Installing Drupal on Lightsail.

I'll log into the AWS console using the execution account created in IAM and install Drupal on Lightsail.

The process involves creating a Drupal instance on Lightsail. This instance is a Drupal package that Bitnami has optimized for Lightsail. I didn't fully understand what Lightsail was at first, but simply put, it's the equivalent of a VPS as offered by domestic hosting services.

Lightsail offers two approaches: an [OS only] plan where you install just the OS and build your environment yourself, and a plan where [OS and application are packaged together], ready to use as soon as installation is complete.

1. The [OS only plan] works like a typical VPS — you select and install the OS, then install any applications you need and build the environment yourself.
2. The [OS + application package plan] installs the OS and an application like WordPress or Drupal simultaneously, making it well-suited for dedicated use of WordPress or Drupal.

Either option can run Drupal, but since this was my first time using AWS, I chose the OS + Drupal package to keep the setup as simple as possible and get Drupal up and running quickly. This Drupal package is the one prepared by Bitnami.

Bitnami distributes a large number of CMSes and frameworks optimized for cloud services. Well-known examples include versions optimized for AWS as well as Google Cloud and Azure.

One advantage of Bitnami packages is that they come with the basic Apache and DB configuration needed for installation, pre-optimized and tested against the OS, PHP, DB, and other environments provided by each cloud service. This means installation is as simple as selecting the CMS or framework you want from the AWS console.

1. The process involves installing Drupal onto the Lightsail virtual server.
2. The Bitnami Drupal instance comes as a package with Apache and MariaDB already configured.
3. The Lightsail virtual server is set up and installed simultaneously with the pre-configured Drupal package instance on Lightsail.

1. [Instances] — Shows instances installed on the virtual server. 『Drupal instance displayed』
2. [Containers] — Shows container services. 『Not in use』
3. [Databases] — Shows databases. 『Not in use』
4. [Networking] — Shows static IPs, load balancers, and CDN. 『Static IP only in use』
5. [Storage] — Shows additional disks. 『Not in use』
6. [Domains and DNS] — Shows DNS zones and registered domains. 『Both DNS and domain in use』
7. [Snapshots] — Shows snapshots/backups. 『Not in use』
8. [Export] — Allows exporting data from instances or snapshots to a new EC2.
9. [Documentation] — Lightsail documentation

1. [Select an instance location] → 『Displays Virginia - Zone A』 This may vary depending on your login settings. Click "Change AWS Region and Availability Zone" and select 『Tokyo』 from the displayed regions.
2. [Select a platform]
3. [Select an instance image] → Choose Linux/Unix or Microsoft. Select 『Linux/Unix』.
4. [Select a blueprint] → Apps + OS / OS Only. Select 『Apps + OS』.
5. [From the CMS options displayed] → Select 『Drupal』.
6. [Optional settings] → Launch script. 『Not configured.』 ※ Allows adding additional installation scripts.
7. [Change SSH key pair] → 『SSH keys can be configured here. Fine to set up later — not configured here.』
8. [Enable automatic snapshots] → 『Can be configured later — not selected here.』

1. [Select a network type] → Select 『Dual-stack』.
2. [Choose your instance plan] →  // Select from options ranging from $5 to $384. Select 『$12 - 2 GB RAM - 2 vCPUs - 60 GB SSD - 3 TB transfer』.
3. [Identify your instance] → 『1 Drupal instance』
4. [Tagging options] → Optional. Example: 『Drupal』
5. [Add key-value tags] → Optional. Example: 『Bootstrap / Blog』

Click Create instance.

1. Read the Bitnami documentation
2. Obtain the Drupal admin login credentials
3. The instance IP address is dynamic by default, so assign a static IP address
4. The Drupal admin panel is up — log in and complete the initial setup
5. Assign a domain
6. Configure SSL
7. Build the website from the Drupal admin panel
8. Create a snapshot of the instance

1. Select your account name in the upper right of the Lightsail management console.
2. Select "Account" from the dropdown menu.
3. The Account screen appears — select "SSH keys."
4. Under custom keys, select "Create key pair."
5. A region selection screen appears — select the Tokyo region where you installed the Drupal instance.
6. Enter a name and generate the key — for example, "drupal."
7. Download the generated key. A key file called drupal.pem will be downloaded.
8. For Mac setup, move the SSH key to MacintoshHD > Users > [username] > .ssh folder.
9. Since it's a hidden file, move it either using the mv command in Terminal or by using the Finder method below.
10. The easiest way is to show hidden files in Finder and drag the file. Command + Shift + . (period)
11. Once the key is in the .ssh folder, enter the following command in Terminal to SSH into Lightsail.
12. ssh -i ~/.ssh/drupal.pem bitnami@<instance static IP>
13. This completes the SSH login to the Bitnami instance.

1. Select "Domains and DNS" from the left menu of the Lightsail management console.
2. Click "Register domain" to open the Route 53 domain registration screen.
3. Fill in the required fields: [Domain name], [Auto-renew], [Contact information], [Privacy protection], and [DNS zone].
4. Click [Register domain].
5. A confirmation email will be sent to the address entered in the contact information. When it arrives, click the link in the email.
6. A "verified" message appears, completing the Route 53 contact verification.
7. The registered domain is now ready to use.
8. Enable domain transfer lock in Route 53.

1. For static IP setup, select "Networking" from the left menu of the Lightsail management console.
2. Since the public IPv4 address is dynamic, [attach] a [static address].
3. Once the static IP is active, it will appear in the Drupal instance screen as something like [StaticIP-1].

1. For DNS setup, select "Domains and DNS" from the left menu of the Lightsail management console.
2. Select "Create DNS zone."
3. The DNS zone settings screen for the domain name opens.
4. The domain tab shows nameserver information. Since the domain was registered with Route 53, nameservers are automatically assigned.
5. Select "Assign" and assign the domain and static IP. Add the root domain, the www-prefixed domain, and any subdomains as needed. For each, choose from root domain, subdomain, or all subdomains, and select either the static IP or IPv6.
6. Once the assignment is complete, configure DNS records. Click "Add record," select A record as the record type, and add the root domain, www-prefixed domain, and subdomains as needed. [Record type: A record], [Record name: domain], [Resolves to: static IP].
7. Enter the subdomain portion in the record name field. For the root domain, since a blank entry is not allowed, enter @ so it becomes @.example.com.

Lightsail

Official User Guide 

The comprehensive Lightsail guide.

Set up and customize your Drupal website on Lightsail 

Covers installation and configuration for the Drupal instance installed here.

Bitnami AWS Cloud Package

Official User Guide / English 

The official Bitnami guide for the Drupal package installed here.

Lightsail Domains and DNS Guide

Official User Guide

Covers domain registration and DNS management through the Lightsail interface.

Route 53: Registering a New Domain 

Domain registration and management are both handled through Route 53.

Amazon Work Mail.

The next article covers setting up an email account for the registered domain.