AWS Launch Wizard
A wizard service that automatically deploys enterprise applications like SAP, SQL Server, and Active Directory on AWS following best practices
Overview
AWS Launch Wizard is a guided wizard service for easily deploying enterprise applications such as SAP, Microsoft SQL Server, and Active Directory on AWS. By entering application requirements (user count, data volume, availability requirements, etc.) through an interactive interface, it automatically designs and provisions infrastructure configurations based on AWS best practices. The generated CloudFormation templates include multi-AZ configurations, appropriate instance type selection, security group settings, and backup configurations, dramatically reducing deployment time compared to manual construction. Post-deployment resources are managed as standard AWS resources with full customization freedom. Available at no additional charge.
Supported Applications and Deployment Configuration Design
Launch Wizard supports multiple enterprise applications, providing optimized deployment templates for each. For SAP HANA, it supports configurations from single-node to scale-out, automatically selecting appropriate EC2 instance types (x1e, u-6tb1, etc.) based on memory requirements. For SQL Server, it automatically builds multi-AZ configurations with Always On Availability Groups, including Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) setup in the provisioning. For Active Directory, you can choose between AWS Managed Microsoft AD or self-managed AD on EC2, with automated multi-AZ domain controller placement. Each application deployment displays a cost estimate beforehand, allowing budget alignment verification before starting deployment. Estimates include monthly costs for EC2, EBS, and network transfer, with Savings Plans discount amounts shown as reference values.
Deployment Process and Customization Points
Launch Wizard's deployment process consists of three steps: requirements input, configuration review, and deployment execution. Requirements input specifies application scale (concurrent users, database size), availability requirements (single AZ or multi-AZ), and network settings (use existing VPC or create new). Configuration review lets you confirm the wizard's recommended instance types, storage configuration, and network design, with the ability to modify as needed. Deployment execution creates a CloudFormation stack, enabling real-time progress tracking with automatic rollback on failure. A key customization point is exporting the CloudFormation template generated by Launch Wizard, adding organization-specific requirements (tag policies, encryption settings, monitoring agent installation), and redeploying. This provides best practice benefits while meeting organizational governance requirements.
Operations Management and Troubleshooting
Resources deployed with Launch Wizard remain manageable from the Launch Wizard console post-deployment. Each deployment's status, list of created resources, and links to CloudFormation stacks are displayed, aiding change management during operations. However, post-deployment resource changes are made through the standard AWS console or CLI, not through Launch Wizard. Launch Wizard is purely an initial deployment automation tool - Day 2 operations (patching, scaling, backup) should be managed with operational services like Systems Manager and Backup. For troubleshooting, check CloudFormation event logs on deployment failure to identify which resource creation failed. Common failure causes include Service Quotas limits (especially vCPU counts), insufficient IAM permissions, and VPC subnet IP exhaustion. Checking required resource limits in Service Quotas before deployment and submitting increase requests in advance for any shortfalls is important preparation.