you can connect to it using the browser-based SSH client in the Lightsail console.

4. Sign in to your Drupal website

Now that you have the password for your Drupal website, you can sign in. In the administration dashboard, you can change your user password, install plugins, change the theme of your website, and more.

Complete the following steps to sign in to the administration dashboard of your Drupal website.

Note: For more information, Getting the application user name and password for your 'Certified by Bitnami' instance in Amazon Lightsail.


a. In a browser, go to:

http://PublicIpAddress/user/login

In the address, replace PublicIpAddress with the public IP address of your Drupal instance. You can get your instance's public IP address from the Lightsail console as shown in the following image:


b. Log into your site.

  • In the Username box, enter user.
  • In the Password box, enter the default password obtained earlier in this tutorial.
  • Choose Log in

You are now signed in to your Drupal website where you can perform administrative actions. For more information about administering your Drupal website, see the Drupal User Guide in the Drupal documentation.


5. Create a Lightsail static IP address and attach it to your Drupal instance

The default public IP for your Drupal instance changes if you stop and start your instance. A static IP address, attached to an instance, stays the same even if you stop and start your instance.

Complete the following steps to create a static IP address and attach it to your Drupal instance.

Note: For more information, see Create a static IP and attach it to an instance in Amazon Lightsail.


a. On the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose your running Drupal instance.

b. Choose the Networking tab, the choose Create static IP.


c. The static IP location, and attached instance are pre-selected based on the instance that you chose earlier in this tutorial.

d. Name your static IP, then choose Create.

6. Create a Lightsail DNS zone and map a domain to your Drupal instance

Transfer management of your domain's DNS records to Lightsail. This allows you to more easily map a domain to your Drupal instance, and manage more of your website’s resources using the Lightsail console.

Complete the following steps to create a Lightsail DNS zone and map a domain to your Drupal instance.

Note: For more information, see Creating a DNS zone to manage your domain’s DNS records in Amazon Lightsail.


a. On the Networking tab of the Lightsail home page, choose  Create DNS zone. 

b.Enter your domain, then choose Create DNS zone.


c. Make note of the name server address listed on the page.
 
You add these name server addresses to your domain name’s registrar to transfer management of your domain’s DNS records to Lightsail.

d. After management of your domain’s DNS records are transferred to Lightsail, add an A record to point the apex of your domain to your Drupal instance, as follows:
 
You add these name server addresses to your domain name’s registrar to transfer management of your domain’s DNS records to Lightsail.
  • In the DNS zone for your domain, choose Add record.
  • In the Subdomain box, enter an @ symbol to map the apex of your domain (such as example.com) to your instance. The @ symbol explicitly symbolizes that you’re adding an apex record. It is not added as a subdomain.
  • In the Maps to box, choose the static IP that you attached to the Drupal instance in the previous step of this tutorial.
  • Choose the save icon.
  • Allow time for the change to propagate through the internet's DNS before your domain begins routing traffic to your Drupal instance.

Congratulations

You have used Amazon Lightsail to launch and deploy a Drupal instance.

Amazon Lightsail is a great choice to develop, build, and deploy a variety of applications like Drupal, websites, and other blog platforms.

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