Snapshot AWS instance store as AMI

1. install api-tools
2. install ami-tools
3. generate key / cert
4. create IAM user 
5. upload cert
6. java install / export JAVA_HOME
7. export key and secret
8. ec2-bundle-vol 
1. --user  <AWS acct #> 
2. --privatekey /myhome/my-key.pem
3. --cert /myhome/my-cert.pem
4. --arch x86_64
5. --destination /var/tmp
6. --exclude
1. /backup,
2. /mnt,
3. /swapfile
9. ec2-upload-bundle
1. --manifest /var/tmp/image.manifest.xml
2. --bucket mybucket/hostname
3. --access-key <AWS Key>
4. --secret-key <AWS Secret>
5. --location EU
10. ec2-register
1. --region eu-west-1
2. --name "myaminame"
3. --description "Backing up hostname"
4. mybucket/hostname/image.manifest.xml

Taken:

1. http://www.dowdandassociates.com/content/howto-create-an-instance-store-backed-amazon-ec2-ami/
2. http://www.dowdandassociates.com/content/howto-install-aws-cli-amazon-elastic-compute-cloud-ec2-ami-tools/
3. http://www.dowdandassociates.com/content/howto-install-aws-cli-amazon-elastic-compute-cloud-ec2-api-tools/

NOTE: the above link's content has typos in very essential parts, proof all steps