EC2 instance using Instance Store

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If I'm using an Instance Store as the storage for an EC2 instance, where exactly is the operating system stored/residing for that EC2 instance?

asked a year ago316 views
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Accepted Answer

The operating system (which is on the boot volume) is stored on an EBS volume which is different to the instance storage. Instance storage is ephemeral (i.e. temporary) - it's high-speed, local disk attached to the instance; whereas EBS is network-attached storage. You can't boot from instance storage - it's intended as a temporary local disk for your application. More information comparing EBS and instance storage is here: https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/instance-store-vs-ebs/

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answered a year ago
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reviewed a year ago
  • Thank you Brettski-AWS. Your explanation is just what the doctor ordered!!!

  • Oh, I did have one more question based on your very nice explanation that made the distinction between local (Instance Store) and network-attached (EBS volume). If I have an EC2 instance running RHEL 8.x, with only one EBS volume attached, what would the device file name be fore the instance store?

  • Check out the documentation on device names - it talks to what it will be.

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