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How to launch an Amazon EC2 Mac instance
Amazon EC2 Mac instances empower macOS and iOS developers with essential capabilities for app development, testing and deployment. Discover their advantages and how to launch them.
Cloud administrators and developers are already aware of AWS' support for Linux and Windows VM instances. However, few realize that macOS users and developers have not been left out in the cold.
AWS continues to offer increased support to this major platform with powerful hardware and useful integration options. MacOS developers and administrators need to understand the features and benefits of adding Mac VM instances to their existing cloud infrastructure. This includes access to AWS resources that enable users to build, test and rearchitect applications before launch.
To develop a better understanding of EC2 Mac instances, let's examine the available hardware platforms, associated costs and use cases. These factors can help users determine how and when to best use these instances in their workflows.
What is an Amazon EC2 Mac instance?
Plenty of organizations can benefit from this instance type, particularly those developing applications for iOS and macOS users. Now, those teams can take advantage of typical cloud benefits, including the following:
- Efficient VM instance provisioning, management and patching.
- Autoscaling to enable workloads to meet demand requirements.
- Cost savings with pay-as-you-go plans, subject to Apple-specific licensing.
Offloading certain tasks to cloud service providers (CSPs) lets administrators focus on other management tasks. Various AWS capabilities support Mac instances and permit centralized administration.
AWS services that support Mac VM instance integration include the following:
- Virtual Private Cloud.
- Systems Manager Agent.
- Elastic Block Store.
- Elastic Load Balancing.
Users curious about the usefulness of AWS Mac instances on their processes should carefully examine their organization's current AWS use and on-premises bare-metal Mac deployments. While Mac instances might be attractive to the development team, the integration with other essential AWS offerings could make them viable for the deployment team.
EC2 Mac instances also provide an essential testing environment for application developers. Because of the various hardware options available, developers can test performance on different M1 and M2 processors or work with the Intel x86-64-based CPUs found on legacy Apple hardware. It's now easier to manage a varied test environment instead of supporting many physical machines with different specifications.
AWS tools, such as CloudWatch, also work with the above components, providing administrators with plenty of oversight for Mac-based instances.
The underlying hardware
Today, Mac developers working with AWS focus on creating applications for Apple's powerful Arm M1 and M2 platforms. Four Arm-based physical platforms that are supported by AWS exist at the time of writing, each offering different CPU, memory and OS support. The platforms are the following:
- M2 Pro Mac mini, 32 gibibytes (GiB) of RAM, Ventura macOS and later.
- M2 Mac mini, 24 GiB RAM, Ventura macOS and later.
- M1 Ultra Mac Studio, 128 GiB RAM, Ventura macOS and later.
- M1 Mac mini, 16 GiB RAM, Big Sur macOS and later.
AWS also supports legacy Mac x86 applications that might require an older Intel-specific macOS version. These VMs are provisioned on Intel Core i7 platforms for use with Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia. This support is offered for backward compatibility, as Apple's Arm platform is significantly faster than the Intel CPUs.
Amazon EC2 Mac instance use cases
Deploying macOS-based VMs on AWS is an essential capability for developers. This offering enables organizations to integrate their Apple development projects into the rest of their AWS infrastructure.
Specific use cases include the following:
- Developing iOS and macOS applications.
- Rearchitecting older Intel-based applications for Apple's M1 and M2 Arm platforms.
- Testing migration projects for application functionality on Intel or M1- and M2-based Macs.
By offering EC2 Mac instances, AWS serves a specific and vital part of the developer community.
Amazon EC2 Mac instance pricing
Pricing for EC2 Mac instances is somewhat different than for Linux or Windows VMs. Apple's licensing terms greatly restrict CSPs' ability to offer Mac instances. AWS is currently the only major provider to provide the service, which comes at a considerable cost. However, since users can integrate their Mac instances with many of AWS' strongest administration and monitoring utilities, deploying and maintaining these VMs with predictable billing are easier.
The Apple macOS software license agreement requires a 24-hour minimum, meaning AWS bills you for at least that time. Additional time used is billed on a per-second basis. Users may cancel once they exceed the initial required 24 hours.
The instances run on dedicated hosts using the On-Demand or Savings Plan models. As with any significant VM deployment, plan the use and budget aspects of instances carefully to avoid bill surprises.
How to create an EC2 Mac instance
Provisioning an EC2 Mac instance is not much different from deploying Linux or Windows systems.
Determine the necessary processor type. Many users begin with M1 or M2 CPUs since the Intel Core i7 platform is for older software scenarios. Decide whether the extra power of M2 Pro Mac instances is justified for the anticipated workload. Choose a processor, log in to the AWS admin console, and select a Region and Availability Zone that supports the chosen CPU. Here are the AWS Regions and Availability Zones sorted by their respective CPUs:
- Intel x86 Mac instances (mac1.metal). US East, US West, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
- M1 Mac instances (mac2.metal). US East, US West, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
- M1 Ultra Mac instances (mac2-m1ultra.metal). US East and US West.
- M2 Mac instances (mac2-m2.metal). US East, US West, Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
- M2 Pro Mac instances (mac2-m2pro.metal). US East, US West and Asia-Pacific.
Specific zones within these Regions may not support all EC2 Mac instance types.
Step 1. Choose an AMI
On the EC2 dashboard, select to launch an instance, and then choose the image type. Select macOS as the Amazon Machine Image (AMI).
Step 2. Select the macOS version
Specific versions vary by CPU, so match those carefully. The following are macOS versions matched to their respective CPUs:
- Intel Core i7 x86: Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia.
- Apple M1 and M2: Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia.
Step 3. Configure storage and network
AWS presents users with the usual storage and network selections as they provision the VM. Users can launch the VM immediately and connect using Secure Shell. EC2 Mac instances also support GUI connectivity.
Step 4. Perform a review
Look over the selections to ensure everything is accurate, and then click Launch instance.
Damon Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction and provides freelance IT writing and editing services. He has written multiple CompTIA study guides, including the Linux+, Cloud Essentials+ and Server+ guides, and contributes extensively to TechTarget Editorial, The New Stack and CompTIA Blogs.
