Creating an IAM Role and Configuring an EC2 Instance for AWS Systems Manager

1. Access the IAM console, and create a role.
2. Attach the AmazonSSMManagedInstanceCore policy to the role during creation.
3. Name your role MySSMRole.

Note: When working via the GUI, AWS auto-creates an IAM instance profile when you create a role for EC2; whereas, when working in the CLI, one has to create and attach an IAM instance profile to the IAM role themselves.

1. Once you're on the AMI selection screen, select the latest Amazon Linux 2 AMI (it has the SSM Agent installed).
2. On the Configure Instance Details page, select the IAM role you created earlier. Leave all other configuration details of the instance at their default.
3. Select an existing security group for this instance — it should already be created and named SG.
4. Add a tag key called Name, with a value of MySSMInstance. You can tag it with whatever value you prefer. You’ll be using the instance tag to identify that SSM can see and communicate with the instance later on.
5. You don't need to generate a key pair for this EC2 instance since you won't be logging in to it, so you can click Proceed without a keypair, and launch the instance.

Navigate to Systems Manager > Fleet Manager to view the EC2 instance.