AWS has announced updates to Amazon EC2 On-Demand Capacity Reservations (ODCRs), introducing split, move, and modify functionalities to improve resource management and cost efficiency. These new features are designed to give users greater control over their reserved EC2 capacity, addressing the dynamic needs of modern cloud deployments.
The split feature enables users to divide existing ODCRs, creating new reservations from unused capacity. This allows for more granular resource allocation, significantly when demand fluctuates. Instead of maintaining a large, underutilized reservation, users can now create smaller, more targeted reservations.
(Source: AWS News blog post)
The move capability allows users to transfer unused capacity slots between existing ODCRs. This optimizes resource utilization across different reservations, preventing wasted capacity and reducing costs. Users can reallocate resources to where they are needed most, improving overall efficiency.
The modify feature allows users to change reservation attributes without disrupting running workloads. Users can adjust the instance quantity, switch between targeted and open reservation types, and modify the reservation’s end date. This eliminates the need to create new reservations for minor adjustments and reduces operational overhead.
“These new capabilities provide you with powerful tools for improved capacity management and resource usage, leading to more efficient operations and cost savings,” states the AWS blog post, highlighting the benefits of these updates. The enhancements aim to improve capacity management, offering greater flexibility and control. By optimizing resource utilization and minimizing disruptions, users can achieve cost savings and improve the overall efficiency of their EC2 deployments.
The company writes in the blog post:
The ability to dynamically adjust and share Capacity Reservations provides the flexibility you need while maintaining the stability necessary for your critical workloads.
While cloud providers like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offer similar capacity reservation mechanisms, the specific features differ. Azure’s Reserved Virtual Machine Instances (Reserved VMs) and GCP’s Committed Use Discounts (CUDs) provide cost savings for committed compute usage. However, the newly introduced AWS “split, move, and modify” features offer more granular control over reservations than Azure and GCP’s standard offerings.
