TPU Sync
TPU Sync orchestrates inference caches and transfers model state between Cloud TPU workloads through native C++ and framework-specific packages.
AWS Nitro Sandboxes
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AWS Nitro Sandboxes provide hardware-isolated execution environments for agents, generated code and container workloads on supported EC2 instances.
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Pricing
Paid
Available on
Amazon EC2, Amazon EKS, Amazon ECS Managed Instances
Category
Developer Tools
What is AWS Nitro Sandboxes?
AWS Nitro Sandboxes run workloads in lightweight virtual machines managed by the Nitro Hypervisor. They give platform teams hardware-isolated environments for agent sessions, generated code and multi-tenant applications while allowing multiple workloads to share an EC2 instance.
Teams can use the EKS and ECS integrations or operate sandboxes directly on EC2 with their own orchestration and virtual machine monitor. Amazon Linux and Firecracker have native support, and availability extends across commercial AWS regions on eligible instances.
Key features
Per-pod isolation
EKS launches selected pods in lightweight VMs through the isolated-sandbox or confidential-sandbox runtime class.
Per-task execution
ECS Managed Instances can run multiple tasks on one instance, with each task inside its own hardware-isolated VM.
Confidential memory
Confidential mode blocks parent access to sandbox memory and provides attestation for verification before releasing secrets.
Networking and storage
Supports networking, block storage and parent communication through virtio devices and vsock.
Who is it for?
Agent platform teams
Allocate separate execution environments for individual agent sessions.
Developer infrastructure teams
Run generated code or build jobs inside isolated workloads.
Multi-tenant application teams
Assign tenant workloads separate VM boundaries while sharing underlying instances.
How to use AWS Nitro Sandboxes
- Choose an EKS environment backed by eligible EC2 instances and follow the sandbox setup guide.
- Start with an isolated pod using the isolated-sandbox runtime class.
- For confidential pods, select confidential-sandbox and configure a KMS key policy or equivalent external verifier to check expected attestation measurements before releasing secrets.
- Apply resource isolation and throttling, then validate the workload with an official blueprint.
AWS Nitro Sandboxes pricing
Paid
Nitro Sandboxes and their EKS and ECS integrations have no additional sandbox charge. Underlying EC2 usage remains payable, along with applicable EKS Auto Mode or ECS Managed Instances management fees. Total cost depends on the selected infrastructure.
Check current pricing ↗What to know before you use it
- Requires Nitro Enclaves-capable instance types. GPU passthrough is unavailable. The ECS integration requires ECS Managed Instances.
- Memory stays reserved until termination. Changing vCPU or memory allocation requires recreating the sandbox.
- Shared parent networking needs resource controls. Connection-tracking or DNS exhaustion can disrupt neighboring sandboxes.
- Confidential storage requires encryption with an attestation-gated KMS key. Configure key release to require expected measurements. Confidential memory protection alone leaves storage confidentiality dependent on this configuration.
Frequently asked questions
Which mode protects memory from the parent?
Confidential mode blocks parent memory access. Verify expected attestation measurements before releasing secrets. Direct mode permits parent memory access and provides no attestation.
Does enabling EKS sandboxing affect every pod?
Sandboxing is selected per pod through runtimeClassName. Pods without a sandbox runtime class use the default runtime.
Where can I find deployment examples?
The EKS getting-started guide links runnable blueprints for AI coding agents, CI/CD runners, storage, networking and confidential pods.