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AWScloud~5 mins

Instance types and families in AWS - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

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Recall & Review
beginner
What is an AWS instance type?
An AWS instance type defines the hardware of the host computer used for your virtual server. It specifies CPU, memory, storage, and networking capacity.
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beginner
Name three common AWS instance families and their main use cases.
1. General Purpose: Balanced CPU, memory, and networking for diverse workloads.
2. Compute Optimized: High CPU for compute-heavy tasks.
3. Memory Optimized: Large memory for databases and caching.
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intermediate
Why choose a Compute Optimized instance family?
Choose Compute Optimized instances when your application needs fast processing power, like batch processing, video encoding, or high-performance web servers.
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beginner
What does the instance type name 'm5.large' tell you?
'm5' means it belongs to the General Purpose family, 5th generation. 'large' indicates the size with specific CPU and memory resources.
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intermediate
How do instance families help optimize cloud costs?
By selecting the right family for your workload, you avoid paying for unused resources. For example, use Memory Optimized for big databases, not General Purpose.
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Which AWS instance family is best for applications needing a balance of CPU, memory, and networking?
AStorage Optimized
BCompute Optimized
CGeneral Purpose
DMemory Optimized
What does the 'c' in 'c5.large' instance type stand for?
ACache Optimized
BCompute Optimized
CCost Optimized
DCapacity Optimized
Which instance family is best suited for large in-memory databases?
AGeneral Purpose
BCompute Optimized
CGPU Instances
DMemory Optimized
If you need fast local storage for a database, which instance family should you consider?
AStorage Optimized
BCompute Optimized
CGeneral Purpose
DMemory Optimized
What does the size label in an instance type (e.g., 'large', 'xlarge') indicate?
AThe amount of CPU and memory resources
BThe generation of the instance
CThe region where the instance runs
DThe network speed only
Explain how AWS instance families differ and why choosing the right family matters.
Think about how different tasks need different resources like CPU or memory.
You got /4 concepts.
    Describe what information you can learn from an AWS instance type name like 'r6g.xlarge'.
    Break down the parts of the name step by step.
    You got /4 concepts.

      Practice

      (1/5)
      1. Which AWS instance family is best suited for general purpose workloads like web servers and small databases?
      easy
      A. C family (e.g., c5, c6g)
      B. P family (e.g., p3, p4)
      C. R family (e.g., r5, r6g)
      D. T family (e.g., t3, t4g)

      Solution

      1. Step 1: Understand instance family purposes

        The T family is designed for general purpose workloads with balanced CPU and memory.

      2. Step 2: Match workload type to instance family

        Web servers and small databases typically need balanced resources, fitting T family well.

      3. Final Answer:

        T family (e.g., t3, t4g) -> Option D

      4. Quick Check:

        General purpose = T family [OK]
      Hint: General purpose = T family instances [OK]
      Common Mistakes:
      • Confusing compute-optimized C family for general purpose
      • Choosing memory-optimized R family for small databases
      • Selecting GPU P family for simple web servers
      2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to specify a compute-optimized instance type in AWS?
      easy
      A. t3.large
      B. c5.large
      C. r5.large
      D. m5.large

      Solution

      1. Step 1: Identify compute-optimized prefix

        Compute-optimized instances start with 'c' (e.g., c5, c6g).

      2. Step 2: Check instance type format

        Correct format is family + size, like 'c5.large'.

      3. Final Answer:

        c5.large -> Option B

      4. Quick Check:

        Compute-optimized = c5.large [OK]
      Hint: Compute-optimized instances start with 'c' [OK]
      Common Mistakes:
      • Choosing m5.large which is general purpose
      • Selecting r5.large which is memory optimized
      • Using t3.large which is burstable general purpose
      3. Given the following instance types, which one provides the highest memory capacity per vCPU? 
      A) m5.large
B) c5.large
C) r5.large
D) t3.large
      medium
      A. r5.large
      B. c5.large
      C. m5.large
      D. t3.large

      Solution

      1. Step 1: Understand instance family memory focus

        R family is memory optimized, offering more memory per vCPU than others.

      2. Step 2: Compare memory per vCPU for given types

        r5.large has 16 GiB RAM and 2 vCPUs (8 GiB/vCPU), higher than m5.large (8 GiB/2 vCPU = 4 GiB/vCPU), c5.large (4 GiB/2 vCPU = 2 GiB/vCPU), t3.large (8 GiB/2 vCPU = 4 GiB/vCPU).

      3. Final Answer:

        r5.large -> Option A

      4. Quick Check:

        Memory optimized = r5.large [OK]
      Hint: Memory optimized = R family (r5, r6g) [OK]
      Common Mistakes:
      • Assuming m5.large has more memory per vCPU
      • Confusing compute-optimized c5.large as memory heavy
      • Thinking burstable t3.large has highest memory per vCPU
      4. You launched an instance with type c5.large but your application needs more memory. Which instance type should you choose to fix this issue without changing the CPU count?
      medium
      A. r5.large
      B. c5.xlarge
      C. t3.large
      D. m5.large

      Solution

      1. Step 1: Identify current instance specs

        c5.large has 2 vCPUs and 4 GiB memory.

      2. Step 2: Find instance with same vCPU but more memory

        r5.large has 2 vCPUs and 16 GiB memory, increasing memory without changing CPU count.

      3. Final Answer:

        r5.large -> Option A

      4. Quick Check:

        More memory, same CPU = r5.large [OK]
      Hint: Keep vCPU same, pick memory-optimized with same size [OK]
      Common Mistakes:
      • Choosing c5.xlarge which doubles CPU and memory
      • Picking t3.large which is burstable, not memory optimized
      • Selecting m5.large which has less memory (8 GiB) than r5.large
      5. You need to run a machine learning training job that requires high GPU performance and large memory. Which instance family and size combination is the best fit?
      hard
      A. r5.12xlarge
      B. c5.4xlarge
      C. p4d.24xlarge
      D. t3.2xlarge

      Solution

      1. Step 1: Identify instance families for GPU workloads

        P family instances are designed for GPU-intensive tasks like machine learning.

      2. Step 2: Choose size with high GPU and memory

        p4d.24xlarge offers multiple GPUs and large memory, ideal for training jobs.

      3. Final Answer:

        p4d.24xlarge -> Option C

      4. Quick Check:

        GPU + large memory = p4d.24xlarge [OK]
      Hint: GPU needs = P family, largest size for training [OK]
      Common Mistakes:
      • Picking c5.4xlarge which lacks GPUs
      • Choosing r5.12xlarge which is memory optimized but no GPU
      • Selecting t3.2xlarge which is burstable general purpose