Can AWS Cloud Computing address the flexibility issue in server purchases?

Question

It’s already 2024, and buying a server on AWS still requires planning for the next 1 or 3 years. This is mind-boggling for most companies' constantly changing business needs.

Overall, I believe that neither reserved instances nor saving plans solve the flexibility or elasticity issues of server rental, as the time commitments are always 1 year or 3 years, which is too long.

If I told you that some cloud computing providers offer monthly reserved instances that can be canceled when not needed, with partial refunds, how would you respond?

How about just copying other cloud providers, and allowing users to purchase reserved instances monthly (with automatic renewal across months) and offer the option to cancel? This would give users more choices and help them avoid unnecessary losses. For example, when you need to buy a server to develop and test a new algorithm for 3 months, how would you buy a saving plan or reserved instance?

Parthasaradi · Answer

Hello.

**Sell Reserved Instances in the Reserved Instance Marketplace**
 
* If you have excess Reserved Instances, you can sell them in the AWS Reserved Instance Marketplace to recoup some of your costs.

**Use On-Demand and Spot Instances for Flexibility**

* Avoid long-term commitments by using On-Demand Instances for immediate needs and Spot Instances for cost savings on flexible workloads.

**Purchase and Manage Savings Plans**

* Use Compute Savings Plans for flexible pricing across various instance types and regions, allowing you to adjust as needed without long-term constraints.

**Monitor Usage and Optimize Costs**

* Regularly review your usage with AWS Cost Explorer to make adjustments, ensuring you only pay for what you need.

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-reserved-instances.html#ri-example-scenario

Didier_Durand · Answer

Hi,

There are plenty of options for RIs on AWS.

See following sections on https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-reserved-instances.html

```
Sell Reserved Instances for Amazon EC2 in the Reserved Instance Marketplace
Modify Reserved Instances
Exchange Convertible Reserved Instances
```

Best,

Didier

Can AWS Cloud Computing address the flexibility issue in server purchases?

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