What is EC2 user data ?

 What is EC2 user data ?

EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) user data is data that is passed to an EC2 instance during launch. User data can be used to automate tasks such as software installation, configuration, and setup. It is executed as a script on the first boot of the EC2 instance and can be used to configure the instance to meet specific needs, such as installing software or setting up the instance with a specific configuration.

User data is passed to EC2 instances using the EC2 launch wizard, the AWS Management Console, or the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI). The user data can be passed as plain text, or it can be encoded as Base64.

User data is a useful tool for automating the deployment and configuration of EC2 instances, saving time and reducing the chance of manual configuration errors. Additionally, by using user data, EC2 instances can be made to be reproducible and reusable, allowing users to easily launch multiple instances with the same configuration.