Mounting EFS on EC2 Amazon Linux

The error "mount: mount point does not exist" typically occurs when the directory you're trying to mount the EFS to hasn't been created on your EC2 instance. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and resolve this issue:

1. Create the mount point directory: Before mounting, ensure that the directory where you want to mount the EFS exists on your EC2 instance. For example, if you're trying to mount to /mnt/efs, create this directory using:

   sudo mkdir -p /mnt/efs

2. Verify EFS mount helper: Ensure that the Amazon EFS client (amazon-efs-utils) is installed on your EC2 instance. This package includes the EFS mount helper, which is recommended for mounting EFS file systems.

3. Double-check your mount command: Make sure you're using the correct syntax. A typical mount command using the EFS mount helper looks like this:

   sudo mount -t efs -o tls fs-abcd123456789ef0 /mnt/efs

   Replace fs-abcd123456789ef0 with your actual EFS file system ID and /mnt/efs with your desired mount point.

4. Verify security group settings: Confirm that both the EC2 instance's security group and the EFS mount target's security group allow NFS traffic (TCP port 2049) in both directions.

5. Check DNS settings: Ensure that DNS hostnames are enabled in your VPC settings.

6. Verify mount target availability: Make sure the EFS mount target is in the "available" state.

7. Wait for DNS propagation: If you've recently created the EFS or mount target, wait at least 60 seconds for DNS records to propagate fully in the AWS Region.

If you've verified all these points and are still experiencing issues, you may want to try mounting using the mount target's IP address instead of the DNS name to isolate any potential DNS-related problems. Also, check the system logs (/var/log/messages or /var/log/syslog) for any additional error messages that might provide more insight into the issue.
Sources
Mounting EFS file systems - Amazon Elastic File System
Mounting on EC2 Linux instances using the EFS mount helper - Amazon Elastic File System
Troubleshooting mount issues - Amazon Elastic File System
Having trouble mounting an EFS to an EC2 instance | AWS re:Post
Cant mount with EFS Mount Helper | AWS re:Post

Hey, I’ve hit this one before, usually it’s something general issue. That “mount point does not exist” error usually means the directory you're trying to mount the EFS to doesn’t exist yet on the EC2 instance.

Here’s what to check: Did you create the mount directory first? Run this on your EC2: sudo mkdir -p /mnt/efs (Replace /mnt/efs with whatever mount point you're trying to use.)

Make sure you have the NFS client installed: On Amazon Linux: sudo yum install -y nfs-utils

Try the mount command again: sudo mount -t nfs4 -o nfsvers=4.1 fs-<your-efs-id>.efs.<region>.amazonaws.com:/ /mnt/efs

Security Groups & NACLs: Make sure the EC2 SG allows outbound TCP 2049 (not 2040), EFS uses 2049, not 2040. The EFS SG (if using one) should allow inbound TCP 2049 from the EC2’s security group. Same VPC and Subnet/AZ: Double-check that both EC2 and EFS mount target are in the same VPC and Availability Zone.

Use this to confirm: curl http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/placement/availability-zone