Preemptible VMs: A Fascinating Google Cloud Solution.

Preemptible VMs have emerged as a fascinating cloud solution that offers unique advantages for users and organizations in the GCP. They are ephemeral instances, designed to be highly cost-effective, and serve various purposes by making use of otherwise unused computing resources. In this article, we will explore the world of preemptible VMs, to understand their key features, and showcase how we can take advantage of them in our everyday scenarios.

What is a Preemptible VM?

Preemptible VMs are a type of virtual machine offered by the GCP that come with a crucial twist – they can be interrupted or preempted by the GCP with short notice. This characteristic of the preemptible VMs might seem counterintuitive initially, as traditional VMs guarantee constant cloud service availability. However, preemptible VMs are designed for workloads that can handle interruptions and can be completed within a certain timeframe. This unique feature allows GCP users to utilize their spare computing capacity efficiently.

Advantages of Preemptible VMs

1. It is Cost Efficient: Cost-effectiveness is one of the most significant advantages of preemptible VMs. The Google Cloud Platform allows the cloud user to use idle resources that would otherwise go to waste, thus giving users access to computing power at a significantly reduced price. This makes them an attractive option for tasks that are not time-sensitive and can be executed during off-peak hours. By using a preemptible virtual machine you give the compute Engine permission to terminate if its resources are needed elsewhere.

• Scalability and Bursting: Preemptible VMs provide an excellent solution for applications that experience an occasional surge in demand. Instead of provisioning and paying for resources that remain underutilized most of the time, users can deploy preemptible VMs during peak periods, effectively managing scalability without breaking the bank. You can create preemptible virtual machines in a managed instance group. Make sure you specify the preemptible option in the instance template before creating or updating the group. This helps in scaling down or scaling out preemptible VMs as the need arises.

• Parallel Processing and Batch Jobs: Another benefit of Preemptible VMs is that they can divide cloud tasks into smaller tasks that are executed in parallel to one another. These instances can be spun up to handle individual tasks, and even if some get preempted, the overall job can still be completed within the desired timeframe due to the parallel nature of the execution.

• Data Analysis and Research: Researchers and data analysts often require significant computing power for their experiments and simulations. Preemptible VMs allow them to access this power at a fraction of the cost, enabling quicker iterations and exploration of different scenarios.
• Non-Critical Workloads: Certain tasks, like rendering a video or running non-essential background processes, don’t need to be performed on a continuous basis. Preemptible VMs are an ideal solution for such workloads, as their interruption wouldn’t significantly impact the final outcome.

Features of Preemptible VMs

1. Fixed Time Window: Preemptible VMs are allocated for a predetermined timeframe, usually ranging from minutes to hours. This is the time a shutdown script initiates. After this allotted time, they can be preempted by the GCP. Hence, users need to design their cloud workloads to complete within this timeframe.

• Low Cost: Choosing a preemptible VM helps you save money. The pricing for preemptible Virtual machines is substantially lower than that of regular, non-preemptible instances. Lower price, up to 91%, for interruptible services makes them particularly attractive for cost-conscious users and organizations.

• Resource Availability: Preemptible VMs become available when there is spare capacity in the cloud provider’s data centers. This availability is not guaranteed and can fluctuate based on the provider’s overall usage. You can request that the CPU quota for the region be split between regular and Preemptible VMs. By default, preemptible VMs count against regions.

• Termination Notice: When a preemptible VM is to be preempted, the cloud provider sends a termination notice, usually a few minutes in advance. This allows users to wrap up ongoing tasks and save their work before the interruption. VM may be terminated at any time, with no charge if terminated in the first minute. It has a maximum of 24 hours lifespan and requires 30 seconds to terminate the warning but not guaranteed.

• No Live Migration: There is no live migration, no auto restart. Unlike regular VMs that might be live-migrated to different physical hosts, preemptible VMs are terminated and restarted elsewhere in case of preemption. This means that any data stored locally within the VM is lost, and users need to design their applications accordingly.

To make the concept of preemptible VMs more relatable, let’s draw parallels with an everyday scenario

Imagine you’re using a ride-sharing app to get to work. Preemptible VMs are like shared rides that are much cheaper than dedicated taxis. However, they might be subject to sudden changes – if another rider wants a ride on the same route urgently, the shared ride might be interrupted and you’ll need to wait for another one. But if you’re not in a hurry, this cost-effective option is perfect.

Conclusion

Preemptible Virtual Machines offer a fascinating perspective on Google Cloud if you are looking for a way to save money. They are a good option to consider, it is very important to know if your workloads are able to handle interruptions before you use preemptible VMs. The preemptible virtual machine is a cloud computing service that aligns with cost-effective resource utilization. By understanding their advantages, features, and real-life analogies, users and organizations can harness their potential for various workloads.

Interestingly, whatever your workload might be, whether it’s rendering a video, performing data analysis, or handling periodic surges in demand, preemptible VMs provide an economical solution that encourages efficient resource consumption and scalability. Much more it give cloud user the ability to choose between affordability and sustained availability.