AWS Launches 2TB X1 Instances Alongside New Nano Instances For EC2

Amazon Web Services has taken the wraps off new instance types for the AWS EC2 service.

On the larger side, new X1 instances have 2 terabytes of memory, a full order of magnitude larger than the current generation of high-memory instances that AWS currently provides.

The X1 instances are designed for demanding enterprise workloads including production installations of SAP HANA, Microsoft SQL Server, Apache Spark, and Presto.

Powered by Intel Xeon E7 CPUs, the processors have a high memory bandwidth and have over 100 cores. The X1 instances will be available in the first half of 2016, with pricing yet to be revealed.

Response

Announcing the new instances at Amazon’s re:Invent conference in Las Vegas, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels said: “Almost every one of these features has been a response to you, to the customers.

“It’s not only that you wanted us to go bigger, you’ve also asked us to go smaller. You have asked us to do something better.”

Vogels was referring to not only the X1 instances, but another announcement: a new nano instance, called the t2.nano.

Available before the end of 2015, the t2.nano instance will give customers 1 vCPU and 512 MB of memory, with the ability to run at full core performance for over an hour on a full credit balance.

With burstable performance, AWS said that the instances will be a great fit for websites that get modest amounts of traffic, but also have quiet times.

The t2.nano instance joins the t2.micro, t2.small, and t2.medium instances announced in 2014.

“During those quiet times, CPU Credits will accumulate, providing a reserve that can be drawn upon when traffic surges,” said AWS.

“We are planning to launch two new EC2 instances in the coming months. The upcoming X1 instances will have loads of memory; the t2.nano will provide that little bit of processing power, along with bursting capabilities similar to those of its larger siblings.”

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