What actions should a customer take to support a newly launched Amazon EC2 instance?

The correct action for supporting a newly launched Amazon EC2 instance is to start the instance. When an EC2 instance is initially launched, it may be in a stopped state. Starting the instance is essential to enable it to run and perform the tasks it was designed for. This action transitions the instance from a non-operational state to an operational one, allowing the customer to access the instance, install software, configure settings, and run applications.

The other actions listed do not directly support the newly launched instance. Terminating the instance would shut it down permanently without allowing any operations. Launching a new instance, while potentially useful for scaling or redundancy, does not support the originally launched instance; instead, it creates an additional independent instance. Backing up the instance, which typically involves creating an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) or snapshots, is also valuable but is generally done after the instance has been started, configured, and is running applications. Hence, starting the instance is the immediate and essential action to support its operation.