What is Elastic IP in AWS and why it is useful

Question

Can anyone explain Elastic IPs in AWS to me? I've heard they're useful for having a constant IP address, but I'm unsure how to implement them or why that matters. Have you used Elastic IPs? How were they helpful to you?

Answer 1

Imagine needing a fixed, reliable public IP for your cloud applications, even if the underlying server changes. That’s where AWS Elastic IP comes in.

An Elastic IP address is a public static IPv4 address designed for dynamic cloud computing and associated with your AWS account. It allows your resources, like EC2 instances, to be consistently reachable from the internet. It ensures that even if you stop or replace an instance, the IP stays the same, providing a stable connection.

An Elastic IP is a public IP address associated with your AWS account, allowing your resources, like EC2 instances, to be consistently reachable from the internet. It ensures that even if you stop or replace an instance, the IP stays the same, providing a stable connection.

Here’s why it’s useful:

• If your instance doesn’t have a public IP, Elastic IP makes it accessible online.

• It acts as a permanent identifier, crucial for services like DNS records or firewall rules, even if your instance changes.

• In case of instance failure, you can quickly remap the Elastic IP to a new instance, minimizing downtime.

In short, Elastic IPs give you the flexibility and stability you need for reliable public access to your applications.