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Elastic GPU Service:Connection method overview

Last Updated:Sep 01, 2023

GPU-accelerated instances are a type of Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance and can be connected to in the same manner as common ECS instances. You can use a variety of methods to connect to an ECS instance, including VNC, Workbench and third-party client tools. Select a method to connect to your instance based on the instance operating system, the operating system of your on-premises machine, and the operations that you want to perform.

Connection methods

You can use the connection tools provided by Alibaba Cloud or third-party client tools to connect to ECS instances.

  • Connection tools provided by Alibaba Cloud: You can log on to the ECS console to use the tools.

  • Third-party client tools: To use a third-party client tool, you must install the tool on-premises.

Connection tool

Connection method

Connection tools provided by Alibaba Cloud

Workbench

You can use Workbench to connect to instances in the ECS console.

Session Manager

Before you can use Session Manager, you must install a version of Cloud Assistant Agent that supports Session Manager.

Alibaba Cloud Client

You must install Alibaba Cloud Client on-premises.

VNC

You can use VNC to connect to instances in the ECS console.

Connect to an instance by using VNC

Third-party client tools such as PuTTY, Xshell, and SecureCRT

You must install the client tools on-premises.

Note
  • All third-party client tools used to connect to instances require that instances to which you want to connect have public IP addresses or elastic IP addresses (EIPs).

  • After a Windows instance is created, it takes 2 to 3 minutes to initialize the operating system. Do not restart the instance while it is being initialized. After a non-I/O optimized Windows instance is created, it takes 10 minutes to initialize the operating system. Do not connect to the instance while it is being initialized.

Comparison of connection tools

The following table compares the advantages of Workbench, VNC, Session Manager, Alibaba Cloud Client, and third-party client tools.

Item

Workbench

Session management

Alibaba Cloud Client

VNC

Third-party client tool

Supported instance operating systems

Workbench can be used to connect to both Linux and Windows instances.

Session Manager can be used to connect to both Linux and Windows instances.

Alibaba Cloud Client can be used to connect to both Linux and Windows instances.

VNC can be used to connect to both Linux and Windows instances.

Typically, third-party client tools can be used to connect to Linux or Windows instances.

Allocation of public IP addresses or EIPs to instances

Optional.

Workbench can be used to connect to instances by using the private IP addresses of the instances.

Optional.

Session Manager can be used to connect to instances by using various credentials such as AccessKey pairs and Security Token Service (STS) tokens.

Optional.

Alibaba Cloud Client can be used to connect to instances by using various credentials such as AccessKey pairs and STS tokens.

Optional.

VNC can be used to troubleshoot network configuration exceptions, such as firewalls being enabled by mistake.

Required.

Enabling services such as SSH on Linux instances

Required.

Optional. Session Manager can be used to troubleshoot SSH service exceptions, such as sshd being disabled.

Optional. Alibaba Cloud Client can be used to troubleshoot SSH service exceptions, such as sshd being disabled.

Optional. VNC can be used to troubleshoot SSH service exceptions, such as sshd being disabled.

Required.

Logons by using the ECS console

Supported.

Not supported. A version of Cloud Assistant Agent that supports Session Manager must be installed.

Not supported. Alibaba Cloud Client must be installed.

Supported.

Not supported. The on-premises client must be installed.

Simultaneous logons by multiple operating system users to a single instance

Supported.

Supported.

Supported.

Unsupported.

Depends on the client tool.

Ease of interaction

Workbench supports copying and pasting text.

Session Manager supports copying and pasting text.

Alibaba Cloud Client supports copying and pasting text.

Not supported. To copy or paste text, use the feature for copying long commands.

Depends on the client tool.

Visibility into Linux system file resources

Supported.

Unsupported.

Unsupported.

Unsupported.

Depends on the client tool.

Permissions to control and modify hardware

Unsupported.

Unsupported.

Unsupported.

Supported. VNC can be used to manage resources such as basic Input output system (BIOS) and troubleshoot exceptions such as system startup failures.

Unsupported.

Configurability of terminal settings such as usernames, passwords, and keys

Supported, but depends on the capabilities that Workbench provides.

Supported, but depends on the capabilities that the client tool provides.

Supported, but depends on the capabilities that the client tool provides.

Unsupported.

Supported, but detailed capabilities vary based on the client tool.

Security

Workbench provides access encryption.

Workbench provides the screen recording feature that allows you to audit commands and operations.

Session Manager establishes persistent WebSocket connections based on the Web Socket Secure (WSS) protocol. The WSS protocol encrypts the persistent WebSocket connections by using the SSL protocol to ensure data security.

Alibaba Cloud Client can be used to connect to ECS instances and elastic container instances without the need to provide passwords or public IP addresses.

VNC does not provide access encryption. You can only set VNC passwords to ensure that secure VNC connections are established to instances.

Depends on the client tool.