Reserved instances can be the cause of some confusion and are often misunderstood. Here are a few pointers to get you going down the right path:
- Reserved instances have no distinguishing technical features compared to regular on-demand instances.
- Reserved instances are not a specific type or class of instance.
- Put simply, purchasing a reserved instance entitles you to a discounted hourly rate on an on-demand instance that matches the properties of the reserved instance.
- The discounted hourly rate will be of a varying size depending on how much you pay upfront. As a general rule, the more you pay upfront, the higher the discount.
When you purchase a reserved instance, you're required to specify the following properties:
Platform
(Linux
/Windows
)Scope
(Region
orAvailability Zone
)Instance Type
(for example,m3.large
)Tenancy
(shared or dedicated)Offering Class
(standard or convertible)Term
(1-12 months or 1-3 years)Payment Option
(no upfront, partial upfront, all upfront...