EC2 Console: proposed feature list

Regarding the EC2 Console sample (Windows Presentation Foundation) application, here’s the tentative feature list:

  1. In order to maintain the list of EC2 machine instances, and the current status of each, auto-refresh the client GUI at a preset interval. This applies when waiting for machines to shutdown and start-up, and waiting for volumes to be created. That way user doesn’t have to keep on hitting Refresh.
  2. Mouse pointer needs to indicate when something’s happening. Current EC2 console is bad at this, and also not very responsive.
  3. Filter AMIs for Windows-only by default
  4. Help matching on Availability zones, e.g. for instances and volumes. Windows is currently only available in 1B, so presumably always pick that as the default. When creating a new Volume, first ask if it applies to a specific instance. If it does, create the Vol in the same zone and then automatically attach it.
  5. Auto-configure to allow TermSrv from the IP address of the current host. Probably should handle dynamic IP address updates somehow, since many people will try to use this via cable broadband connections.
  6. Offer a shortcut link to shell exec a TermSrv window to the machine in question
  7. While decrypting the default password via the current AWS Console, IE always times out and repeatedly throws an annoying dialog. Find a way to decrypt the PEM file via Win32.
  8. Heartbeat on public DNS and Elastic IP (if bound) for each machine instance

Other feature requests and feedback is welcome. In the meantime, I’ll work on the developer specification.

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