Set Up a WordPress Site Using EC2 and RDS

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Set Up a WordPress Site Using EC2 and RDS

Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) allows users to easily create, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud. In this lab, we create an RDS database, install a web server and configure WordPress to connect to the RDS database. We then run the final configuration through the web browser and are presented with a working WordPress blog. By the end of this lab, the user will understand how to create an RDS database and configure WordPress to use it to store data.

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Lab Info

Level

Beginner

Last updated

Sep 23, 2025

Duration

1h 15m

Challenge

Create RDS Database
Using the AWS console, create an RDS database with the following configurations:
- Choose a database creation method: Standard create
- Engine options: MySQL
- Edition: MySQL Community
- Version: The current version
- Templates: Free tier
- DB instance class: db.t3.micro
- DB instance identifier: wordpress
- Master username: wordpress
- Master password: wordpress
- Availability zone: us-east-1a
- Select the non-default security group and remove the default security group.
- Expand the Additional configuration section and, under Initial database name, enter wordpress.
Challenge

Install Apache and Dependencies
Connect to your Cloud Server webserver-01 and perform the following tasks:
- Use the apt command to install: apache2 libapache2-mod-php php-mysql
- Move the /wordpress folder into your /var/www directory
- Move your /var/www/wordpress/000-default.conf file to /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/
- Restart apache2ctl
Challenge

Configure WordPress
Configure wp-config.php to connect to the RDS database we created.
- Edit your /var/www/wordpress/wp-config.php file and replace 'localhost' by your own RDS endpoint on the line define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');
- Save and close the file
Challenge

Modify Security Groups

Modify your non-default security group to allow the EC2 instance to connect to the MySQL/Aurora RDS database.
Challenge

Complete Wordpress Installation and Test
Visit the website and complete the installation, ensuring the website can be visited and the WordPress portal works.

Use the following information for the WordPress installation page:
- Site Title: A Cloud Guru
- Username: guru
- Password: Select a strong password and copy it to your clipboard for later.
- Your Email: [email protected]

About the author

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