code: private boolean associateElasticIp() {
  
  		String elasticIp = this.targetProperties.get( Ec2Constants.ELASTIC_IP );
  		if( ! Utils.isEmptyOrWhitespaces( elasticIp )) {
  			this.logger.fine( "Associating an elastic IP with the instance. IP = " + elasticIp );
  			AssociateAddressRequest associateAddressRequest = new AssociateAddressRequest( this.machineId, elasticIp );
  			this.ec2Api.associateAddress( associateAddressRequest );
  		}
  
  		return true;
  	}
docs: Associates an elastic IP with the VM.
  @return true if there is nothing more to do about elastic IP configuration, false otherwise