Compute resource AMIs - Amazon Batch
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Compute resource AMIs

By default, Amazon Batch managed compute environments use a recent, approved version of the Amazon ECS optimized AMI for compute resources. However, you might want to create your own AMI to use for your managed and unmanaged compute environments. If you require any of the following, we recommend you create your own AMI:

  • Increasing the storage size of your AMI root or data volumes

  • Adding instance storage volumes for supported Amazon EC2 instance types

  • Customizing the Amazon ECS container agent

  • Customizing Docker

  • Configuring a GPU workload AMI to allow containers to access GPU hardware on supported Amazon EC2 instance types

Note

After a compute environment is created, Amazon Batch doesn't upgrade the AMIs in the compute environment. Amazon Batch also doesn't update the AMIs in your compute environment when a newer version of the Amazon ECS optimized AMI is available. You're responsible for the management of the guest operating system. This includes any updates and security patches. You're also responsible for any additional application software or utilities that you install on the compute resources. To use a new AMI for your Amazon Batch jobs, do the following:

  1. Create a new compute environment with the new AMI.

  2. Add the compute environment to an existing job queue.

  3. Remove the earlier compute environment from your job queue.

  4. Delete the earlier compute environment.

In April 2022, Amazon Batch added enhanced support for updating compute environments. For more information, see Updating compute environments. To use the enhanced updating of compute environments to update AMIs, follow these rules:

  • Either don't set the service role (serviceRole) parameter or set it to the AWSServiceRoleForBatch service-linked role.

  • Set the allocation strategy (allocationStrategy) parameter to BEST_FIT_PROGRESSIVE, SPOT_CAPACITY_OPTIMIZED, or SPOT_PRICE_CAPACITY_OPTIMIZED.

  • Set the update to latest image version (updateToLatestImageVersion) parameter to true.

  • Don't specify an AMI ID in imageId, imageIdOverride (in ec2Configuration), or in the launch template (launchTemplate). When you don't specify an AMI ID, Amazon Batch selects the latest Amazon ECS optimized AMI that Amazon Batch supports at the time the infrastructure update is initiated. Alternatively, you can specify the AMI ID in the imageId or imageIdOverride parameters. Or, you can specify the launch template that's identified by the LaunchTemplate properties. Changing any of these properties starts an infrastructure update. If the AMI ID is specified in the launch template, the AMI ID can't be replaced by specifying an AMI ID in either the imageId or imageIdOverride parameters. The AMI ID can only be replaced by specifying a different launch template. If the launch template version is set to $Default or $Latest, the AMI ID can be replaced by setting either a new default version for the launch template (if $Default) or by adding a new version to the launch template (if $Latest).

If these rules are followed, any update that starts an infrastructure update causes the AMI ID to be re-selected. If the version setting in the launch template (launchTemplate) is set to $Latest or $Default, the latest or default version of the launch template is evaluated up at the time of the infrastructure update, even if the launchTemplate wasn't updated.

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