Calculator comparing monthly storage cost of peer-to-peer model distribution versus a shared FSx for Lustre filesystem.

Distributing a model: P2P storage vs FSx for Lustre

Peer-to-peer leaves one copy on every node and scales with the fleet. Lustre keeps one shared copy at a fixed cost. Which is cheaper depends mostly on whether the model fits the GPU instance's included NVMe.

Nodes (N)100
Model size (GB)140
GPU instance (included NVMe)
Lustre rate ($/GB-mo)
model fits NVMe — P2P storage is included (free)
P2P storage
$0/mo
instance store
Lustre
$174/mo
one shared copy
Crossover
never
Cheaper at N=100
P2P
P2P storage Lustre
Cost versus nodes for P2P and Lustre.

Storage only. P2P uses included instance-store NVMe when the model fits (ephemeral — re-pulled on node replacement), otherwise EBS gp3 at $0.08/GB-month. Lustre provisions max(model, 1,200 GB floor) at the rate shown and adds metadata and throughput charges not modelled here.