Give me function definition and doc string in Python for the following question. Begin the function name with 'get' or 'set'. The function name should be elaborate and correctly represent the intent of the question. Add arguments if necessary.

Question: Write a function to find which of my ec2 instances are running.
Function Name: Provide your response in exactly 6 paragraphs (separated nearby paragraphs with 3 aterisk symbols ***).
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