AMI (Amazon Machine Image) - Glossary
Definition and explanation of AMI (Amazon Machine Image). An AMI is a template containing the software configuration for launching EC2 instances.
Cloud Computing Glossary
Cloud computing glossary
Cloud Computing Glossary
Cloud computing glossary. Compare pricing across AWS, Azure, GCP, and Alibaba Cloud.
Overview
Browse our comprehensive collection of cloud pricing information for glossary. All data is sourced from official cloud provider pricing APIs and updated regularly.
Pricing Comparison
| Provider | Starting Price | Free Tier | Reserved Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | $0.00520/hr | 12 months | Up to 72% |
| Azure | $0.00520/hr | 12 months | Up to 72% |
| GCP | $0.00400/hr | Always-free tier | Up to 57% |
| Alibaba | $0.00300/hr | 12 months | Up to 60% |
Recommendation
- Compare all providers: Pricing can vary by 20-40% for equivalent instances
- Use reserved instances: Commit for 1-3 years to save 40-72%
- Leverage spot instances: Save 70-90% for interruptible workloads
- Right-size your instances: Match instance specs to actual workload requirements
- Monitor costs: Set up billing alerts and review spending regularly
Auto Scaling - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Auto Scaling. Auto scaling automatically adjusts the number of instances based on demand and defined policies.
Availability Zone - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Availability Zone. An availability zone is an isolated location within a region designed for fault tolerance and high availability.
Bandwidth - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Bandwidth. Bandwidth is the maximum rate of data transfer across a network connection, measured in bits per second.
Cloud Region - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Cloud Region. A cloud region is a geographical area with one or more availability zones operated by a cloud provider.
Cloud Storage - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Cloud Storage. Cloud storage is a cloud computing model that stores data on remote servers accessed via the internet.
EBS (Elastic Block Store) - Glossary
Definition and explanation of EBS (Elastic Block Store). Amazon EBS is AWS's block storage service providing persistent volumes for EC2 instances.
EBS Snapshot - Glossary
Definition and explanation of EBS Snapshot. An EBS snapshot is a point-in-time backup of an EBS volume stored in Amazon S3.
HDD (Hard Disk Drive) - Glossary
Definition and explanation of HDD (Hard Disk Drive). HDD is a traditional storage device using magnetic disks, offering lower cost per GB but slower performance.
IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) - Glossary
Definition and explanation of IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second). IOPS measures the number of read/write operations a storage device can handle per second.
Latency - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Latency. Latency is the time delay between a request and its response, measured in milliseconds.
Load Balancer - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Load Balancer. A load balancer distributes incoming network traffic across multiple instances for reliability.
On-Demand Pricing - Glossary
Definition and explanation of On-Demand Pricing. On-demand pricing charges per hour or second of usage with no upfront commitment.
RAM (Random Access Memory) - Glossary
Definition and explanation of RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM is the volatile memory used by a computer or cloud instance for temporary data storage during processing.
Reserved Instance - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Reserved Instance. A reserved instance is a billing discount offered in exchange for a usage commitment.
Savings Plan - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Savings Plan. A savings plan offers flexible pricing in exchange for a commitment to a consistent hourly spend.
Security Group - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Security Group. A security group is a virtual firewall controlling inbound and outbound traffic for cloud instances.
Spot Instance - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Spot Instance. A spot instance is spare cloud capacity available at a discount, subject to interruption.
SSD (Solid State Drive) - Glossary
Definition and explanation of SSD (Solid State Drive). SSD is a storage device that uses flash memory, offering higher performance than traditional HDDs.
Subnet - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Subnet. A subnet is a range of IP addresses within a VPC that can be used to isolate resources.
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) - Glossary
Definition and explanation of TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). TCO is the complete cost of owning and operating a system, including direct and indirect costs.
Throughput - Glossary
Definition and explanation of Throughput. Throughput is the amount of data transferred per unit of time, typically measured in MB/s or Gbps.
vCPU (Virtual CPU) - Glossary
Definition and explanation of vCPU (Virtual CPU). A virtual CPU is the share of a physical CPU allocated to a virtual machine or cloud instance.
VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) - Glossary
Definition and explanation of VPC (Virtual Private Cloud). A VPC is a logically isolated network section of a cloud provider's network for hosting resources.