You Ran the Operational Database on What?! Testing Spot Instances

Cockroach Labs has found a cost-effective way to test its distributed database software by leveraging spot instances. Spot instances are idle compute resources that users can bid on, often significantly less expensive than on-demand VMs. The company uses these instances for long-running test clusters, which not only delivers substantial cost savings but also provides randomized chaos testing with no additional effort. This approach has helped Cockroach Labs to increase the size and complexity of its long-running clusters while containing or driving down costs.