This is documentation for AWS M4 instances. This new generation, low-cost EC2 instance type provides a baseline level of CPU performance with the ability to burst above the baseline.
M4 instances must be launched into an Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC); they are not supported on the EC2-Classic platform. Amazon VPC enables you to launch AWS resources into a virtual private network.
Note: You cannot change the instance type of an existing EC2 instance to a M4 instance type.
General Purpose (M4)
The HVM instance types, available in all AWS regions, are:
- Large
- Extra Large
- 2x Extra Large
- 4x Extra Large
- 10x Extra Large
Get started with M4 instances on Engine Yard
This document describes how to use the M4 instances on Engine Yard.
Prerequisites
- This article assumes you already have an Engine Yard account. If not, see Sign up for an Engine Yard Account.
- You must be on at least the August 14, 2015 Engine Yard Gentoo 12.11 stack release (stable-v4-2.0.91) to create M4 instances.
- You must add a new instance to use this feature. You cannot modify an existing instance / volume.
- You must have VPC-enabled account. If you have had an Engine Yard account for a while, you might need to create a custom VPC in order to use M4 instances.
Configure M4 instances
You can configure M4 instances when you add new instances to a new or existing environment.
Note: We recommend testing in a staging environment before applying changes in a production environment.
To add a new M4 instance
-
Ensure that you meet all the prerequisites above.
-
Add an instance in the usual way.
See the database docs for more information about adding a database instance to an environment.
-
Select the appropriate General Purpose M4 instance size.
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Click Add to Cluster (or Boot This Configuration, if you are re-booting an existing environment).
See the related documentation for more information on adding instances to your environment.
Note: If you are adding a M4 database instance, you also need to click Apply to update the database.yml file.
Verify M4 instances
Note: When you are testing in staging, consider the differences between your test and production loads.
To verify M4 instances
-
Ensure that instance provisioning worked and the instance is running.
In general, that is enough of an indication that the M4 instance is working fine.
- Review the Troubleshooting tips below for more information.
- If this is a staging environment and you are finished with testing, be sure and stop any M4 instances to avoid unnecessary charges.
- Stop any unneeded M4 instances to avoid unnecessary charges.
FAQs
You might have these questions about M4 instances.
How much does it cost?
See the pricing page for details.
Question about size?
The storage type for M4 is EBS only.
Troubleshooting
This table contains troubleshooting tips related to M4 instances.
| Symptom | Solution |
|---|---|
| The M4 instances do not appear in the drop-down list when I try to add an instance. | If you have had an Engine Yard account for a while, you might need to create a new Engine Yard account in order to have VPC and use M4 instances. Older Engine Yard accounts did not have VPC. |
| When I clicked HTTP on the app server, I received a 500 Internal Server Error. | If this is the first time provisioning, wait a few minutes and try again. |
More information
This table provides other resources related to M4 instances.
| For more information about... | See... |
|---|---|
| Adding an instance to an environment | Add Instances to an Environment |
| Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) | VPC on Engine Yard |
| Hardware-assisted virtual machine (HVM) | HVM vs. PV |
| Supported AWS instances on Engine Yard | AWS Instance Type Support |
| Upgrading your environment | Upgrade Guide |
| Adding a database instance to an environment | Add a database replica (slave) to an existing environment |
If you have feedback or questions about this page, add a comment below. If you need help, submit a ticket with Engine Yard Support.
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