Posted On: Jun 16, 2016
Spot Instances with a defined duration (also known as Spot blocks) are no longer available to new customers since July 1, 2021. For customers that have previously used the feature, we will continue to support Spot Instances with a defined duration until December 31, 2022.
Today, we are introducing a redesigned EC2 Spot Requests console, which now supports Spot fleet and Spot blocks, features which simplify and streamline how you use Amazon EC2 Spot instances. Previously, Spot fleet and blocks were available via the AWS CLI and SDK tools only.
Spot blocks allow you to request Amazon EC2 Spot instances for 1 to 6 hours at a time to avoid being interrupted while your job completes. Spot fleet simplifies bidding by allowing you to select the number of vCPUs you need, and automatically launching the lowest priced Spot instances to request and maintain your desired capacity. Previously, you could only request a single instance type at a time, and determining the most cost effective instances was a manual process. New automated bidding on the Spot Requests console allows you to cap your maximum price automatically at EC2 On-demand rates, a bidding best practice which can help significantly reduce interruption with minimal impact to cost savings.
The new Spot Requests console is now available for no additional cost in all regions where Spot instances are supported.