diff --git a/modules/user_data/templates/start_graphdb.sh.tpl b/modules/user_data/templates/start_graphdb.sh.tpl
index a3830b6..796cd73 100644
--- a/modules/user_data/templates/start_graphdb.sh.tpl
+++ b/modules/user_data/templates/start_graphdb.sh.tpl
@@ -14,130 +14,56 @@ imds_token=$( curl -Ss -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token-ttl-seconds: 300" -XPUT 169.
 local_ipv4=$( curl -Ss -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $imds_token" 169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/local-ipv4 )
 instance_id=$( curl -Ss -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $imds_token" 169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/instance-id )
 availability_zone=$( curl -Ss -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $imds_token" 169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/placement/availability-zone )
-volume_id=""
-
-# Search for an available EBS volume to attach to the instance. Wait one minute for a volume to become available,
-# if no volume is found - create new one, attach, format and mount the volume.
-
-for i in $(seq 1 6); do
-
-  volume_id=$(
-    aws --cli-connect-timeout 300 ec2 describe-volumes \
-      --filters "Name=status,Values=available" "Name=availability-zone,Values=$availability_zone" "Name=tag:Name,Values=${name}-graphdb-data" \
-      --query "Volumes[*].{ID:VolumeId}" \
-      --output text | \
-      sed '/^$/d'
-  )
-
-  if [ -z "$${volume_id:-}" ]; then
-    echo 'ebs volume not yet available'
-    sleep 10
-  else
-    break
-  fi
-done
-
-if [ -z "$${volume_id:-}" ]; then
-
-  volume_id=$(
-    aws --cli-connect-timeout 300 ec2 create-volume \
-      --availability-zone "$availability_zone" \
-      --encrypted \
-      --kms-key-id "${ebs_kms_key_arn}" \
-      --volume-type "${ebs_volume_type}" \
-      --size "${ebs_volume_size}" \
-      --iops "${ebs_volume_iops}" \
-      --throughput "${ebs_volume_throughput}" \
-      --tag-specifications "ResourceType=volume,Tags=[{Key=Name,Value=${name}-graphdb-data}]" | \
-      jq -r .VolumeId
-  )
-
-  aws --cli-connect-timeout 300 ec2 wait volume-available --volume-ids "$volume_id"
-fi
-
-aws --cli-connect-timeout 300 ec2 attach-volume \
-  --volume-id "$volume_id" \
-  --instance-id "$instance_id" \
-  --device "${device_name}"
-
-# Handle the EBS volume used for the GraphDB data directory
-# beware, here be dragons...
-# read these articles:
-# https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/device_naming.html
-# https://github.com/oogali/ebs-automatic-nvme-mapping/blob/master/README.md
-
-# this variable comes from terraform, and it's what we specified in the launch template as the device mapping for the ebs
-# because this might be attached under a different name, we'll need to search for it
-device_mapping_full="${device_name}"
-device_mapping_short="$(echo $device_mapping_full | cut -d'/' -f3)"
-
-graphdb_device=""
-
-# the device might not be available immediately, wait a while
-for i in $(seq 1 12); do
-  for volume in $(find /dev | grep -i 'nvme[0-21]n1$'); do
-    # extract the specified device from the vendor-specific data
-    # read https://github.com/oogali/ebs-automatic-nvme-mapping/blob/master/README.md, for more information
-    real_device=$(nvme id-ctrl --raw-binary $volume | cut -c3073-3104 | tr -s ' ' | sed 's/ $//g')
-    if [ "$device_mapping_full" = "$real_device" ] || [ "$device_mapping_short" = "$real_device" ]; then
-      graphdb_device="$volume"
-      break
-    fi
-  done
-
-  if [ -n "$graphdb_device" ]; then
-    break
-  fi
-  sleep 5
-done
-
-# create a file system if there isn't any
-if [ "$graphdb_device: data" = "$(file -s $graphdb_device)" ]; then
-  mkfs -t ext4 $graphdb_device
-fi
 
-disk_mount_point="/var/opt/graphdb"
+# Defining variables by interpolating Terraform variables
 
-# Check if the disk is already mounted
-if ! mount | grep -q "$graphdb_device"; then
-  echo "The disk at $graphdb_device is not mounted."
+region="${region}"
+name="${name}"
+device_name="${device_name}"
 
-  # Create the mount point if it doesn't exist
-  if [ ! -d "$disk_mount_point" ]; then
-    mkdir -p "$disk_mount_point"
-  fi
+backup_schedule="${backup_schedule}"
+backup_retention_count="${backup_retention_count}"
+backup_bucket_name="${backup_bucket_name}"
 
-  # Add an entry to the fstab file to automatically mount the disk
-  if ! grep -q "$graphdb_device" /etc/fstab; then
-    echo "$graphdb_device $disk_mount_point ext4 defaults 0 2" >> /etc/fstab
-  fi
+ebs_volume_type="${ebs_volume_type}"
+ebs_volume_size="${ebs_volume_size}"
+ebs_volume_iops="${ebs_volume_iops}"
+ebs_volume_throughput="${ebs_volume_throughput}"
+ebs_kms_key_arn="${ebs_kms_key_arn}"
 
-  # Mount the disk
-  mount "$disk_mount_point"
-  echo "The disk at $graphdb_device is now mounted at $disk_mount_point."
-else
-  echo "The disk at $graphdb_device is already mounted."
-fi
+zone_dns_name="${zone_dns_name}"
+zone_id="${zone_id}"
 
-# Ensure data folders exist
-mkdir -p $disk_mount_point/node $disk_mount_point/cluster-proxy
+jvm_max_memory="${jvm_max_memory}"
+resource_name_prefix="${resource_name_prefix}"
 
-# this is needed because after the disc attachment folder owner is reverted
-chown -R graphdb:graphdb $disk_mount_point
+GRAPHDB_CONNECTOR_PORT=""
 
-# Register the instance in Route 53, using the volume id for the sub-domain
+# Search for an available EBS volume to attach to the instance. If no volume is found - create new one, attach, format and mount the volume.
+./opt/helper-scripts/ebs_volume.sh \
+ --name ${name} \
+ --ebs_volume_type ${ebs_volume_type} \
+ --ebs_volume_throughput ${ebs_volume_throughput} \
+ --ebs_kms_key_arn ${ebs_kms_key_arn} \
+ --ebs_volume_size ${ebs_volume_size} \
+ --ebs_volume_iops ${ebs_volume_iops} \
+  --device_name ${device_name}
 
-subdomain="$( echo -n "$volume_id" | sed 's/^vol-//' )"
-node_dns="$subdomain.${zone_dns_name}"
+# Register the instance in Route 53, using the volume id for the sub-domain. Capturing the node_dns variable to be used in the rest of the script.
+node_dns=$(./opt/helper-scripts/register_route53.sh \
+ --name ${name} \
+ --zone_dns_name ${zone_dns_name} \
+ --zone_id ${zone_id})
 
-aws --cli-connect-timeout 300 route53 change-resource-record-sets \
-  --hosted-zone-id "${zone_id}" \
-  --change-batch '{"Changes": [{"Action": "UPSERT","ResourceRecordSet": {"Name": "'"$node_dns"'","Type": "A","TTL": 60,"ResourceRecords": [{"Value": "'"$local_ipv4"'"}]}}]}'
-
-hostnamectl set-hostname "$node_dns"
+# Configure the GraphDB backup cron job
+./opt/helper-scripts/create_backup.sh \
+ --region ${region} \
+ --name ${name} \
+ --backup_bucket_name ${backup_bucket_name} \
+ --backup_retention_count ${backup_retention_count} \
+ --backup_schedule "${backup_schedule}"
 
 # Configure GraphDB
-
 aws --cli-connect-timeout 300 ssm get-parameter --region ${region} --name "/${name}/graphdb/license" --with-decryption | \
   jq -r .Parameter.Value | \
   base64 -d > /etc/graphdb/graphdb.license
@@ -169,62 +95,6 @@ cat << EOF > /etc/systemd/system/graphdb.service.d/overrides.conf
 Environment="GDB_HEAP_SIZE=${jvm_max_memory}g"
 EOF
 
-# Configure the GraphDB backup cron job
-
-cat <<-EOF > /usr/bin/graphdb_backup
-#!/bin/bash
-
-set -euxo pipefail
-
-GRAPHDB_ADMIN_PASSWORD="\$(aws --cli-connect-timeout 300 ssm get-parameter --region ${region} --name "/${name}/graphdb/admin_password" --with-decryption | jq -r .Parameter.Value)"
-NODE_STATE="\$(curl --silent --fail --user "admin:\$GRAPHDB_ADMIN_PASSWORD" localhost:7201/rest/cluster/node/status | jq -r .nodeState)"
-
-if [ "\$NODE_STATE" != "LEADER" ]; then
-  echo "current node is not a leader, but \$NODE_STATE"
-  exit 0
-fi
-
-function trigger_backup {
-  local backup_name="\$(date +'%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S').tar"
-
-  curl \
-    -vvv --fail \
-    --user "admin:\$GRAPHDB_ADMIN_PASSWORD" \
-    --url localhost:7201/rest/recovery/cloud-backup \
-    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-    --header 'Accept: application/json' \
-    --data-binary @- <<-DATA
-    {
-      "backupOptions": { "backupSystemData": true },
-      "bucketUri": "s3:///${backup_bucket_name}/\$backup_name?region=${region}"
-    }
-DATA
-}
-
-function rotate_backups {
-  all_files="\$(aws --cli-connect-timeout 300 s3api list-objects --bucket ${backup_bucket_name} --query 'Contents' | jq .)"
-  count="\$(echo \$all_files | jq length)"
-  delete_count="\$((count - ${backup_retention_count} - 1))"
-
-  for i in \$(seq 0 \$delete_count); do
-    key="\$(echo \$all_files | jq -r .[\$i].Key)"
-
-    aws --cli-connect-timeout 300 s3 rm s3://${backup_bucket_name}/\$key
-  done
-}
-
-if ! trigger_backup; then
-  echo "failed to create backup"
-  exit 1
-fi
-
-rotate_backups
-
-EOF
-
-chmod +x /usr/bin/graphdb_backup
-echo "${backup_schedule} graphdb /usr/bin/graphdb_backup" > /etc/cron.d/graphdb_backup
-
 # https://docs.aws.amazon.com/elasticloadbalancing/latest/network/network-load-balancers.html#connection-idle-timeout
 echo 'net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_time = 120' | tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
 echo 'fs.file-max = 262144' | tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf