Advanced Factors to Consider Before Installing Magento 2 on AWS

• 8 Benefits of Installing Magento 2 on AWS

• Prerequisites of Installing Magento 2 on AWS

• Technical Requirements for Installing Magento 2 on AWS

• 5 Steps to Install Magento 2 on AWS

• Troubleshooting Common Issues With Setting up Magento 2 on AWS

• FAQs

• Summary

8 Benefits of Installing Magento 2 on AWS

1. Scalability

AWS provides high-scaling cloud infrastructure. As your ecommerce store grows, you can scale your resources up or down. You can handle changes in traffic without downtime or speed loss.

2. Flexibility

AWS provides the flexibility to choose services & configurations that match your store's requirements. You can select from a variety of:

• Database solutions
• Compute resources
• Storage options

These options help customize your environment to your needs.

3. Performance

AWS operates data centers around the world. Your Magento store loads fast for customers worldwide. This approach reduces latency and creates a better user experience. You can achieve even better speed through AWS services like Amazon CloudFront.

Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery network. It stores copies of your store data at locations worldwide. For advanced setups, CloudFront works with Lambda@Edge. It offers content that changes based on location. It also lets you show promotions to users in different regions from your Magento backend.

4. Security

AWS offers strong security features that protect your Magento store from threats. These include:

• Data encryption
• Network firewalls
• Identity access management

AWS also meets many compliance certifications, helping you meet regulatory requirements.

5. Cost-Effectiveness

AWS lets you pay for the resources you use, saving money compared to self-hosting. The AWS pricing model has several ways to save:

• Reserved instances
• Spot pricing
• Graviton processor instances

6. High Availability

AWS architecture supports high availability and disaster recovery. The platform redistributes server load. So, your Magento store can operate without major disruptions if the hardware fails.

7. Integration with Other Services

AWS offers several services that work well with Magento. Examples of such services include:

• Amazon RDS for managed database services
• Amazon S3 for storage
• AWS Lambda for serverless applications
• Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) for shared storage in multi-instance setups
• AWS SageMaker for AI-driven performance optimization

This ecosystem allows for powerful extensions to your e-commerce capabilities.

8. Developer Friendly

AWS provides extensive tools and SDKs for developers. These options integrate well with Magento, making deploying, managing, and innovating easier. The AWS Marketplace also features a variety of ready-to-deploy Magento configurations. These solutions help simplify the setup process.

Prerequisites of Installing Magento 2 on AWS

1. AWS Account

Set up an AWS account. It will provide you access to AWS services for your Magento installation, including:

• EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)
• RDS (Relational Database Service)
• S3 (Simple Storage Service)

2. Domain Name

You must register a domain name for your Magento store. You should also manage DNS settings, which can be set up through Amazon Route 53 or another DNS provider.

3. SSL Certificate

SSL is a must for secure data transmission and SEO benefits. It enables HTTPS on your site. It is especially necessary for payment and user data. AWS Certificate Manager can provide and manage SSL certificates at no extra cost.

4. SSH Key Pair

Generate an SSH key pair for secure access to your AWS instance. AWS provides a straightforward way to create this during the instance setup.

5. Elastic IP

While not mandatory, you should assign an Elastic IP to your instance. This step ensures the IP address remains the same even if you stop and restart your instance.

6. Backup and Recovery Strategy

Plan how you will back up your Magento files and database. AWS offers several options for backup and disaster recovery, including:

• Amazon S3 for storing backups
• Amazon RDS for automated database snapshots
• AWS Backup for cross-region replication (recommended for multi-AZ disaster recovery)

7. Email Service

Magento requires an email-sending service for transactional emails. AWS SES (Simple Email Service) is an integrated method to set up other SMTP providers.

8. Security Measures

Plan for security measures, such as:

• Configuring firewalls and security groups in AWS to control access to your instances.
• Conducting regular updates and patches for Magento and its components.
• Implementing network and application-level firewalls, such as AWS WAF.

9. Performance Monitoring Tools

Consider tools for monitoring your server and Magento application performance. AWS CloudWatch provides details about:

• Resource use
• Application performance
• Operational health
• AWS DevOps Guru for AI-powered anomaly detection in Magento logs

Technical Requirements for Installing Magento 2 on AWS

1. Operating System

Magento 2 does not support Windows hosting. Linux distributions such as CentOS/Ubuntu/Debian are available.

2. Web Server

Nginx 1.x is supported and preferred for performance reasons. Use Apache 2.4/higher with mod_rewrite enabled for SEO-optimized URLs.

3. Database

MySQL 8.0/higher ensures the best performance with Magento 2.4.7. Magento also supports:

• MariaDB 10.4 or higher
• Percona 8.0 or higher
• Amazon Aurora Serverless v3 for auto-scaling during traffic spikes

4. PHP

PHP 7.4 or higher (PHP 8.3 recommended for better performance) extensions help install:

• bcmath
• ctype
• curl
• dom
• gd
• hash
• iconv
• intl
• mbstring
• openssl
• pdo_mysql
• simplexml
• soap
• xsl
• zip
• json
• fileinfo

You must adjust PHP settings to meet Magento requirements. These include memory_limit ("at least 2GB" recommended).

5. Memory Usage

Magento 2 requires at least "2 GB" of RAM. For better performance, especially in a production environment, "4 GB/more" is advisable.

6. Required PHP Libraries

Composer is a must for managing dependencies in Magento. PHPUnit (part of the development tools) is also necessary for running tests.

7. Networking

Set up proper security groups and network ACLs to control traffic to and from your instances. For DNS management, consider using Amazon Route 53. It integrates well with other Amazon web services.

8. Other Tools and Services

1. Elasticsearch or OpenSearch: Required by Magento 2.4 and later for catalog search.
2. Cron: Needed for Magento's scheduled tasks.
3. Mail Server: AWS SES (Simple Email Service) works well for sending emails.
4. Backup Solutions: Use AWS services for database snapshots. Also, consider using Amazon S3 and AWS RDS for backup storage.
5. Caching: For faster performance, use Amazon ElastiCache Serverless Redis ("99.999% availability SLA").

9. Storage

Use EBS (Elastic Block Store) volumes to store the Magento file system & media files. For multi-instance setups, use Amazon EFS for shared media file storage. Choose the right type based on your performance needs and budget requirements.

5 Steps to Install Magento 2 on AWS

Step 1: Set Up a Server on Amazon EC2

1. Log in to AWS Management Console & navigate to the EC2 Dashboard.

To launch a new instance, follow these steps:

2. Choose an appropriate AMI (Amazon Machine Image). You can use Ubuntu/CentOS/any other Linux distribution that supports Magento.

3. Select an instance type (e.g., t4g.mediu/r6g.large for better performance & cost efficiency).

4. Configure instance details like network and subnet and assign a public IP if needed.

5. Add storage according to your needs (SSD storage is key to better performance).

6. Configure security groups to allow traffic on ports "80 (HTTP)", "443 (HTTPS)", & "22 (SSH)".

7. Review & launch the instance, selecting a key pair for SSH access.

Step 2: Install Prerequisite Tools

1. Connect to your instance via SSH using the key pair during the setup.
2. Update your system packages.
3. Install Apache/Nginx, PHP and required extensions, and Composer.

Step 3: Set up Database

1. Install MySQL.
2. Secure MySQL installation using these commands:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

3. Create a database for Magento using:

mysql -u root -p CREATE DATABASE magento; EXIT;

Step 4: Install & Set Up Magento on AWS Cloud

1. Download Magento.
2. Set the appropriate permissions on the Magento directories.
3. Go to your Magento directory & run the setup script using:

--currency=USD --timezone=your_local_timezone --use-rewrites=1

4. For Apache, ensure mod_rewrite is set up & create a virtual host configuration.

Step 5: Review and Verify

1. Add Magento cron jobs using sudo crontab -u www-data -e.
2. Disable default Magento mode and enable production mode for better performance using:

sudo bin/magento deploy:mode:set production

Troubleshooting Common Issues With Setting up Magento 2 on AWS

1. Permission and Memory Limit Errors

• You may see permission errors during installation/when running Magento. Check that the web server user data has the correct permissions.
• If PHP runs out of memory, increase the memory limit in php.ini.

2. Database Connection Issues

If Magento cannot connect to the database, check:

• Database credentials in app/etc/env.php.
• MySQL is running using the command sudo systemctl status mysql.
• Database user has the right permissions.

3. 404 Errors for Admin URLs

The 404 errors occur when URL rewrites are not set up. Consider the following practices:

• Ensure the rewrite mode is available for Apache.
• Make sure that the http access files are being read.
• Then, check the base URL in the core configuration data table.

FAQs

1. Can I use RDS when installing Magento on AWS?

Yes. You can integrate Amazon RDS with your Magento database. RDS makes database management much easier with automatic backups. It provides scaling and updates. For busy stores, try Amazon Aurora Serverless v3. It can process up to 15,000 orders per minute & scale without manual intervention.

2. How to achieve the best Magento performance on AWS?

Split your setup with different web servers, databases, and caching instances. Use Amazon RDS for your database. To make pages load faster, use Amazon ElastiCache with Redis/Memcached. Finally, try AWS Graviton processor instances. These work well with PHP applications like Magento & cost less than standard instances.

3. What should I check if Magento 2 is not working after installation on AWS?

First, look at the EC2 instance logs for error messages. Make sure all services (Apache/PHP/MySQL) are running. Then, check your security group rules to see if the right ports (HTTP 80/HTTPS 443/SSH 22) are open. Look at the database connection settings in env.php in the Magento app/etc directory. It allows you to make sure Magento can connect to the database.

4. Is Amazon Lightsail suitable for Magento installations?

Amazon Lightsail is suitable for smaller Magento stores and development environments. Its simple interface and predictable pricing make it ideal for beginners. EC2 instances provide more options and better scaling capabilities for high-traffic production environments.

5. How can I set up shared storage for a multi-instance Magento setup?

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) works best for multi-instance setups. Here, you can set up shared storage for media files. This process ensures that all your servers access the same media files.

Summary

Install Magento 2 on AWS to enhance UX through improved scalability & developer support. Key benefits include:

• Getting access to scalable infrastructure, flexibility, improved performance, and powerful security
• Setting up an AWS account and obtaining an SSL certificate.
• Using a Linux-based operating system, Apache 2.4 or Nginx 1.x web servers, and MySQL 8.0 or higher.
• Setting up an Amazon EC2 server using prerequisite tools like Apache, Nginx, & PHP 7.4 or higher.
• Enhancing your customer's Magento e-commerce experience with hassle-free managed Magento hosting.

Consider Magento hosting plans for accessing both Magento & AWS without the technical complexities.

[Updated on April 10, 2025]