FAQ
Tutorials
- Create AWS Account
- BitNami Amazon Machine Images
- How to install Ubuntu Desktop on EC2 EBS
- How to install VMWare tools on BitNami Virtual Appliances
- Tutorial: Rubystack Deployment Alternatives
- How-To Video: Launching BitNami Virtual Appliances
- How to Install Multiple Joomla! Sites on One BitNami Stack
- How to backup and update the BitNami Redmine Stack
- Tutorial for Deploying BitNami Stacks on Amazon EC2
- How to install and make public any BitNami Stack
- BitNami Modules. As an user... I want integration
- How to install services on OSX
- How To Install Services on Linux
- Installing RubyStack
- From InstantRails to RubyStack
- Rolling on Rails With RubyStack
Cloud / Amazon EC2 FAQ
Why would I want to use a public cloud computing platform versus traditional hosting?
There are a variety of reasons that you may want to use Amazon or another public cloud for hosting your application instead of going with traditional hosting. The best option for you will depend on your specific circumstances, but a few of the major benefits of cloud computing include the control you have over your instances and the fact that you can pay as you go. This means that you just pay for the compute cycles and power that you actually use, and you don’t have to sign any long term contracts or incur monthly fees for servers that are not in use. Public clouds also enable you to scale up and scale down computing resources to meet your changing needs.
Which cloud computing platforms does BitNami support?
BitNami currently supports the Amazon Cloud (Amazon EC2 and associated services). We plan to add support for other cloud platforms in the future.
Do I have to pay for BitNami Cloud Templates?
No, there is no charge for using BitNami Cloud Templates. You just need to pay for the services you consume from Amazon.
What is BitNami Cloud Hosting?
BitNami Cloud Hosting is a commercial service offered by BitNami that simplifies the process of running BitNami Stacks in the Cloud. BitNami Cloud Hosting provides one click application deployment, automated backups, server scheduling, one-click server restores, monitoring and more to save you time and make sure your applications are running smoothly. Currently, BitNami Cloud Hosting supports the Amazon EC2 Cloud and support for other clouds is planned for the future. To sign up or learn more about BitNami Cloud Hosting, visit the BitNami Cloud Hosting website.
How much does running a server cost on Amazon?
Please visit the Amazon pricing page for their current pricing information.
What is the difference between the standard BitNami AMIs and the EBS-backed images?
The standard BitNami AMIs use Amazon S3 to store all of the instance data, whereas the EBS-backed images use EBS, which provides persistent data storage. If an AMI using S3 goes down or is intentionally stopped, all of the data stored on that instance will be lost. Changes cannot be made to attributes to an S3-backed instance after it is instantiated. That is not the case with images backed by EBS. The data is stored separately from the instance and you can simply boot a new instance from it. You can also stop an EBS-backed instance and make changes to the instance type, kernel, RAM and user data. In addition, using an EBS-backed image also gives you access to Amazon’s snapshot functionality, which will create an image of the instance at a given point in time that you can save for backup purposes or use to create new instances.
How long will it take me to start up a BitNami Stack on the cloud?
The length of time that it will take depends on whether you are using an S3 or EBS-backed image. In both cases, you should be able to have your BitNami Stack(s) of choice up and running in a matter of minutes.