8_Selecting an EC2 Instance Type

EC2 Instance Types

This section covers Amazon EC2 instance types and how to choose the best one for a given use case.

Instance Type Configurations

• Each instance type defines a configuration of CPU, memory, storage, and network performance.
• Larger instance types generally have higher values for these characteristics.
• Example:
  • Moving from large to extra-large to 8x-large instances increases CPU, memory, and storage.
  • Network performance may be more static across sizes compared to other characteristics.

Choosing the Right Instance Type

• Consider workload, performance needs, and cost requirements.
• Understand the naming convention to identify instance types.

Naming Convention

An instance type name consists of several parts:

1. Instance Type Family: Indicates the type of workload the instance is designed for (e.g., compute-optimized).
2. Generation: Represents the generation of the instance type.
3. Processor Family: Specifies the processor used (e.g., Graviton).
4. Additional Capabilities: Indicates additional features such as network or EBS optimization.
5. Size: Specifies the size of the instance (e.g., xlarge).

• Example: c7gn.xlarge
  • c: Family name (Compute Optimized)
  • 7: Seventh generation
  • g: Graviton processor
  • n: Network and EBS optimized
  • xlarge: Extra large size

Instance Families

1. General Purpose:

   • Balance of compute, memory, and networking resources.
   • Use cases: web/application servers, enterprise applications, dev/test environments.

2. Compute Optimized:

   • High-performance processors for compute-bound applications.
   • Use cases: batch processing, distributed analytics, multiplayer gaming.

3. Storage Optimized:

   • High sequential read/write access to large datasets on local storage.
   • Use cases: high-performance databases, real-time analytics, log processing.

4. Memory Optimized:

   • Fast performance for processing large datasets in memory.
   • Use cases: in-memory caches, high-performance databases, big data analytics.

5. Accelerated Computing:

   • Hardware accelerators for floating-point calculations, graphics processing, and data pattern matching.
   • Use cases: machine learning, artificial intelligence, graphics workloads.

6. High Performance Computing (HPC):

   • Best price/performance for running HPC workloads at scale.
   • Use cases: complex simulations, deep learning.

Optimizing Instance Choice

• Select an instance type that provides the necessary performance while minimizing cost.
• Choose the latest generation in your chosen instance family for better price-to-performance.

Tools for Choosing Instance Types

1. EC2 Instance Types Page:

   • Use the instance types page in the AWS console to choose a new instance.
   • Offers search and filter capabilities.

2. AWS Compute Optimizer:

   • Use AWS Compute Optimizer to get recommendations on optimizing existing instances.
   • Analyzes EC2 instances and Auto Scaling groups.
   • Generates recommendations to reduce cost and improve performance.

Key Takeaways

• An EC2 instance type defines CPU, memory, storage, and network performance.
• Choose newer generation instance types for better price/performance.
• Use the EC2 console and AWS Compute Optimizer to find the right instance type.