What is our primary use case?
Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages serves as the base OS image for general purpose EC2 instances, particularly for workloads such as web and application servers and backend servers. I use it to run our applications as microservices, add nodes to EKS clusters, and run our databases including SQL and MySQL servers, essentially utilizing RDS. This is our main use case.
Regarding my day-to-day use of Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages, I first utilize it in the testing phase, providing a development environment for our developer teams. They can evaluate how it performs and what pre-required packages need to be installed. After testing compatibility, we move to UAT and system testing, then finally promote it to production based on our reviews and performance assessments.
What is most valuable?
Regarding using Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages for workloads like web and backend servers, microservices, and database hosting, I find that the main advantage is its compatibility. When I download packages, all necessary packages are pre-installed in the Amazon Linux image, so I don't need to do extra work to install additional packages. Overall, its performance and compatibility are very good compared to other images like Ubuntu. It is user-friendly, beginner-friendly, and easy to manage packages. The cost is reasonable based on the instance family provided by Amazon.
The best features of Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages include its optimizations and pre-installed AWS tools such as AWS CLI, SSM agents, and cloud-init. There is no additional licensing cost required, and it offers long-term support and security updates. The packages update automatically, and it uses systemd and yum package management similar to Red Hat Linux or CentOS, making migration of existing workloads easy. Amazon Linux extras allows for installation of newer software versions, such as Python, PHP, and Nginx, all of which enhance compatibility. Additionally, it offers great portability, enabling use of VM images on VMware, KVM, Hyper-V, and VirtualBox.
Out of all these features, I particularly appreciate the pre-installed AWS tools like AWS CLI and SSM agents, which allow for automated remote management of virtual machines and EC2 instances. These features save significant time compared to manually installing them, making my day-to-day activities smoother.
What needs improvement?
One frustration I encounter is that Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages does not support running on-premises. If it had features available for on-premises operations, it would greatly benefit organizations like the banking projects I have worked with, where data security is crucial and many critical applications still run on-premises. If Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages offered this support, it would provide great competition with Red Hat Linux in the market.
Regarding needed improvements, I believe Amazon could enhance its documentation, particularly for older versions. I sometimes face issues when installing the CloudWatch agent to gather OS-level metrics due to inadequate documentation.
I believe I have covered everything regarding improvements, and I think the points I mentioned are sufficient.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages for more than three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Concerning the accuracy and reliability of outputs when running AI or ML workloads on Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages, I do not encounter significant issues, although gathering certain metrics can be a challenge. The stability and reliability of the operating system help ensure good GPU support, but compatibility issues arise with older GLIBC and Python versions which can hinder integration with newer frameworks, requiring the use of containers or custom builds.
Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages is very stable based on my experience, and I successfully run many workloads including applications, web applications, databases, backend services, and even containers.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages offers simple scalability, as AWS provides auto-scaling features that allow me to adjust resources according to application needs and traffic. Scaling up or down is very manageable, although the speed and limits depend on the chosen instance type.
How are customer service and support?
I frequently reach out to Amazon Linux support through AWS for assistance, and my experiences are positive, receiving prompt resolutions for any issues. Their cloud modules provide guidance based on whether the issue resides on our side or theirs, and the support team is very friendly.
I rate the customer support an eight out of 10.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, my organization utilized Red Hat Linux or CentOS before switching to Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages primarily due to cost efficiency, as there is no requirement for a license with Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages.
What was our ROI?
Regarding return on investment, I estimate about a 30 to 40% reduction in costs compared to other solutions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages indicates that it is free as an Amazon machine image, with no additional licensing fees. I pay only for the underlying AWS resources such as EC2 instances and EBS storage. Additional costs may arise from data transfers. Overall, the licensing is open source, mostly under GPL without needing any keys or subscriptions, and AWS support incurs no extra costs for customers. The setup cost is quite low, and launching from the AWS console or using AWS CLIs takes only minutes, providing excellent value.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages an eight out of 10.
I chose eight out of 10 because Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages is stable, well-optimized, and a cost-effective base image for web applications or databases with strong integration support and reliability. However, I withhold two points due to its reliance on older versions and kernel, along with the necessity of Amazon Linux extras for newer versions of languages and tools. Additionally, I acknowledge the support end slated for June 2026.
In terms of governance and security, even though Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages is an operating system without built-in AI features, it serves as a base for AI and machine learning workloads. Governance is managed centrally through AWS System Manager, which facilitates patching, inventory management, and compliance. IAM controls access, and AWS CloudTrail provides audit trails for Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages images, allowing me to trace actions effectively. Amazon Inspector scans for vulnerabilities associated with the base image, while security advisories and patch updates from AWS enhance security.
I deploy Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages directly on public cloud resources provided by AWS, as it does not support on-premises deployment.
I use AWS as my cloud provider.
I do not purchase Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages through the AWS marketplace, as it is readily available for AWS customers, enabling me to run our workloads directly without that extra step.
My recommendation to others reading reviews on PeerSpot is to use Amazon Linux 2 AMI (amazon linux 2) | Support by SupportedImages, as it is very user-friendly, cost-efficient, and scalable with strong support from the cloud provider. It is crucial to check the support status, especially since the support window is scheduled to end around June 2026. I also recommend utilizing Amazon Linux extras since it remains supported. My overall rating for this solution is an eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
