How can I export an aws marketplace ami on to s3 bucket?

Question

I need to export an AWS marketplace ami onto the s3 bucket. ec2 Import/export functionality doesn't work as the underlying ami is a marketplace ami Here is the error that I'm getting

An error occurred (NotExportable) when calling the ExportImage operation: The image ID provided (ami-xxxxxx) is a marketplace AMI and is not exportable.

I need this AMIto be copied on to the s3 bucket in the snowballEdge device so I can spin up ec2 instances on it.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, you can't export an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) image if it contains third-party software.

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/vm-import/latest/userguide/vmexport_image.html#limits-image-export

You can't export an image if it contains third-party software provided by AWS. For example, VM Export cannot export Windows or SQL Server images, or any image created from an image in the AWS Marketplace.

Answer 2

Anyway around this Im using the ec2-export for a work AMI (its published in marketplace) just want to pull down for a lab. Appreciate it

Answer 3

Here's a general workaround to address this issue:

1. Launch an EC2 Instance: Start by launching an EC2 instance using the marketplace AMI you're interested in.

2. Create a Custom AMI: Once the instance is up and running, you can customize it according to your needs. After customizing, create a new AMI from this instance. This new AMI will be considered a custom AMI rather than a marketplace AMI. To create a new AMI, navigate to the EC2 Dashboard, select the instance, and choose "Actions" > "Image and templates" > "Create image".

3. Export the Custom AMI: After creating your custom AMI, you can attempt the export operation again with this new AMI. Since it's not tagged as a marketplace AMI, you should be able to export it. Use the aws ec2 export-image command with the AMI-ID of the custom AMI you created.

Note: Keep in mind that while this method circumvents the direct export restriction of marketplace AMIs, it's crucial to review and comply with the licensing terms of the software and the AWS Marketplace usage terms. Some software vendors may prohibit such actions or require a separate license for use outside of AWS.