Category: Compute

The Altair 8800 computer that I built in 1977 had just 4 kilobytes of memory. Today I was able to use an EC2 instance with 12 terabytes (12 tebibytes to be exact) of memory, almost 4 billion times as much! The new Amazon EC2 High Memory Instances let you take advantage of other AWS services […]

It is a very interesting time to be a corporate IT administrator. On the one hand, developers are talking about (and implementing) an idyllic future where infrastructure as code, and treating servers and other resources as cattle. On the other hand, legacy systems still must be treated as pets, set up and maintained by hand […]

Today I’m really excited to show you a powerful new feature of AWS CloudFormation, we’re calling Macros. Macros allow developers to extend the native syntax of CloudFormation templates by allowing AWS Lambda powered transformations on templates.

Amazon Lightsail gives you access to the power of AWS, with the simplicity of a VPS (Virtual Private Server). You choose a configuration from a menu and launch a virtual machine (an instance) preconfigured with SSD-based storage, DNS management, and a static IP address. You can use Linux or Windows, and can even choose between […]

We launched the t1.micro instance type in 2010, and followed up with the first of the T2 instances (micro, small, and medium) in 2014, more sizes in 2015 (nano) and 2016 (xlarge and 2xlarge), and unlimited bursting last year. Today we are launching T3 instances in twelve regions. These general-purpose instances are even more cost-effective […]

lets you create petabyte-scale file systems that can be accessed in massively parallel fashion from hundreds or thousands of servers and on-premises resources, scaling on demand without disrupting applications. Behind the scenes, storage is distributed across multiple Availability Zones and redundant storage servers in order to provide you with file systems that are scalable, durable, […]

Just last week I told you about our plans to launch EC2 Instances with Faster Processors and More Memory. Today I am happy to report that the R5, R5d, and z1d instances are available now and you can start using them today. Let’s take a look at each one! R5 Instances The memory-optimized R5 instances […]

Last month I told you about the Nitro system and explained how it will allow us to broaden the selection of EC2 instances and to pick up the pace as we do so, with an ever-broadening selection of compute, storage, memory, and networking options. This will allow us to give you access to the latest […]

I love factories and never miss an opportunity to take a tour. Over the years, I have been lucky enough to watch as raw materials and sub-assemblies are turned into cars, locomotives, memory chips, articulated buses, and more. I’m always impressed by the speed, precision, repeat-ability, and the desire to automate every possible step. On […]

It is always interesting to zoom in on the history of a single AWS service or feature and watch how it has evolved over time in response to customer feedback. For example, Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) launched a decade ago and has been gaining more features and functionality every since. Here are a few […]