When launching an Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instance, users have the option of choosing an Instance Store-backed or EBS-backed instance. While both types of instances provide storage for EC2 instances, they differ in terms of their performance characteristics and data durability.
Instance Store-backed Instances:
Instance Store-backed instances are EC2 instances that use ephemeral storage, which is temporary storage that is only available while the instance is running. Instance Store-backed instances provide high-performance storage, as the storage is physically attached to the host computer.
Here are some key features of Instance Store-backed instances:
High-performance storage: Instance Store-backed instances provide high-performance storage, as the storage is physically attached to the host computer. This allows for low-latency access to data and high I/O throughput.
Limited durability: Instance Store-backed instances provide temporary storage, which means that the data is lost when the instance is stopped or terminated. This means that Instance Store-backed instances are not suitable for storing critical data that needs to be preserved in the event of an instance failure.
Limited availability: Instance Store-backed instances are only available in certain instance types, and the amount of storage available varies depending on the instance type.
EBS-backed Instances:
EBS-backed instances are EC2 instances that use Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes for storage. EBS volumes provide persistent storage that is independent of the EC2 instance, meaning that data is not lost when the instance is stopped or terminated.
Here are some key features of EBS-backed instances:
Persistent storage: EBS-backed instances provide persistent storage that is independent of the EC2 instance. This means that data is not lost when the instance is stopped or terminated.
Flexible storage options: EBS volumes come in several different types, each with different performance characteristics and cost. Users can choose the type of EBS volume that best meets their performance and cost requirements.
Availability across all instance types: EBS volumes are available across all EC2 instance types, providing greater flexibility in terms of instance selection.
Overall, Instance Store-backed instances provide high-performance storage that is suitable for temporary data, while EBS-backed instances provide persistent storage that is suitable for critical data that needs to be preserved. When choosing between Instance Store and EBS-backed instances, users should consider their performance and data durability requirements, as well as the availability of storage options across different instance types.