Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud
Name	Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud
Developer	Amazon Web Services
Released	25 August 2006
Operating system	Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS
Genre	Cloud computing
Website	https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud. It is a core component of the Amazon Web Services cloud platform, providing scalable virtual server capacity. The service allows users to launch and manage virtual machine instances, offering control over computing resources with flexible pricing options. Its infrastructure underpins a vast ecosystem of applications, from web hosting to high-performance computing.

Overview

Launched in 2006, the service fundamentally changed how organizations procure and manage information technology infrastructure. It operates within the global network of AWS Regions and Availability Zones, providing resilience and low-latency access. By abstracting physical hardware, it enables businesses, from startups like Netflix to enterprises such as NASA, to deploy applications rapidly. This model is a foundational example of Infrastructure as a Service.

Features

Key capabilities include elasticity, allowing automatic scaling of capacity based on demand, and Amazon Machine Images for pre-configured templates. Features like Elastic Block Store provide persistent storage volumes, while Elastic Load Balancing distributes traffic. Users benefit from virtual private cloud networking, dedicated hosts for regulatory compliance, and integration with AWS Identity and Access Management for security. The AWS Management Console and AWS Command Line Interface offer comprehensive control.

Instance types

Instances are grouped into families optimized for different workloads. The General purpose family, like the M5 instances, balances resources for applications such as web servers. Compute optimized instances, including the C5 series, are designed for batch processing and scientific modeling. Memory optimized types, such as R5 instances, support in-memory databases like SAP HANA, while Accelerated computing instances feature GPUs from NVIDIA for machine learning and graphics rendering.

Pricing models

Several models cater to diverse usage patterns. On-Demand Instances offer pay-as-you-go pricing with no long-term commitment, ideal for variable workloads. Reserved Instances provide significant discounts for steady-state usage with one or three-year terms. Spot Instances allow bidding on spare capacity for cost-sensitive, interruptible tasks like data analysis. Savings Plans offer flexible, lower rates in exchange for consistent spending commitments across services.

Security and compliance

Security is a shared responsibility between Amazon Web Services and the customer. The infrastructure is protected within AWS data centers, which comply with frameworks like ISO 27001, SOC 1, and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Network security utilizes security groups and network access control lists. Data encryption is available for both Elastic Block Store volumes and instance store volumes, managed through the AWS Key Management Service.

Integration with AWS services

It is designed to work seamlessly with other Amazon Web Services offerings. Storage integrates with Amazon Simple Storage Service and Amazon Elastic File System. For orchestration, it works with AWS Elastic Beanstalk and the Amazon Elastic Container Service. Monitoring and logging are handled by Amazon CloudWatch and AWS CloudTrail. For hybrid architectures, the AWS Direct Connect service links on-premises data centers to virtual private cloud environments.

Category:Amazon Web Services Category:Cloud computing Category:Infrastructure as a service