Title

AWS re:Invent 2022 - What’s new in Amazon EC2 (CMP225)

Summary

• Presenters: Art Baudo (Principal Product Marketing Manager, EC2 Core Group) and Martin Yip (leads EC2 Product Marketing for compute and networking).
• EC2 Evolution: Discussed the evolution of EC2, highlighting the launch of over 30 billion instances since 2006 and the current rate of 100 million instances launched per day.
• Global Infrastructure: AWS has expanded to 30 regions with 96 availability zones, including the introduction of local zones and AWS Outposts for on-premises compute.
• Nitro System: The Nitro system was emphasized as a key innovation, providing better performance and security, and enabling the rapid development of new instance types.
• Instance Types: Detailed various instance types, including general-purpose, compute-optimized, memory-optimized, accelerated computing, and storage-optimized.
• Performance: AWS instances offer significant performance advantages over competitors, particularly in real-world workloads.
• Custom Silicon: AWS's custom silicon, including Graviton processors, allows for specialization, improved security, and rapid innovation.
• Networking and Storage: Discussed advancements in networking (up to 200 Gbps bandwidth) and storage (Nitro SSDs), including new instance types like i4i, IM4GN, and IS4GEN.
• Security: AWS's commitment to security was highlighted, including Nitro enclaves and TPM for protecting sensitive data.
• Processor Choices: AWS offers a broad choice of processors, including Intel, AMD, and AWS Graviton, with various instances tailored to different workloads.
• HPC and Machine Learning: AWS has made strides in supporting high-performance computing (HPC) and machine learning (ML) workloads with specialized instances and accelerators.
• Cost Optimization: Discussed cost-saving strategies using AWS Savings Plans, Spot Instances, and Compute Optimizer.

Insights

• Rapid Growth: The increase from 60 million to 100 million daily instance launches within a year indicates rapid growth and adoption of AWS services.
• Local Zones and Outposts: The expansion of local zones and the introduction of AWS Outposts demonstrate AWS's commitment to meeting customer needs for low-latency and on-premises solutions.
• Custom Silicon Impact: AWS's investment in custom silicon like Graviton processors is not only a technical achievement but also a strategic move to differentiate AWS services and optimize costs.
• Performance as a Differentiator: AWS's focus on performance, particularly in real-world workloads, is a key selling point and competitive advantage.
• Security as a Priority: AWS's emphasis on security, including the introduction of Nitro enclaves and TPM, underscores the importance of trust and data protection in cloud services.
• Diverse Processor Support: AWS's support for a wide range of processors caters to diverse customer needs and workloads, offering flexibility and optimization.
• HPC and ML Focus: AWS's focus on HPC and ML workloads, with specialized instances and accelerators, indicates the growing importance of these areas in cloud computing.
• Cost Management Tools: AWS provides tools and options like Savings Plans, Spot Instances, and Compute Optimizer to help customers manage and optimize their cloud spending effectively.