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"Anyone intending to be a serious user of AWS will use reservations." Not in my experience... It's impossible to predict the kind of usage you're going to need

"Anyone intending to be a serious user of AWS will use reservations." Not in my experience... It's impossible to predict the kind of usage you're going to need over the next 1-3 years, especially when you're first getting started with AWS. If you underestimate, you waste money. If you overestimate, you waste even more money. Google's concept of "sustained use" discounts is _much_ more appealing to me.

paulddraper 10y ago
> when you're first getting started with AWS Then I respectfully submit that you are not (yet) a serious user of AWS. > It's impossible to predict the kind of usage you're going to need over the next 1-3 years I call BS. Office 365, JIRA, Slack, Loggly...these all have monthly price plans, and discounted yearly plans. People managed to predict needs, despite a uncertain future of their needs. In the case they underestimate, they just purchase more at anytime. In case they overestimate...I don't know; I just know that a price comparison would very likely use JIRA's yearly prices, not its monthly ones. Unlike those examples, reserved instances can be bought and sold on the AWS marketplace (https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/purchasing-options/reserved-instances/marketplace/ https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/purchasing-options/reserved-insta...). I understand (and agree) if people criticize the complexity of AWS EC2 pricing. But if you're not going to use reserved instances for your non-trivial stuff...you're flushing money; go with another provider already.
- merb 10y ago
  well you just buy the lowest possible and start new instances and stop them when needed, when the lowest possible raises you just reserve more.
- user5994461 10y ago
  > I call BS. Office 365, JIRA, Slack, Loggly...these all have monthly price plans, and discounted yearly plans. These services have different, not comparable pricing models. See http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/CamelsandRubberDuckies.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/CamelsandRubberDuckie... They only sell packs (like 5, 50, or 500 users). All customers have to pay for the superior pack. There is little price prediction, you just _seriously_ overallocate to the next plan available. That's a revenue optimization strategy for the company. It's very costly for the customers. > Unlike those examples, reserved instances can be bought and sold on the AWS marketplace (https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/purchasing-options/reserved-insta... https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/purchasing-options/reserved-insta...). Nope they cannot... UNLESS you're American, and you have a bank account in America and in dollars, and you have an official American tax number, and you fill some paperwork... and more unknown hiccups you'll only find out too late! (I couldn't continue the procedure to see what's next, didn't fit the criteria at this point ^^).
  - paulddraper 10y ago
    Office 365 and Slack have 1 user granularity. I'm not sure how this matters to my original point, but AWS charges in packs too. One m4.10xlarge is cheaper than twenty m4.large. Anyone can buy RIs, but you are correct that selling a reserved instance requires a US bank account.

paulddraper 10y ago

> when you're first getting started with AWS Then I respectfully submit that you are not (yet) a serious user of AWS. > It's impossible to predict the kind of usage you're going to need over the next 1-3 years I call BS. Office 365, JIRA, Slack, Loggly...these all have monthly price plans, and discounted yearly plans. People managed to predict needs, despite a uncertain future of their needs. In the case they underestimate, they just purchase more at anytime. In case they overestimate...I don't know; I just know that a price comparison would very likely use JIRA's yearly prices, not its monthly ones. Unlike those examples, reserved instances can be bought and sold on the AWS marketplace (https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/purchasing-options/reserved-instances/marketplace/ https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/purchasing-options/reserved-insta...). I understand (and agree) if people criticize the complexity of AWS EC2 pricing. But if you're not going to use reserved instances for your non-trivial stuff...you're flushing money; go with another provider already.

merb 10y ago
well you just buy the lowest possible and start new instances and stop them when needed, when the lowest possible raises you just reserve more.
user5994461 10y ago
> I call BS. Office 365, JIRA, Slack, Loggly...these all have monthly price plans, and discounted yearly plans. These services have different, not comparable pricing models. See http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/CamelsandRubberDuckies.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/CamelsandRubberDuckie... They only sell packs (like 5, 50, or 500 users). All customers have to pay for the superior pack. There is little price prediction, you just _seriously_ overallocate to the next plan available. That's a revenue optimization strategy for the company. It's very costly for the customers. > Unlike those examples, reserved instances can be bought and sold on the AWS marketplace (https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/purchasing-options/reserved-insta... https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/purchasing-options/reserved-insta...). Nope they cannot... UNLESS you're American, and you have a bank account in America and in dollars, and you have an official American tax number, and you fill some paperwork... and more unknown hiccups you'll only find out too late! (I couldn't continue the procedure to see what's next, didn't fit the criteria at this point ^^).
- paulddraper 10y ago
  Office 365 and Slack have 1 user granularity. I'm not sure how this matters to my original point, but AWS charges in packs too. One m4.10xlarge is cheaper than twenty m4.large. Anyone can buy RIs, but you are correct that selling a reserved instance requires a US bank account.