Machine Shapes
Namespace provides flexible compute resources through a comprehensive selection of machine shapes designed to meet diverse workload requirements. Machine shapes define the CPU, memory, and storage resources allocated to your compute instances, allowing you to optimize performance and cost for your specific use cases.
Understanding Machine Shapes
Machine shapes in Namespace follow a simple AxB notation format, where A represents the number of virtual CPUs (vCPUs) and B represents the amount of memory in gigabytes (GB). For example, a 4x16 machine shape provides 4 vCPUs and 16 GB of RAM.
This standardized format makes it easy to identify and select the appropriate resources for your workload, whether you're running lightweight development tasks or memory-intensive applications.
Available Configurations
Linux and Windows have a common set of available shapes. MacOS instances use a distinct set of shapes that is explained below.
Standard shapes
For Linux and Windows, our standard shapes are multiples of 1 vCPU and 2GB RAM. The full list of standard shapes is: 2x4 (minimum), 4x8 (small), 8x16 (medium), 16x32 (large), 32x64 (maximum).
Non-Standard shapes
Namespace allows you to freely choose your shape configuration to best match your workflow requirements. For example, you can grow your memory allocation to 64GB while keeping the vCPU count at 4, forming a 4x64 shape.
Non-standard shapes consume the per-minute cost of the smallest standard shape that contains them. When billing an instance, Namespace calculates how many 1 vCPU x 2GB RAM units were consumed for that instance:
unit_count = max(vCPU_count, RAM_GB / 2)High-Memory Instances
For workloads requiring exceptional memory capacity like data processing and analytics pipelines, Namespace offers extended memory configurations:
- 80 GB, 96 GB, 112 GB, 128 GB - Extended memory options
- 256 GB, 384 GB, 512 GB - High-memory instances for specialized workloads
Note: High-memory instances (over 64 GB) require special access and may not be available on all subscription plans. Contact support@namespace.so to request access to high-memory configurations.
Shape Pricing
The following table assembles a list of the most common instance shapes for Linux. The per-minute price for Linux AMD64 instances and Linux ARM64 instances is identical.
| vCPU | RAM | Machine shape | Multiplier | Prepaid | Overage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 vCPU2 GB | $0.001 / min | $0.0015 / min | |||
2 vCPU4 GB | $0.002 / min | $0.003 / min | |||
2 vCPU8 GB | $0.004 / min | $0.006 / min | |||
4 vCPU8 GB | $0.004 / min | $0.006 / min | |||
4 vCPU16 GB | $0.008 / min | $0.012 / min | |||
8 vCPU16 GB | $0.008 / min | $0.012 / min | |||
8 vCPU32 GB | $0.016 / min | $0.024 / min | |||
16 vCPU32 GB | $0.016 / min | $0.024 / min | |||
16 vCPU64 GB | $0.032 / min | $0.048 / min | |||
32 vCPU64 GB | $0.032 / min | $0.048 / min | |||
32 vCPU128 GB | $0.064 / min | $0.096 / min | |||
32 vCPU256 GB | $0.128 / min | $0.192 / min | |||
32 vCPU512 GB | $0.256 / min | $0.384 / min |
Storage Allocation
Namespace automatically provisions ephemeral storage based on your selected machine shape. The storage allocation scales dynamically to ensure adequate disk space for your workload.
Storage Calculation
The ephemeral disk space provided to your instances automatically scales based on the selected machine shape. This automatic scaling ensures that larger instances receive proportionally more storage without requiring manual configuration.
With the unit_count of an instance defined as:
unit_count = max(vCPU_count, RAM_GB / 2)The provisioned disk space for an instance is calculated using the following formula:
disk_size = 32GB + (unit_count) * 8GBStorage Examples
- 2x4 shape: unit_count = max(2, 4/2) = 2 → 48 GB storage
- 4x16 shape: unit_count = max(4, 16/2) = 8 → 96 GB storage
- 8x32 shape: unit_count = max(8, 32/2) = 16 → 160 GB storage
- 16x64 shape: unit_count = max(16, 64/2) = 32 → 288 GB storage
Windows Configurations
Windows instances follow the same set of supported shapes as Linux compute. Compared to Linux, running a Windows instance incurs twice the associated per-minute cost:
| vCPU | RAM | Machine shape | Multiplier | Prepaid | Overage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 vCPU2 GB | $0.002 / min | $0.003 / min | |||
2 vCPU4 GB | $0.004 / min | $0.006 / min | |||
2 vCPU8 GB | $0.008 / min | $0.012 / min | |||
4 vCPU8 GB | $0.008 / min | $0.012 / min | |||
4 vCPU16 GB | $0.016 / min | $0.024 / min | |||
8 vCPU16 GB | $0.016 / min | $0.024 / min | |||
8 vCPU32 GB | $0.032 / min | $0.048 / min | |||
16 vCPU32 GB | $0.032 / min | $0.048 / min | |||
16 vCPU64 GB | $0.064 / min | $0.096 / min | |||
32 vCPU128 GB | $0.128 / min | $0.192 / min | |||
32 vCPU256 GB | $0.256 / min | $0.384 / min | |||
32 vCPU512 GB | $0.512 / min | $0.768 / min |
macOS Configurations
macOS instances have specific vCPU and memory configurations optimized for Apple's architecture. Below, you can find a table of supported shapes and the associated cost per minute. For more details on how macOS instances are billed, check out Billing and Limits →.
| vCPU | RAM | Machine shape | Multiplier | Prepaid | Overage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 vCPU7 GB | $0.04 / min | $0.06 / min | |||
6 vCPU14 GB | $0.06 / min | $0.09 / min | |||
8 vCPU14 GB | $0.08 / min | $0.12 / min | |||
12 vCPU28 GB | $0.12 / min | $0.18 / min | |||
12 vCPU56 GB | $0.18 / min | $0.27 / min |
Billing and Cost Optimization
Machine shapes are billed on a per-minute basis with a one-minute minimum charge. For more details on the usage and billing calculation, check out Billing and Limits →.
When trying to optimize performance and cost, picking the right shape is an important step:
- Larger shapes may shorten your workflow duration.
- Smaller shapes may be cheaper if your current machine type is oversized.
- Using standard shapes (ratio of 1vCPU : 2GB RAM) leads to better cost efficiency.
For assistance with machine shape selection, high-memory instance access, or performance optimization, reach out to our support team.