COG - Nextcloud: Self-Hosted File Sharing AMI

launch

Nextcloud is a free and open-source suite of client-server software for creating and using file hosting services. Self-hosted, open source software allows you maintain full control of your data. It provides for file synchronization between multiple clients, calendar synchronization via CalDav. contacts synchronization via CardDAV, photo galleries, and much more.

Management and Implementation

Let us setup and configure COG-Nextcloud for you. See Managed Nextcloud

Who This Is For

This AMI is built for DevOps engineers, IT administrators, and business owners who need:

  • A self-hosted alternative to Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive
  • Data sovereignty for teams handling sensitive client files or regulated data
  • A private collaboration hub for distributed teams needing file sync, shared calendars, and real-time document editing

Example use case: A 50-person professional services firm replaces consumer cloud storage with this Nextcloud instance to keep client-confidential documents within their own AWS environment, using CalDAV calendaring and CardDAV contacts to unify team workflows without third-party data access.

What Is Included

  • Nextcloud Server - Latest stable release with file sync, sharing, CalDAV, CardDAV, and photo galleries
  • Nginx - High-performance web server, pre-configured as reverse proxy
  • MariaDB - Production-ready relational database for Nextcloud metadata
  • PHP 8 - Latest major PHP version for performance and security
  • 64-bit Linux - Lightweight base operating system

Key Capabilities

  • File Synchronization: Sync files across desktop, mobile, and web clients with conflict resolution
  • Calendar and Contacts: Built-in CalDAV and CardDAV servers replace external scheduling tools
  • Photo Galleries: Organize and share image libraries with granular access controls
  • Extensible: Install additional Nextcloud apps for Talk (video calls), Office document editing, and more

Data Control

Because this AMI runs entirely within your AWS account, your data never leaves your infrastructure. Key security considerations:

  • All data resides on your EBS volumes - enable EBS encryption for encryption at rest
  • Configure HTTPS via the pre-installed Nginx reverse proxy with your own SSL certificate
  • Deploy within a private VPC subnet and restrict access via Security Groups
  • No telemetry or data is sent to Cloud Ops Group or third parties

Getting Started

  1. Launch AMI from the Amazon Marketplace
  2. A random password will be generated and placed in /home/ec2-user/nc_pass.
  3. SSH into your instance as the ec2-user user and run "cat nc_pass"
  4. Open a Web browser and type the public DNS name provided by Amazon into the URL bar.
  5. Login to the admin section with the default user "admin" and the password you received above.
  6. Official Admin manual
  7. Official User Manual

Requirements and Limitations

  • Domain registration and DNS configuration are not included.
  • Email delivery service (e.g., Amazon SES) must be configured separately.
  • Managed backups are the customer's responsibility (consider AWS Backup or snapshots).
  • This AMI includes a local database; for production high-availability, consider migrating to Amazon RDS.
  • SSL/TLS is not configured by default. It's recommended to place instance behind load balancer or CloudFront.

Security and Maintenance

Cloud Ops Group maintains this product with a focus on security and reliability. The image receives regular updates that include:

  • Kernel patches and security fixes.
  • Package updates for included runtimes.
  • System utility updates for stability and performance.

The image is built with a minimal package set to reduce the attack surface compared to full-featured desktop distributions

Support

For bug reports, feature requests, or general questions, please contact us.