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+# Building Windows Images with AWS Session Manager
+
+This example shows how to bootstrap a Windows EC2 instance with SSH and the AWS Systems Manager (SSM) agent so Packer can connect over SSM.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- AWS account with permissions for EC2, IAM, and SSM
+- Packer >= 1.9
+- An IAM instance profile that includes `AmazonSSMManagedInstanceCore`
+
+## Steps
+
+1. Launch a Windows base AMI in a private subnet with the SSM agent preinstalled (Windows Server AMIs include it by default).
+2. Attach an instance profile that allows SSM.
+3. Install OpenSSH Server on the instance (user data or manual) and open port 22 only if you also want SSH fallback.
+4. Configure Packer to use the `winrm` or `ssh` communicator with SSM as the connection transport.
+
+## Packer configuration sketch
+
+```hcl
+source "amazon-ebs" "windows" {
+  ami           = "ami-WINDOWS_BASE"
+  instance_type = "t3.large"
+  region        = "us-east-1"
+
+  communicator = "ssh"
+  ssh_username = "Administrator"
+
+  # Use the amazon plugin SSM session manager integration
+  ssh_interface = "session_manager"
+  iam_instance_profile = "packer-ssm-profile"
+}
+
+build {
+  sources = ["source.amazon-ebs.windows"]
+
+  provisioner "powershell" {
+    inline = ["Write-Host 'Hello from Packer over SSM'"]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Verify SSM connectivity
+
+Before running Packer, confirm the instance appears as Online in the AWS Systems Manager console (Fleet Manager > Managed nodes).
+
+## Learn more
+
+- [Packer Amazon builder](https://developer.hashicorp.com/packer/plugins/builders/amazon/ebs)
+- [AWS Session Manager](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/session-manager.html)