Instance Types & Configuration
HPC Instance Types
Common HPC Instances
| Instance | Cores | Memory (GiB) | Network (Gbps) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| c6a.xlarge (AMD) | 2 (4 vCPUs) | 8 | 12.5 | Head node |
| hpc6a.48xlarge (AMD) | 96 | 368 | 100 (EFA) | HPC workloads (CFD, MD, WRF) |
| c6i.32xlarge (Intel) | 64 (128 vCPUs) | 256 | 50 (EFA) | General HPC, multi-core |
| hpc7g.16xlarge (Graviton) | 64 | 128 | 200 (EFA) | ARM-based HPC |
GPU Instances
| Instance | vCPUs | Memory (GiB) | GPU | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| g5.xlarge | 4 | 16 | 1x A10G | ML inference, visualization |
| p4d.24xlarge | 96 | 1152 | 8x A100 | Large-scale ML training |
Storage Options
| Type | Performance | Persistence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSx for Lustre (SCRATCH_2) | Very high throughput | Deleted with cluster | Best for HPC I/O |
| FSx for Lustre (PERSISTENT) | Very high throughput | Survives cluster deletion | Higher cost |
| EBS (gp3) | Standard SSD | Deleted with cluster | Head node root volume |
| S3 | High throughput for bulk | Persistent | Use for long-term data storage |
Config File Reference
The full ParallelCluster configuration specification is available at: AWS ParallelCluster Configuration Reference
Key Config Sections
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
HeadNode |
Instance type, networking, DCV, storage |
Scheduling |
Scheduler type, queues, compute resources |
SharedStorage |
FSx for Lustre, EBS, EFS configuration |
Image |
Operating system selection |
Region |
AWS region for the cluster |