Hardware and performance

What is the difference between a VPS and a EC2 EBS backed mini-instance?

I assume you mean Micro instance?

I did not even benchmark a micro instance due to their low performance. Let me fire one up and show you the benchmark later today.

The difference:

My worst VPS benchmarked at 421!

BYTE UNIX Benchmarks (Version 5.1.3)

System: localhost: GNU/Linux
OS: GNU/Linux -- 2.6.32-71.el6.x86_64 -- #1 SMP Fri May 20 03:51:51 BST 2011
Machine: x86_64 (x86_64)
Language: en_US.utf8 (charmap="UTF-8", collate="UTF-8")
CPU 0: AMD Phenom(tm) II X6 1055T Processor (5600.2 bogomips)
Hyper-Threading, x86-64, MMX, AMD MMX, Physical Address Ext, SYSCALL/SYSRET
15:23:28 up 43 days, 10:34, 1 user, load average: 0.08, 0.05, 0.01; runlevel 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benchmark Run: Tue Apr 10 2012 15:23:28 - 15:51:27
1 CPU in system; running 1 parallel copy of tests

Dhrystone 2 using register variables 26795299.2 lps (10.0 s, 7 samples)
Double-Precision Whetstone 2794.6 MWIPS (9.2 s, 7 samples)
Execl Throughput 1334.1 lps (29.9 s, 2 samples)
File Copy 1024 bufsize 2000 maxblocks 199162.9 KBps (30.0 s, 2 samples)
File Copy 256 bufsize 500 maxblocks 54566.6 KBps (30.0 s, 2 samples)
File Copy 4096 bufsize 8000 maxblocks 548521.1 KBps (30.0 s, 2 samples)
Pipe Throughput 338165.8 lps (10.0 s, 7 samples)
Pipe-based Context Switching 68762.5 lps (10.0 s, 7 samples)
Process Creation 2893.9 lps (30.0 s, 2 samples)
Shell Scripts (1 concurrent) 2205.2 lpm (60.0 s, 2 samples)
Shell Scripts (8 concurrent) 289.4 lpm (60.1 s, 2 samples)
System Call Overhead 304986.7 lps (10.0 s, 7 samples)

System Benchmarks Index Values BASELINE RESULT INDEX
Dhrystone 2 using register variables 116700.0 26795299.2 2296.1
Double-Precision Whetstone 55.0 2794.6 508.1
Execl Throughput 43.0 1334.1 310.3
File Copy 1024 bufsize 2000 maxblocks 3960.0 199162.9 502.9
File Copy 256 bufsize 500 maxblocks 1655.0 54566.6 329.7
File Copy 4096 bufsize 8000 maxblocks 5800.0 548521.1 945.7
Pipe Throughput 12440.0 338165.8 271.8
Pipe-based Context Switching 4000.0 68762.5 171.9
Process Creation 126.0 2893.9 229.7
Shell Scripts (1 concurrent) 42.4 2205.2 520.1
Shell Scripts (8 concurrent) 6.0 289.4 482.3
System Call Overhead 15000.0 304986.7 203.3
========
System Benchmarks Index Score 421.1

EC2 Micro Instance (full report soon)

EC2 Small Instance (full report soon)

The difference is overall performance!

Considering you pay at least $65 for EC2 Small Instance.

EC2 Micro benchmarked at 57 vs VPS benchmark 421

BYTE UNIX Benchmarks (Version 5.1.3)

System: ip-10-170-89-193: GNU/Linux
OS: GNU/Linux — 2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64 — #1 SMP Wed Nov 9 08:03:13 EST 2011
Machine: x86_64 (x86_64)
Language: en_US.utf8 (charmap=”UTF-8″, collate=”UTF-8″)
CPU 0: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5430 @ 2.66GHz (5320.0 bogomips)
Hyper-Threading, x86-64, MMX, Physical Address Ext, SYSCALL/SYSRET, Intel virtualization
10:47:32 up 36 min, 1 user, load average: 0.76, 0.60, 0.53; runlevel 3

————————————————————————
Benchmark Run: Wed Apr 11 2012 10:47:33 – 11:29:50
1 CPU in system; running 1 parallel copy of tests

Dhrystone 2 using register variables 2864324.7 lps (10.4 s, 7 samples)
Double-Precision Whetstone 3078.5 MWIPS (9.9 s, 7 samples)
Execl Throughput 481.1 lps (30.1 s, 2 samples)
File Copy 1024 bufsize 2000 maxblocks 62761.1 KBps (30.4 s, 2 samples)
File Copy 256 bufsize 500 maxblocks 9772.4 KBps (30.1 s, 2 samples)
File Copy 4096 bufsize 8000 maxblocks 89328.9 KBps (30.1 s, 2 samples)
Pipe Throughput 30990.2 lps (10.6 s, 7 samples)
Pipe-based Context Switching 3821.2 lps (10.6 s, 7 samples)
Process Creation 67.1 lps (30.7 s, 2 samples)
Shell Scripts (1 concurrent) 494.8 lpm (60.7 s, 2 samples)
Shell Scripts (8 concurrent) 17.1 lpm (69.4 s, 2 samples)
System Call Overhead 19338.4 lps (10.5 s, 7 samples)

System Benchmarks Index Values BASELINE RESULT INDEX
Dhrystone 2 using register variables 116700.0 2864324.7 245.4
Double-Precision Whetstone 55.0 3078.5 559.7
Execl Throughput 43.0 481.1 111.9
File Copy 1024 bufsize 2000 maxblocks 3960.0 62761.1 158.5
File Copy 256 bufsize 500 maxblocks 1655.0 9772.4 59.0
File Copy 4096 bufsize 8000 maxblocks 5800.0 89328.9 154.0
Pipe Throughput 12440.0 30990.2 24.9
Pipe-based Context Switching 4000.0 3821.2 9.6
Process Creation 126.0 67.1 5.3
Shell Scripts (1 concurrent) 42.4 494.8 116.7
Shell Scripts (8 concurrent) 6.0 17.1 28.4
System Call Overhead 15000.0 19338.4 12.9
========
System Benchmarks Index Score 57.1

EC2 small benchmarked at 203 vs VPS benchmark 421

BYTE UNIX Benchmarks (Version 5.1.3)

System: ip-10-170-179-60: GNU/Linux
OS: GNU/Linux — 2.6.32-5-xen-amd64 — #1 SMP Tue Mar 8 00:01:30 UTC 2011
Machine: x86_64 (unknown)
Language: en_US.utf8 (charmap=”UTF-8″, collate=”UTF-8″)
CPU 0: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5507 @ 2.27GHz (4533.5 bogomips)
Hyper-Threading, x86-64, MMX, Physical Address Ext, SYSENTER/SYSEXIT, SYSCALL/SYSRET
14:47:55 up 25 min, 1 user, load average: 0.31, 0.36, 0.17; runlevel 2

————————————————————————
Benchmark Run: Wed Apr 11 2012 14:47:55 – 15:15:58
1 CPU in system; running 1 parallel copy of tests

Dhrystone 2 using register variables 8852030.2 lps (10.0 s, 7 samples)
Double-Precision Whetstone 1139.6 MWIPS (9.9 s, 7 samples)
Execl Throughput 614.0 lps (29.9 s, 2 samples)
File Copy 1024 bufsize 2000 maxblocks 100716.4 KBps (30.0 s, 2 samples)
File Copy 256 bufsize 500 maxblocks 28459.8 KBps (30.1 s, 2 samples)
File Copy 4096 bufsize 8000 maxblocks 285042.6 KBps (30.0 s, 2 samples)
Pipe Throughput 170710.1 lps (10.0 s, 7 samples)
Pipe-based Context Switching 32243.8 lps (10.0 s, 7 samples)
Process Creation 1183.1 lps (30.1 s, 2 samples)
Shell Scripts (1 concurrent) 1253.7 lpm (60.0 s, 2 samples)
Shell Scripts (8 concurrent) 161.6 lpm (60.1 s, 2 samples)
System Call Overhead 188621.4 lps (10.0 s, 7 samples)

System Benchmarks Index Values BASELINE RESULT INDEX
Dhrystone 2 using register variables 116700.0 8852030.2 758.5
Double-Precision Whetstone 55.0 1139.6 207.2
Execl Throughput 43.0 614.0 142.8
File Copy 1024 bufsize 2000 maxblocks 3960.0 100716.4 254.3
File Copy 256 bufsize 500 maxblocks 1655.0 28459.8 172.0
File Copy 4096 bufsize 8000 maxblocks 5800.0 285042.6 491.5
Pipe Throughput 12440.0 170710.1 137.2
Pipe-based Context Switching 4000.0 32243.8 80.6
Process Creation 126.0 1183.1 93.9
Shell Scripts (1 concurrent) 42.4 1253.7 295.7
Shell Scripts (8 concurrent) 6.0 161.6 269.4
System Call Overhead 15000.0 188621.4 125.7
========
System Benchmarks Index Score 203.4