Related: EC2, EC2 Image Builder, EC2 Instance Export caveats

AMI – Amazon Machine Image
Regional and has unique ID, same distribution to be published in multiple regions
Consider it as a logical container

Image type with which you launch your instance. Built for specific regions and can be copied to one another.
3 Types:

  • Public – AWS provided
  • Owner – in-house, you make them and can share to multiple AWS accounts or outside
  • Marketplace – which were made by someone else

You capture EC2 instance into an AMI, allows to customize your deployment.

Containing

  • Permissions.
  • Device ID of connected volumes.
  • Block Device Mapping to newly created snapshots of EBS volumes.

AMI Baking – creating an AMI form a configured instance (golden imaging)
AMI cannot be edited – launch a new instance and update configuration
Can be copied between regions (w/ snapshots), absolutely new AMI unique name