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What is AWS Graviton2?

Jun 8, 2023 | AWS

In the world of cloud computing, performance and cost efficiency are some of the top priorities for organizations. Forty percent of companies cite cloud cost management as their primary challenge when it comes to cloud infrastructure. 

To address these needs, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has stepped up to the plate with a solution: the AWS Graviton2 processors

These mighty processors are designed to unleash exceptional price performance, revolutionizing cloud workloads running in Amazon EC2. With their enhanced capabilities and superior performance compared to their predecessors, the first-generation AWS Graviton processors, Graviton2-based instances cater to a diverse range of computing workloads. 

In this blog, we’ll discuss how AWS Graviton2 provides a solution where performance meets affordability, and cloud computing reaches new heights of excellence.

Unleashing Performance and Versatility

Graviton2-based instances offer outstanding price performance, making them ideal for various types of workloads in Amazon EC2. 

Whether you’re running application servers, microservices, high-performance computing (HPC), CPU-based machine learning (ML) inference, video encoding, electronic design automation, gaming, open-source databases, or in-memory caches, Graviton2-based instances deliver exceptional results. Notably, popular AWS services such as Amazon Aurora, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon EMR, AWS Lambda, and AWS Fargate also support Graviton2-based instances, providing a fully managed experience and significant price performance benefits.

Companies like  Epic Games, DIRECTV, Intuit, Lyft, and Formula 1 have already adopted Graviton2-based instances and are enjoying the advantages of increased performance and cost savings. With these processors, businesses can enhance the efficiency of their production workloads while optimizing their budgets.

Benefits

The benefits of AWS Graviton processors extend beyond their impressive performance enhancements. Here are some key advantages that make them an attractive choice for businesses:

  • Best Price Performance for a Broad Range of Workloads

Graviton-based EC2 instances, including general-purpose burstable (T4g), general-purpose (M7g), compute-optimized (C7g), and memory-optimized (R7g, X2gd) variants, deliver up to 40 percent better price performance compared to comparable x86-based instances.

This cost efficiency makes Graviton-based instances a compelling option for a wide range of workloads, including application servers, microservices, video encoding, high-performance computing, electronic design automation, compression, gaming, open-source databases, in-memory caches, and CPU-based machine learning inference.

  • Extensive Software Support

AWS Graviton processors enjoy extensive support from various Linux operating systems, including Amazon Linux 2, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE, and Ubuntu.

Many popular applications and services for security, monitoring and management, containers, and continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) from AWS and software partners also fully support Graviton-based instances

  • Enhanced Security for Cloud Applications

Security is a top priority for any cloud application, and AWS Graviton processors offer essential features to run cloud-native applications securely and at scale.

EC2 instances powered by Graviton processors are built on the AWS Nitro System, which includes the AWS Nitro security chip. This dedicated hardware and software combination ensures robust security functions, while encrypted Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes provide an additional layer of protection by default.

  • Available with Managed AWS Services

AWS Graviton-based instances are not limited to Amazon EC2; they are also available in popular managed AWS services.

Services like Amazon Aurora, Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), Amazon MemoryDB for Redis, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon OpenSearch, Amazon EMR, AWS Lambda, and AWS Fargate offer the price-performance benefits of AWS Graviton processors while providing a fully managed experience. This allows businesses to leverage the advantages of Graviton-based instances without the need for extensive infrastructure management.

  • Best Performance per Watt

In addition to their impressive performance, AWS Graviton processors are designed to be energy-efficient. Graviton-based instances use up to 60 percent less energy to deliver the same level of performance compared to comparable EC2 instances. This focus on energy efficiency helps businesses reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining high-performance computing capabilities.

Related: Did You Know Cloud Computing with AWS Lowers Your Carbon Footprint?

Using AWS Graviton-based instances is straightforward, whether you’re deploying them through Amazon EC2 or leveraging managed AWS services. For those who prefer managed services, many popular AWS services such as Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, Amazon MemoryDB, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon OpenSearch, Amazon EMR, AWS Lambda, and AWS Fargate fully support AWS Graviton-based instances. 

Overall, AWS Graviton2 processors offer a powerful and cost-effective solution for cloud workloads in Amazon EC2. With enhanced performance and support for a wide range of applications, Graviton2-based instances deliver exceptional price performance and significant cost savings for businesses. 

Embracing the benefits of AWS Graviton2 processors enables organizations to optimize their cloud infrastructure and achieve superior performance at a lower cost.

We Can Help

nClouds is a trusted partner for organizations seeking to harness the power of AWS. With our team of experienced engineers and certified AWS experts, we can help businesses leverage the full potential of AWS Graviton2. Whether it’s designing scalable architectures, migrating applications, or optimizing performance, our tailored solutions ensure seamless integration and maximize the benefits of Graviton-based instances.

Contact us today to learn how nClouds can help you unlock the full potential of AWS Graviton processors and accelerate your cloud journey.

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nClouds
nClouds is a cloud-native services company that helps organizations maximize site uptime, performance, stability, and support, bringing out the best of their people and technology using AWS