Instance types and families in AWS - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Instance types and families

Choose workload needs

↓

Select instance family

↓

Pick instance type

↓

Launch instance

↓

Instance runs with chosen specs

This flow shows how you pick an instance family based on your workload, then select a specific instance type to launch.

Execution Sample

AWS

Choose workload -> Select family -> Pick type -> Launch instance

This sequence represents selecting an AWS instance family and type to launch a virtual server.

Process Table

Step	Action	Input/Choice	Result
1	Choose workload	General purpose	Selects balanced CPU and memory needs
2	Select instance family	t3 (General purpose)	Family chosen for balanced workloads
3	Pick instance type	t3.medium	Instance with 2 vCPUs and 4 GiB RAM selected
4	Launch instance	t3.medium	Instance starts running with chosen specs
5	Instance running	t3.medium	Ready to use with 2 vCPUs and 4 GiB RAM

💡 Instance launched and running with selected type and family

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	Final
workload_need	none	General purpose	General purpose	General purpose	General purpose
instance_family	none	none	t3	t3	t3
instance_type	none	none	none	t3.medium	t3.medium
instance_state	stopped	stopped	stopped	running	running

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we pick an instance family before the instance type?

Instance families group similar hardware for specific workloads. Picking family first narrows choices to types that fit your needs, as shown in steps 2 and 3 of the execution_table.

What does 't3.medium' mean in terms of resources?

't3.medium' specifies 2 virtual CPUs and 4 GiB of RAM. This is shown in step 3 where the instance type is picked with these specs.

Why does the instance state change from 'stopped' to 'running'?

After launching the instance (step 4), AWS starts it, changing state to 'running' as shown in the variable_tracker final column.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what instance family is selected at step 2?

A t3

B m5

C c5

D r5

💡 Hint

Check the 'Select instance family' row in execution_table step 2

At which step does the instance state change to 'running'?

A Step 3

B Step 4

C Step 5

D Step 2

💡 Hint

Look at variable_tracker 'instance_state' column for final state

If the workload need was 'Compute optimized', which family might be chosen instead of 't3'?

A r5

B m5

C c5

D t2

💡 Hint

Compute optimized families start with 'c', check common AWS instance families

Concept Snapshot

Instance types are grouped into families based on workload needs.
Choose a family first (e.g., t3 for general purpose).
Then pick a type within that family (e.g., t3.medium).
Each type defines CPU, memory, and other specs.
Launch instance to run with chosen specs.

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how to select AWS instance types and families. First, you decide your workload needs, such as general purpose. Then you pick an instance family that fits, like t3 for balanced CPU and memory. Next, you select a specific instance type, for example t3.medium, which has 2 virtual CPUs and 4 GiB of RAM. Finally, you launch the instance, which changes its state from stopped to running. This process helps you match your server resources to your application needs efficiently.