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Updating to better Windows instance but old instance does not have ENA

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Changing instance from c3.Large to M5n.Large I am using Windows Server 2012 It is a web app server.

I am getting en error that the c3 does not have ENA. How can I move forward with updating my instance?

I have searched aws and seen a couple of things. One was updating or adding the ENA driver (But that could cause issues) The other was something about creating a new instance from AMI but, trying that does not work as the ami is not ENA

Then something about creating the new instance then using the ami to restore?

I am a bit confused. anyone else had this problem or can point me to a reliable source?

Buddy

Topics
Compute
Tags
Amazon EC2
Language
English

asked a year ago230 views

2 Answers
1

c3 is a previous generation (Xen) instance type, while m5n is a Nitro instance type.

To migrate, you will need to install necessary drivers. The AWSSupport-UpgradeWindowsAWSDrivers automation document can help. Refer to Migrate an EC2 Windows instance to a Nitro-based instance type for more details.

AWS
EXPERT

answered a year ago

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To migrate your Windows Server 2012 instance from a c3.Large (Xen-based) to an M5n.Large (Nitro-based) instance, you'll need to address the ENA (Elastic Network Adapter) requirement. Here's how to proceed:

Option 1: Upgrade the drivers on your existing instance before changing the instance type:

  1. Create a backup AMI of your current instance for safety
  2. While your instance is still running as c3.Large, download and install the latest ENA driver
  3. Extract the zip archive and run the install.ps1 PowerShell script
  4. Set the enaSupport instance attribute to activate enhanced networking
  5. Stop the instance
  6. Change the instance type to M5n.Large
  7. Start the instance

Option 2: If you're encountering issues with the direct upgrade approach:

  1. Stop your current instance
  2. Change back to the c3.Large instance type if you've already attempted to change it
  3. Start the instance
  4. Connect via RDP
  5. Install and upgrade the ENA driver
  6. Upgrade AWS NVMe drivers (also required for Nitro instances)
  7. Stop the instance
  8. Change to the M5n.Large instance type
  9. Start the instance

Option 3: Use AWS Systems Manager Automation to help with the migration:

You can use the AWSSupport-UpgradeWindowsAWSDrivers automation document to upgrade the necessary drivers automatically, which will prepare your instance for migration to the Nitro-based instance type.

For all options, ensure you have a backup of your data, especially if you have data on instance store volumes. Using an Elastic IP address instead of a public IP address is also recommended to maintain the same IP after the instance type change.
Sources
Troubleshoot an RDP connection on Windows Server after EC2 change | AWS re:Post
Migrate an EC2 Windows instance to a Nitro-based instance type - Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud

answered a year ago

EXPERT

reviewed a year ago

  • Buddy
    a year ago

    I created an AMI, brought up a duplicate c3 instance

    I upgraded from 2012 to 2016 as it appeared the ENA driver was not supported on 2012

    I installed the driver with no error, rebooted but no change to my adapter.

    Further reading suggests it is impossible to change instance from a c3 to anything that is ENA capable.

    There seems like there should be a path forward?

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