1. Create an account

Create your Amazon account

2. Set up security

Set up security to manage and access your service.

3. Set up your cloud

Download and install a tool to allow you to start and stop instances.

You can use either Elastic Fox or Euca2ools for free. Euca2ools is open source and comes with Ubuntu Server.

You can also use a management tool like RightScale, CohesiveFT or Canonical's Landscape.

See more information on cloud management tools

4. Manage

Use your selected tool to choose and start your machine instances.

You will also use this tool to manage your instances in future.

AMI identifiers are available here

5. Set up applications

Access your instances to set up the applications you want to provide on your cloud from any location.

Consider your support options

There are community forums dedicated to discussing cloud topics, as well as Internet relay chat (IRC) in the #ubuntu-server channel on Freenode

• Canonical offers a training course on cloud computing

• If you need professional support for your organisation, Canonical offer business hours and 24x7 coverage for a specific number of machines or an entire site.

• If you need technical consulting, Canonical consultants work with you at each stage of the cloud-building process: assessment, proof of concept, deployment and audit.