F2 instances stuck on pending for a long time

When EC2 instances, including F2 instances, get stuck in a pending state for an extended period, it usually indicates an issue with the instance launch process. Here are some potential reasons and steps you can take to troubleshoot:

1. Resource limits: Check if you've reached your account's limit for F2 instances in the specific region.

2. Capacity issues: There might be insufficient capacity for F2 instances in the Availability Zone you're trying to launch in. Try launching in a different AZ or region.

3. VPC/Subnet configuration: Ensure your VPC and subnet configurations are correct and have available IP addresses.

4. Security groups and network ACLs: Verify that your security group rules and network ACLs are not blocking necessary traffic.

5. EBS volume issues: If you're using EBS volumes, make sure they are in a "good" state and there are no issues with the root volume.

6. AWS service health: Check if there are any ongoing AWS service issues in your region that might be affecting EC2 instances.

To troubleshoot:

1. Wait for a few more minutes, as sometimes larger instances like F2 may take longer to initialize.

2. Check the instance status checks in the EC2 console for more detailed information.

3. Try to force stop the instance if it remains stuck for over 15 minutes, then attempt to start it again.

4. Review CloudWatch logs (if enabled) for any error messages.

5. Consider launching a new instance from a recent backup or snapshot if the issue persists.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you may need to contact AWS Support for further assistance, especially if you suspect there might be an underlying hardware or capacity issue specific to F2 instances.
Sources
Unable to bring online EC2 sql server | AWS re:Post