When deciding between AWS EBS (Elastic Block Store) volume types, specifically gp3 versus io2, the first thing to consider is the application's performance requirements, durability, and cost. Both gp3 and io2 are solid-state drive (SSD) storage options that serve different use cases based on their performance characteristics and reliability.
Overview of gp3 and io2
- gp3 (General Purpose SSD)Performance: Provides baseline performance plus the ability to provision additional IOPS (input/output operations per second) and throughput beyond the baseline, independently of storage capacity.Use Cases: General-purpose workloads, virtual desktops, development and test environments, and low-latency interactive apps.Cost: Generally less expensive than io2; you pay for provisioned storage and can pay extra for additional IOPS and throughput.
- io2 (Provisioned IOPS SSD)Performance: Designed for I/O-intensive applications and databases, offering high durability and provisioned IOPS up to 64,000 IOPS per volume.Use Cases: Critical business applications that require sustained IOPS performance, or more than 16,000 IOPS or 1000 MB/s, gp3 can provide.Durability and Availability: It offers 99.999% durability and is designed to protect against concurrent device failures by replicating data within an Availability Zone (AZ).Cost: More expensive due to higher durability and IOPS capabilities.
Performance and Cost Considerations
- The baseline performance of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput per TiB is scalable up to 16,000 IOPS and 1,000 MB/s throughput at an additional cost.
- More cost-effective for a broad range of general-purpose applications.
- Provisioned performance starts at 100 IOPS per GiB, with a maximum of 64,000 IOPS and up to 1,000 MB/s throughput per volume.
- It is best suited for use cases where consistent and high IOPS performance is crucial, such as large databases and latency-sensitive applications.
What Happens Under the Hood?
gp3
- Performance Scaling: AWS dynamically allocates additional resources to your volume without downtime or performance impact when you provision additional IOPS or throughput.
- Cost Efficiency: Offers a lower cost per provisioned IOPS and GB than io2, making it suitable for a broader range of applications.
- Adaptability: Suitable for varying performance needs that do not require the extreme durability or higher costs associated with io2.
io2
- High Durability: io2 volumes are built for 99.999% durability, reducing the likelihood of data loss due to hardware failures. This is achieved by replicating data within the AZ.
- Provisioned IOPS: Ensures that IOPS are consistent and not affected by the multi-tenant environment, which is crucial for applications where performance consistency is critical.
- Higher Cost: Reflects the enhanced durability and performance capabilities necessary for mission-critical applications.
Choosing Between gp3 and io2
- Cost Sensitivity: If cost is a significant factor and the application does not require sustained high IOPS, gp3 is typically sufficient.
- Performance Requirements: io2 may be the better choice for applications needing consistent high IOPS and low latency, such as high-transaction databases.
- Durability Needs: For critical applications where data loss is unacceptable, io2 provides higher durability.
Each EBS volume type is optimized for specific scenarios, and the choice often depends on balancing performance needs and budget constraints.
NOTE: I am not discussing io2 Block Express, which offers 256,000 IOPS and represents the first SAN explicitly built for the cloud. It is designed for the most I/O-intensive, mission-critical deployments, including Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, SAP HANA, and SAS Analytics on AWS.
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