Amazon EC2 Windows instances allow customers to deploy Java applications to AWS using their existing application deployment tools and processes, or to integrate Java application deployment with automated deployment tools and services such as AWS CodeDeploy or AWS OpsWorks. AWS CodeDeploy and AWS OpsWorks make it easier to rapidly release new features, and automate the configuration, deployment, management and updates of your services and applications on both EC2 instances and on-premises servers.

Self-managed Amazon EC2 instances offer the flexibility to choose specific operating system, Java, and Java web container versions that an application or a company's IT standards require. Administrator or root access to EC2 virtual machines allows customers to install and use existing infrastructure software, Java platform, and deployment tools to support their Java web applications. This option is best suited for companies with the following requirements:

• Want to leverage their existing Java platform expertise and standards
• Need to integrate their AWS environment into existing on-premises development and deployment processes
• Require the most flexibility in OS and Java platform selection, version, and configuration
• Plan to deploy third-party Java applications with sophisticated installers, manual license configuration, or extensive external dependencies

This approach offers tremendous flexibility, but also requires advanced AWS knowledge and service configuration, such as creating and configuring Elastic Load Balancing load balancers, Auto Scaling groups, and self-managing the Java platform and underlying OS as well as implementing custom application-deployment processes.