What is EC2 Image Builder?
EC2 Image Builder automates the creation, maintenance, and deployment of AMIs and container images. You define recipes with base images, software components, and tests, and Image Builder automatically creates hardened, tested images.
The service integrates with AWS Organizations for distributing images across multiple accounts and regions. Versioning and automatic lifecycle policies ensure consistent, up-to-date golden images.
Core Features
- Image Pipelines: Automated build workflows with schedules
- Component System: Reusable build and test building blocks
- Multi-Region Distribution: Automatic image distribution across regions
- Integrated Testing: Image validation before release
- Lifecycle Policies: Automatic cleanup of outdated images
Typical Use Cases
Golden Image Pipeline: Standardized, hardened base images for all teams. Security patches are applied centrally and automatically distributed across all accounts.
Compliance-Conformant Images: CIS benchmarks and organization-specific hardening requirements are defined as components and applied with every build.
Container Image Management: Automated container image creation with current dependencies and security scans before publishing to ECR.
Benefits
- No cost for the service itself
- Consistent, reproducible image creation
- Centralized security patch management
- Automated compliance checks
Integration with innFactory
As an AWS Reseller, innFactory supports you with EC2 Image Builder: golden image pipelines, hardening components, multi-account strategies, and automated security patch workflows.
Typical Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
What does EC2 Image Builder cost?
EC2 Image Builder itself is free. You only pay for the EC2 instances and storage resources used during the build process. Images are stored in your account as AMIs or container images.
Which image types are supported?
AMIs for EC2 instances and container images for ECS/EKS. Image Builder supports Linux and Windows as base operating systems with predefined or custom components.
How does Image Builder automate security patches?
Pipelines can be triggered on schedule or when new base AMIs are available. Integrated tests validate images before distribution. This ensures all instances receive current security patches.
Which operating systems does Image Builder support?
Image Builder supports Amazon Linux, Ubuntu, RHEL, SUSE, CentOS, Windows Server, and macOS as base operating systems, each in several current versions.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of AWS (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by AWS.