Automating AMI Builds for Code Pre-Installation on Every Code Push
Question
You need your CI to build AMIs with code pre-installed on the images on every new code push.
You need to do this as cheaply as possible.
How do you do this?
Answers
Explanations
Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer
A. B. C. D.Answer - A.
Amazon EC2 Spot instances allow you to make use of spare Amazon EC2 computing capacity.
Since Spot instances are often available at a discount compared to On-Demand pricing, you can significantly reduce the cost of running your applications, grow your application's compute capacity and throughput for the same budget, and enable new types of cloud computing applications.
For more information on Spot Instances, please visit the below URL:
https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/spot/Note: Since we are quoting a price higher than the spot price, the most likelihood of terminating the instance due to the price fluctuation seems to be quite unlikely to occur.
Since the question's focus is on the cost factor, this is the most suitable option.
Light utilization RIs are not currently available for purchase.
So it is not a valid option.
Although the availability cannot be promised with Spot instances, and there can also be interruptions in between, it is still being used by many businesses because of its cost-efficiency.
To make use of Spot instances, there are various practices that we can follow to ensure less interruptions.
We can use pools with lower prices and more stable prices (both current and historical) to find bargains and lower interruption rates.
Check the price history of the instance types, make the bid price higher than the current price, usage of multiple capacity pools etc are various approaches that we can practice to reduce the interruptions on Spot instances.
In order to build AMIs with code pre-installed on the images on every new code push as cheaply as possible, there are a few options to consider.
Option A suggests using a spot instance request to create an instance and then creating an AMI based on that instance. Spot instances allow you to bid on unused EC2 instances, potentially saving money compared to on-demand instances. However, the downside of spot instances is that they can be terminated at any time if the spot price increases above your bid. This could potentially cause the CI process to fail if the instance is terminated before the AMI creation is complete.
Option B suggests using an on-demand instance to create the AMI. On-demand instances offer the most predictable pricing, but they can also be the most expensive option. This option is straightforward but may not be the most cost-effective.
Option C suggests purchasing a Light Utilization Reserved Instance to save money on the CI machine. Reserved Instances offer significant cost savings compared to on-demand instances, but they require upfront payment and a commitment for a specific term. This option could be cost-effective in the long run, but may not be ideal for short-term needs.
Option D suggests attaching a new EBS volume to the CI machine and performing all setup on this volume. This option does not require a new EC2 instance and can potentially save on costs. However, it may require additional management overhead and may not be as scalable as the other options.
In summary, each option has its own trade-offs in terms of cost-effectiveness, reliability, and scalability. It's important to weigh the pros and cons of each option and choose the one that best fits your specific requirements and constraints.
