Welcome to the fascinating world of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)! This service is the backbone of AWS, providing you with virtual servers that you can use to run any application or workload you can think of. EC2 is also the foundation for other managed AWS PaaS and SaaS services like RDS, S3, ECS, and more. Whether you're a startup launching an app or an enterprise dealing with complex workloads, EC2 adapts beautifully. Let's dive in and talk about the basics of EC2.
What is an instance?
At the core of Amazon EC2 is a concept referred to as an instance. Think of an EC2 instance as a dedicated computer in the cloud, but without the physical hardware — it's just pure, on-demand power. You choose the virtual hardware configuration (CPU, memory, storage, etc.) that best fits your needs, and voila! You have a ready-to-go computer, accessible from anywhere with just an internet connection.
You can run Windows, Ubuntu, Debian, macOS, and other operating systems on an instance. Once you have your OS of choice running, you can install any software you need, such as a web server, a database engine, and more:
EC2 instances are created through the process of virtualization. This allows multiple instances to share the same physical hardware, leading to cost-effective resource use and scalable solutions. Say goodbye to bulky and expensive on-premises servers! With this method, you can easily change your computing capacity based on demand. A single physical server can host numerous instances, each running a different operating system:
Storage for EC2 instances
Instances, like laptops or desktop computers, need a place to store their data. This includes operating system files, application data, backups, and more. Let's start with Elastic Block Store (EBS). EBS provides persistent, block-level storage that remains intact even if you shut down your instance. You attach storage volumes to EC2 instances to store operating system files and application data. It is like having an external hard drive attached to your virtual server. EBS can also be easily backed up and used to create new instances. Later, we will talk more about EBS.
Instances also have ephemeral storage volumes directly attached to them, known as instance store volumes. These offer a fast, short-term storage solution while their associated EC2 instance is active. Unlike the persistent nature of EBS, instance store volumes are transient; they only last as long as the instance runs.
Instances can also use the Elastic File System (EFS) service. This is a scalable, fully managed file storage service on AWS. It lets multiple instances share the same file system, which is perfect for applications that need shared file access. EFS simplifies file storage and scales automatically as you need more storage.
You don't have to use EFS or Amazon S3 storage for your instances. You only need EFS when multiple instances, even in different Availability Zones (AZs), need to access the same files. Amazon S3 is handy for storing data like backups, static assets, and other files. We will explore these storage options in later topics.
Pricing models
EC2 provides various pricing models suited to different use cases. The following table summarizes these various pricing models:
Pricing model | Features | Use cases |
|---|---|---|
On-demand | Pay for computing capacity by the hour or second with no long-term commitments. Scale resources based on demand. | For short-term needs or unpredictable workloads. |
Reserved instances | Long-term commitment (1–3 years) for up to 75% in cost savings compared to on-demand. | For steady-state applications with predictable usage patterns. |
Spot instances | Bid for unused capacity for up to 90% less than the instance price. When the price exceeds the bid price, AWS terminates the workload with only a 2-minute notice. | For workloads that can be interrupted, like batch processing or background tasks. |
Savings plan | Commit to a specific amount of computing use (e.g., $/hour) for a 1- or 3-year term. Up to 72% cost savings. | For steady-state applications with predictable usage patterns. |
Dedicated hosts | Isolated physical servers that offer enhanced security and compliance. Gives per-core visibility and control over instance placement, but at a higher cost. | For EC2 instances with strict requirements on licensing and security. |
Dedicated instances | Instances run on hardware dedicated to a single customer. | For EC2 instances needing physical isolation from other AWS accounts. |
Remember that the cost savings percentages are approximate and can change based on certain factors. For the latest pricing information, see the AWS documentation.
Use cases
EC2 is a versatile service that can be employed for various Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) scenarios. It is also the underlying service for other AWS PaaS offerings, such as Amazon RDS and Amazon Aurora. Some common uses for EC2 include:
Web hosting — you can host a web server on an EC2 instance, utilizing scaling and load balance to meet fluctuating demand.
Dev and test environments — EC2 allows the creation and destruction of temporary environments for development and testing workloads that run for only a short period.
Batch processing — EC2 enables efficient execution of large-scale, short-lived, data- or processing-intensive operations.
Database servers — EC2 offers the necessary scalability and performance for running various database engines such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and others. You can tailor your database server configuration to meet specific requirements, something not possible when using a managed database such as RDS.
Big data and analytics — EC2 facilitates processing vast datasets and executing complex analytics. You have a wide range of instance types to support these workloads.
Benefits
As a cloud offering, EC2 benefits from the inherent pros of the cloud. Some of them are:
Flexibility and control — as an IaaS offering, EC2 provides unparalleled control over computing resources. You can customize and configure virtual servers according to specific requirements, offering a level of control not available in fully managed cloud services.
Reliability — EC2 is backed by AWS's global infrastructure. If one instance fails, other instances hosted in different zones can quickly take over. This ensures minimal to no downtime.
Cost-effectiveness — EC2 offers various pricing models tailored to meet specific use cases, enabling greater cost savings.
Scalability — instances are inherently scalable, allowing users to easily add or remove instances based on fluctuating demand.
Security — instances benefit from the robust security features of the AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). Furthermore, AWS's secure and compliant infrastructure provides a foundation for secure computing, giving users confidence in protecting their data and applications hosted on EC2.
Agility — with EC2, you can swiftly get up and running within minutes, unlike with traditional servers.
Conclusion
Amazon EC2 stands as a cornerstone in the AWS ecosystem, offering a dynamic and versatile solution for a wide range of computing needs. Let's review some of the concepts we covered about Amazon EC2:
An instance is a virtual server in the cloud that runs operating systems such as Windows, Linux, macOS, and others.
EC2 has various use cases, including web hosting, database servers, batch processing, and more.
EC2 supports different storage options like Elastic Block Store (EBS), instance store volumes, Elastic File System (EFS), and Amazon S3. Each storage option meets a distinct need.
There are several pricing models available: on-demand, reserved instances, spot instances, and more. Whether you need to run a short-term, stable, or dedicated workload, there's a pricing plan for you.
The benefits of EC2 include reliability, flexibility, security, and quick deployment.
EC2 is an IaaS offering that provides greater control compared to other cloud services. It is backed up by AWS's global infrastructure, which naturally includes high availability, agility, flexibility, and security. It also integrates well with other AWS services. Therefore, EC2 gives you the tools to build, scale, and innovate in the cloud.