Performing an in-place upgrade of a Windows Server in an AWS environment can be achieved by attaching the Windows installation ISO as a virtual disk using an AWS EBS snapshot.
Follow the step-by-step process below:
1. Identify the Required Windows Server ISO Snapshot
Navigate to the Amazon EC2 Console. Go to Elastic Block Store (EBS) > Snapshots.
Search for a public snapshot that contains the Windows Server ISO required for the upgrade (e.g., Windows Server 2019 English Installation Media).
Ensure the snapshot is publicly available and suitable for your region.
2. Create a Volume from the ISO Snapshot
Select the identified snapshot. Click on Actions > Create Volume. In the volume creation settings:
Choose the same Availability Zone as the EC2 instance that requires the upgrade.
Select the appropriate volume type and size (default values are typically sufficient).
Click Create Volume. Once the volume is created, note the Volume ID or check under EBS > Volumes.
3. Attach the Volume to the Target EC2 Instance
Select the newly created volume from the list. Click Actions > Attach Volume.
In the Attach Volume dialog: Select the target instance using its Instance ID (make sure to note this beforehand).
The Device Name will be automatically populated. Click Attach Volume to complete the process.
4. Initialize the Volume on the Server
Log in to the Windows Server (EC2 instance) where the upgrade is to be performed.
Open Disk Management. Locate the new disk: Right-click and choose Online if the disk is offline.
5. Launch the Windows Setup from the Attached ISO
Open File Explorer. You should now see the newly attached disk (representing the ISO media).
Browse to the setup files and run setup.exe. Proceed with the in-place upgrade by following the on-screen instructions.