Types

Reserved Instances

• Standard Reserved Instances
  • Apply to a single instance family, platform, scope, and tenancy over a term
  • One or three year term
  • Can reserve capacity (locked into one availability zone) or be regional (can launch in any AZ within the region)

• Convertible Reserved Instances
  
  • Can be exchanged for Convertible Reserved Instances with different instance families, platform, tenancy, or scope during the term
  • Three year term
  • Can reserve capacity (locked into one availability zone) or be regional (can launch in any AZ within the region)

Scheduled Instances

• One year term
• Repeating schedule (daily, weekly, monthly)
• http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-scheduled-instances.html

Tenancy

• If you're using dedicated instances, choose Dedicated Tenancy
• If not, choose Default Tenancy

Usage

Instance Size Flexibility

• All Regional Linux/UNIX RIs with shared tenancy now apply to all sizes of instances within an instance family and AWS region, even if you are using them across multiple accounts via Consolidated Billing.

• Let’s say you already own an RI for a c4.8xlarge. This RI now applies to any usage of a Linux/UNIX C4 instance with shared tenancy in the region. This could be:

  • One c4.8xlarge instance.
  • Two c4.4xlarge instances.
  • Four c4.2xlarge instances.
  • Sixteen c4.large instances.
  • It also includes other combinations such as one c4.4xlarge and eight c4.large instances.
• If you own an RI that is smaller than the instance that you are running, you will be charged the pro-rated, On-Demand price for the excess.
• If you own an RI for a large instance and run a smaller instance, the RI price will apply to the smaller instance. However, the unused portion of the reservation will not accumulate.

Payment Options

• All up front
  • Biggest discount
• Partial up front
• No up front
  • One year term
  • Available with a 3 year term for C4, M4, R4, I3, P2, X1, and T2 Standard Reserved Instances only