In this article, I will explain How EC2 Differs From Amazon Lambda.
Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) and AWS Lambda are both services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics.
The following section shows a comparison of Amazon EC2 and AWS Lambda.
- Compute Model
- Amazon EC2: EC2 provides virtual machines (instances) that you can fully control. You can choose the instance type, operating system, and software configuration. EC2 instances are designed to be more like traditional servers, where you have complete control over the environment.
- AWS Lambda: Lambda offers a serverless compute model where you upload code (functions) and the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure. You don’t need to worry about server provisioning, scaling, or maintenance.
- Execution Time
- Amazon EC2: EC2 instances can run continuously, as long as they are powered on and not terminated. You pay for the instance based on its uptime.
- AWS Lambda: Lambda functions are event-driven and execute in response to events, such as HTTP requests, database updates, or scheduled triggers. Functions are short-lived, with execution times typically measured in seconds or minutes.
- Scaling
- Amazon EC2: You are responsible for manually scaling EC2 instances based on demand. You can set up auto-scaling groups to automate this process, but it still requires configuration.
- AWS Lambda: Lambda functions automatically scale based on the incoming workload. The cloud provider manages the scaling process transparently.
- Pricing
- Amazon EC2: You pay for EC2 instances based on the instance type, operating hours, and any attached resources (such as storage and data transfer).
- AWS Lambda: You are billed based on the number of requests and the duration of code execution. Lambda’s pay-as-you-go model can be cost-effective for applications with sporadic or variable workloads.
- Cold Starts
- Amazon EC2: EC2 instances are always running, so there’s no concept of cold starts.
- AWS Lambda: Lambda functions can experience cold starts, where there’s a slight delay during the first execution due to the need to initialize the execution environment. Cold starts can impact the latency of the first request.
- State and Persistence
- Amazon EC2: EC2 instances can maintain state and store data on their local storage or external resources.
- AWS Lambda: Lambda functions are stateless by design. Any state must be stored externally, such as in databases or object storage services.
- Use Cases
- Amazon EC2: EC2 is suitable for applications that require full control over the environment, have predictable or consistent workloads, or have specific software and hardware requirements.
- AWS Lambda: Lambda is well-suited for event-driven applications, real-time data processing, background tasks, and scenarios where you want to focus on code rather than infrastructure management.
In summary, Amazon EC2 provides more control over the environment and is suitable for applications with consistent workloads, while AWS Lambda offers a serverless approach with automatic scaling and event-driven execution, making it a good choice for applications with sporadic or variable workloads and a focus on code simplicity.Was this response better or worse?BetterWorseSame
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