AWS FAQs

Check out our AWS Discussion Board for more FAQs. We encourage you to post a question here !

A note on data transfer costs

Data transfer between AWS and the Internet: Data transfer costs from AWS to the internet are highly dependent on the region. For example, for S3 buckets located in the US West (Oregon) region, the first GB/month is free and the next 9.999 TB/month cost $0.09 per GB. However, if the S3 buckets are located in the South America (São Paolo) region, the first GB/month is still free, but the next 9.999 TB/month cost $0.25 per GB.

More info here: https://www.apptio.com/blog/aws-data-transfer-costs/

Data storage https://aws.amazon.com/ebs/pricing/

What are the advantages of using AWS over an academic HPC?

• Most universities don't have a HPC
• No queues!
• Can set up as many instances as you want (as long as you are willing to pay for it)
• Can install anything without needing admin permissions
• Almost no scheduled or unscheduled outages
• Easier to set up
• Easier to learn and get help on the internet
• Costs more over time, but someone is paying for the HPC too!

But if you have a good HPC, please use it!

Can you set up multiple instances at once

• Yes!
• There is a limit per account but it is a very large number and doesn't apply to most people

Can you launch more than one instance with the same configurations?

• Yes, there is an option to do this on the instance set up page.
• Look in the second tab!

Can you copy an instance or share an instance with collaborators?

• Yes, but this is not as straightforward as it seems.
• The way to clone an instance is via snapshots