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Cloud Computing · Intermediate

EC2 User Data

Script or cloud-init data passed to an EC2 instance that runs at first boot to bootstrap configuration.

Definition

User data lets you supply shell scripts or cloud-init directives that execute as root at the instance's first launch by default. It is commonly used to install packages, pull configuration and register with services, and is retrievable from the instance metadata service, so it must not contain secrets.

Example

A user data script runs yum install -y httpd and starts the web server on launch.

Exam tip

User data runs only at first boot unless configured otherwise; secrets belong in Secrets Manager or Parameter Store, not user data.

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