# πŸš€ Seamless Data Transfer via Rsync Between 2 Different EC2 Instances Mounted with EBS Volumes ## 🎯 **Aim:** To **securely transfer files** from one EC2 instance to another using the `rsync` utility, where data resides on an **attached and mounted EBS volume**, while preserving permissions and ensuring efficiency. ## πŸ“Œ **Overview:** In this task, we used **two EC2 instances**, each with its own **EBS volume** mounted at `/mydata`. Our goal was to transfer the contents from **EC2 Instance 1** to **EC2 Instance 2** using `rsync`, excluding system files like `lost+found`. We ensured: * πŸ” Secure SSH key-based connection * 🚫 Proper exclusion of unnecessary system folders * βœ… Verified and successful file transfer * πŸ› οΈ Fixed permission issues ## 🧱 **Infrastructure Setup:** | Component | Details | | --- | --- | | EC2 Instance 1 | Source, with EBS mounted at `/mydata1` | | EC2 Instance 2 | Destination, with EBS mounted at `/mydata2` | | SSH Key | `your key.pem` | | File Transferred | `ebs-test.txt` | | Tool Used | `rsync` | ## πŸ”§ Step-by-Step Execution ### Step 1️⃣: Create EC2 Instances * Launch two EC2 instances (Source & Target) in the same VPC/Subnet for easier SSH connection. * Use the **Ubuntu AMI** and make sure both have access to the same key pair (e.g., `xyz.pem`). ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753112665027/92e91cef-d567-4622-be51-283081c95fae.png align="center") ### Step 2️⃣: Create and Attach EBS Volume to Source EC2 * Go to **Elastic Block Store > Volumes** * Create a new 2 EBS volume (e.g., 1 GB, same AZ as Source EC2) * Select the volume β†’ **Actions > Attach volume** β†’ Choose your Source EC2 * Device name will be something like `/dev/xvdh` ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753112731181/680879fc-ab01-4ffd-a33b-024cfbc2cd20.png align="center") ### Step 3️⃣: Mount EBS Volume in Source & Destination Both EC2 > ### **βœ… it's not mandatory that *both source and destination* have EBS volumes attached.** SSH into Source & Destination EC2 and run: ```powershell lsblk # Check if /dev/xvdf is visible sudo mkfs -t ext4 /dev/xvdh # Format the volume sudo mkdir /mydata # Create a mount point sudo mount /dev/xvdh /mydata # Mount the volume ``` βœ… Now the volume is ready to store data. ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753112973418/bb5792ec-0b27-4c61-b622-cd7d54f7f776.png align="center") ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753113000510/aa36ea2f-491d-4c01-b374-7b2fe452b1f8.png align="center") ### Step 4️⃣: Create Sample Data Write a test file to check transfer: ```powershell cd /mydata echo "This is task for EBS-Task performed by Apurv Gujjar" > ebs-test.txt ``` ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753113361159/f67115e5-9279-4489-af0d-586813d7f9fe.png align="center") ### πŸ”„ Step 5️⃣: Change Ownership of Mounted EBS Volume πŸ‘‘ After mounting your EBS volume (e.g., at `/mydata`), by default it's owned by the `root` user. This can block the `ubuntu` user from accessing or writing files β€” especially important for tools like `rsync`. #### 🎯 **Aim:** Grant full ownership of the mounted volume to the `ubuntu` user so it can use the directory without permission issues. #### πŸ› οΈ **Command:** ```powershell sudo chown -R ubuntu:ubuntu /mydata ``` > πŸ”Ή `-R`: Applies changes recursively > πŸ”Ή `ubuntu:ubuntu`: Sets user and group ownership > πŸ”Ή `/mydata`: Path to your mounted volume (adjust if different) ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753113728139/e9e4247b-7d69-4d4c-ac49-c78f812ffd44.png align="center") ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753113763697/0be7db35-824c-463d-b129-60844a28d847.png align="center") #### βœ… **Why it’s Important:** Without changing ownership, you may get `Permission Denied` errors during file transfers. This step ensures smooth read/write access for the EC2 instance’s main user. ### πŸ” Step 6️⃣: Add Private Key to Source EC2 for Remote Access via Rsync To allow the **source EC2 instance** to securely connect to the **destination EC2 instance** using `rsync`, you need to place the **destination EC2's** `.pem` file inside the source EC2. #### 🎯 Why This Is Needed? The **source** initiates the rsync connection over SSH to the **destination**. Therefore, the **source EC2 needs the destination's private key** to authenticate and establish the secure connection. --- #### πŸ› οΈ Step-by-Step: 1. **Create a new file to store your destination’s private key**: ```plaintext vim [your-key-name.pem] ``` 2. **Paste your destination EC2’s private key** (from the `.pem` file you downloaded while creating destination EC2). 3. **Save and exit** (`Esc + :wq` in vim). 4. **Secure the key by updating its permissions**: ```plaintext chmod 400 [your-key-name.pem] ``` βœ… Now, your **source EC2** can securely connect to the **destination EC2** using this key enabling `rsync` to transfer files smoothly. ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753113694074/1246153b-4edc-4da3-a8c0-d757e6aeea75.png align="center") ## βš™οΈ **Step 7️⃣: Rsync Command Execution from EC2-1 (Source)** πŸ“ On **EC2-1**, run the following command to transfer the file to **EC2-2** using `rsync` over SSH: ```plaintext rsync -avz --exclude 'lost+found' -e "ssh -i /home/ubuntu/corextech.pem" /mydata/ ubuntu@172.31.0.110:/mydata/ ``` ### 🧠 **Command Breakdown :** * * `rsync` β†’ The main utility used to synchronize files and directories between two locations. * `-a` (archive mode) β†’ Preserves permissions, symbolic links, file ownership, and timestamps. Ideal for full backups. * `-v` (verbose) β†’ Displays detailed output of the transfer process. * `-z` (compress) β†’ Compresses data during transfer to reduce network load and increase speed. * `--exclude 'lost+found'` β†’ Skips the `lost+found` directory (often present in ext file systems) to avoid unnecessary syncing. * `-e "ssh -i /home/ubuntu/corextech.pem"` β†’ Uses SSH for secure data transfer with a specific private key (`corextech.pem`) for authentication. * `/mydata/` β†’ Source directory on EC2-1 (local instance) to be synced. * `ubuntu@172.31.0.110:/mydata/` β†’ Destination path on EC2-2 (remote instance) where the data will be copied. πŸ” This command securely: * Connects to EC2-2 using SSH (`-e "ssh -i corextech.pem"`) * Transfers `/mydata/ebs-test.txt` from EC2-1 to `/mydata` directory on EC2-2 * Maintains **file permissions**, **timestamps**, and **compression** during transfer πŸ“€ After running, you’ll see output like: ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753114025453/446179bd-9089-4b51-9880-6dee50b4afcd.png align="center") ### **Step 8️⃣: Rsync Transfer Completed Successfully** After running the `rsync` command from **EC2-1**, we accessed **EC2-2** to confirm the file transfer was successful. We verified it using the following commands in EC2-2: ```plaintext ls -l /mydata ``` This listed the contents of `/mydata`, showing that the file `ebs-test.txt` was present. ```plaintext cat /mydata/ebs-test.txt ``` ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1753114322384/82af46fa-d36c-498d-8d9c-dcc3d625dbe2.png align="center") βœ… **Success!** We have now securely and efficiently transferred a file between two EC2 instances using **rsync over SSH**. ### βœ… **Conclusion** By following the above steps, we successfully transferred a file from one EC2 instance to another using `rsync` over SSH. This method is secure, efficient, and ideal for syncing files between servers with minimal overhead. It's a must-have skill for any DevOps or Cloud Engineer working with AWS infrastructure. ## **πŸ‘¨β€πŸ’» About the Author** ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1751797710818/123a7231-3dca-4273-ad68-7bd026f69b95.png?auto=compress,format&format=webp&auto=compress,format&format=webp&auto=compress,format&format=webp&auto=compress,format&format=webp align="left") This series isn't just about using AWS; it's about **mastering the core services that power modern cloud infrastructure**. --- ### πŸ“¬ Let's Stay Connected * πŸ“§ **Email**: [**gujjarapurv181@gmail.com**](mailto:gujjarapurv181@gmail.com) * πŸ™ **GitHub**: [**github.com/ApurvGujjar07**](http://github.com/ApurvGujjar07) * πŸ’Ό **LinkedIn**: [**linkedin.com/in/apurv-gujjar**](http://linkedin.com/in/apurv-gujjar)