This topic descirbes how to create and manage a Windows instance in the Elastic Compute Service (ECS) console. In this topic, Internet Information Services (IIS) is configured for an ecs.g6.large instance that runs the Windows Server 2016 operating system.

Preparations

  1. Create an account and complete the account information.
  2. Optional:Create a virtual private cloud (VPC). Alibaba Cloud provides a default VPC. If you do not want to use the default VPC, you can create a VPC and a vSwitch in the region where you want to create an ECS instance.
    For more information, see Create an IPv4 VPC.
  3. Optional:Create a security group. Alibaba Cloud provides a default security group. If you do not want to use the default security group, you can create a security group in the region where you want to create an ECS instance.
    For more information, see Create a security group.

Step 1: Create an ECS instance

  1. Go to the Custom Launch tab in the ECS console.
  2. In the first four steps of the instance creation wizard on the Custom Launch tab, configure parameters for the instance.
    The following table describes the parameters used in this topic. For parameters that are not described in this topic, use the default values.
    Step Parameter Example Description
    Basic Configurations Billing Method Pay-As-You-Go The pay-as-you-go billing method allows more flexible operations. For more information, see Billing overview.
    Note If an Internet content provider (ICP) filing is required for your domain name, you must select Subscription.
    Region
    • Region: China (Hangzhou)
    • Zone: Random
    		 You cannot change the region or zone after the instance is created. Proceed with caution when you set this parameter.
    Instance Type
    • Instance family: General Purpose Type g6
    • Instance type: ecs.g6.large
    		 Instance types that are available are determined by the region that you select and the resource inventory in the region.

    You can go to the ECS Instance Types Available for Each Region page to view the instance types available in each region.

    Image
    • Type: Public Image
    • Version: Windows Server 2016 Datacenter 64-bit
    		 After the instance is created, the operating system and application data of the image is copied to the system disk.
    Networking VPC [Default]vpc-bp1opxu1zkhn00g****** Resources that are prefixed by [Default] are automatically created in the ECS console.
    Public IP Address Select this option The system assigns a public IPv4 address if you select Assign Public IP Address.
    Bandwidth Billing Pay-By-Traffic In Pay-by-traffic mode, you are charged based on the network usage. For more information, see Public bandwidth.
    Peak Bandwidth 2 Mbps N/A
    Security Group
    • Security Group ID: [Default]sg-bp1bhjjsoiyx44******
    • Rule: Select ICMP, SSH 22, RDP 3389, HTTP 80, and HTTPS 443.
    		 Resources that are prefixed with [Default] are automatically created in the ECS console.
    System Configurations (Optional) Logon Credentials Password Record the password. The password is for the administrator and is required when you connect to the ECS instance. For more information, see the Connect to the ECS instance section.
    Instance Name EcsQuickStart In this topic, EcsQuickStart is used as the instance name.
    Grouping (Optional) Tags ECS:Documentation If multiple instances are created, we recommend that you add tags to facilitate management.
  3. Click Next: Preview. In the Preview step, confirm the configurations in the Configurations Selected section or click the Edit icon icon to modify configurations.
    Quick start - Windows
  4. Optional:Click Save as Launch Template. In the Save as Launch Template dialog box, set Template Name and Version Description.
    Note Save the instance configurations that you made as a launch template. You can create an instance by using the template without the need to configure the specified parameters again.
  5. Read and select ECS Terms of Service. Click Create Instance.
  6. In the Created message, click Console to view the creation progress on the Instances page.
    If the instance is in the Running state, it is created. Copy the public IP address of the instance to use when you connect to the ECS instance.

Step 2: Add security group rules

If you did not add rules to the default security group or added the instance to a new security group when you create the instance, perform the following steps:

  1. Click the instance ID to go to the instance details page.
  2. On the Instance Details page, click the Security Groups tab. Click the ID of a security group to go to the security group details page.
  3. In the Access Rule section, click the Inbound tab.
  4. Click Quick Add to add security group rules as described in the following table. For parameters that are not described in this topic, use the default values.
    Action Port range Authorized object
    Allow
    • SSH 22
    • RDP 3389
    • HTTP 80
    • HTTPS 443
    		 0.0.0.0/0
    Note
    • For the Common Port (TCP) section, select the port that must be enabled for the applications that run on the ECS instance. For example, select HTTP 80 used in Step 4: Configure IIS.
    • 0.0.0.0/0 indicates that all CIDR blocks are allowed to access the specified ports. If you know the IP address of the requester, we recommend that you set Authorization Object to a specific IP address range that contains this IP address.
  5. Click OK.

Step 3: Connect to the ECS instance

  1. Go back to the Instances page and find the EcsQuickStart instance.
  2. In the Actions column, click Connect.
  3. In the Enter VNC Password dialog box, click Modify VNC Password.
  4. Modify the password. In the Modify VNC Password dialog box, enter your new password and click OK.
  5. In the upper-left corner of the VNC page, choose Send Remote Call > Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
    CTRL+ALT+DELETE
  6. Go to the logon page of the Windows instance and configure the logon credentials.

Step 4: Configure IIS

  1. Start Command Prompt.
  2. Enter powershell to switch to PowerShell.
  3. Install IIS and the management tools. 
    Install-WindowsFeature -name Web-Server -IncludeAllSubFeature -IncludeManagementTools
  4. After IIS is installed, open a web page in the current browser. Enter the public IP address of the instance in the address bar. Press Enter. 
    http://<Public IP address of the instance>
    Quick start - Windows - Test page

Step 5: (Optional) Resolve domain names

Direct access to IIS by using the public IP address of the instance may compromise server security. If you have an existing domain name or want to register one, perform the following steps:

  1. Register the domain name.
    For more information, see Register a generic domain name.
  2. If the website to which the domain name points is hosted on an ECS instance in a mainland China region, you must apply for an ICP filing for the domain name.
  3. Resolve the domain name to point to the public IP address of the instance.
    Domain name resolution is a prerequisite for using domain names to access your website. For more information about the procedures, see Add and manage records.
  4. Use the resolved domain name to access IIS. Example: https://ecs-quickstarts.info.

Step 6: (Optional) Release the ECS instance

You can release the instance if you no longer need it. After the instance is released, billing stops and its data cannot be recovered.

Note Only pay-as-you-go instances can be released by using the method desribed in this section.
  1. Go back to the Instances page and find the EcsQuickStart instance.
  2. In the Actions column, choose More > Instance Status > Release.
  3. In the Release dialog box, set Release Mode to Release Now and click Next.
  4. In the Release message, verify the instance to be released and click OK.

Step 7: View bills

  1. In the top navigation bar, choose Expenses > User Center.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Spending Summary > Spending Summary. On the Bills page, click the Details tab.
  3. Set Instance Name to EcsQuickStart and press the Enter key to start a search.

What to do next