The following graphic and table explain the basic flow for using Amazon EC2.
Launch Confirmation Process
1
You create an AMI from scratch (Linux and UNIX only) or based on an existing AMI. This is optional, as you can
launch instances of existing AMIs without modifying them.
See Creating an AMI.
2
You bundle the AMI and obtain an AMI ID so you can launch as many instances of the AMI as you want.
See Bundling an AMI.