Prism Terminology Glossary¶

Overview¶

Prism uses researcher-friendly terminology while leveraging AWS infrastructure. This glossary helps users familiar with AWS understand how Prism terms map to AWS concepts.

Design Philosophy¶

For Researchers: Prism prioritizes clarity and accessibility over technical precision. For AWS Experts: Use the --verbose flag on CLI commands to see AWS technical details.

Core Terminology Mapping¶

Workspaces (User Term) → EC2 Instances (AWS Term)¶

Prism Term: Workspace AWS Equivalent: EC2 Instance Why the Change: "Workspace" conveys the researcher's mental model - a complete computing environment for their work.

Examples: - Prism: "Launch a workspace" - AWS: "Launch an EC2 instance" - Prism: "List my workspaces" - AWS: "List my EC2 instances"

When to Use Which: - ✅ Workspace - All user-facing Prism interfaces (CLI, GUI) - ✅ Instance - When discussing AWS infrastructure directly (e.g., "EC2 instance types", "spot instances")

Storage Terminology¶

Storage Terms¶

Use --verbose to see AWS details:

# User-friendly output (default)
prism storage list
# → Local Storage:   my-data-L (500GB)
# → Shared Storage:  lab-shared (1TB)

# AWS technical details
prism storage list --verbose
# → Local Storage (EBS gp3):   my-data-L (vol-abc123, 500GB, 3000 IOPS)
# → Shared Storage (EFS):      lab-shared (fs-def456, 1TB, General Purpose)

Compute Terminology¶

Instance Sizing¶

Prism Sizes (Simple):

prism workspace launch python-ml my-project --size L

Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL - XS: 1 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 100GB storage - S: 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 500GB storage - M: 2 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 1TB storage - L: 4 vCPU, 16GB RAM, 2TB storage - XL: 8 vCPU, 32GB RAM, 4TB storage

AWS Instance Types (Precise):

prism workspace launch python-ml my-project --instance-type t3.xlarge

Use --verbose to see AWS instance type:

# Default output
prism workspace list
# → my-project   running   Size: L   $2.40/day

# AWS details
prism workspace list --verbose
# → my-project   running   t3.xlarge (4vCPU, 16GB)   $2.40/day

Cost & Optimization Terminology¶

Hibernation¶

Prism: Hibernate a workspace AWS: Hibernate an EC2 instance

Both terms refer to the same AWS hibernation feature - pausing compute while preserving RAM state.

Spot Workspaces¶

Prism: Spot workspace AWS: Spot instance

Uses AWS EC2 Spot Instances for 60-90% cost savings (with potential interruption).

Technical Reference Terms¶

Terms that Remain AWS-Specific¶

Some terms are inherently technical and remain AWS-specific in Prism:

When you see these terms: They refer to AWS infrastructure concepts and are intentionally preserved for technical accuracy.

Region & Availability¶

Prism: Region AWS: AWS Region Same meaning: Geographic location of AWS data centers

Examples: - us-west-2 - US West (Oregon) - us-east-1 - US East (N. Virginia) - eu-west-1 - Europe (Ireland)

Templates & AMIs¶

Templates¶

Prism Term: Template What it is: Pre-configured research environment (e.g., "Python Machine Learning", "R Research") Contains: Software packages, system configuration, user setup

AWS Equivalent: Combination of AMI, user data (cloud-init), and configuration

AMIs (Advanced)¶

Prism: AMI AWS: Amazon Machine Image Purpose: Pre-built snapshot of a template for faster launching (30s vs 5-8 minutes)

When you see "AMI": This is an advanced performance optimization feature. Most users only need templates.

Lifecycle States¶

Configuration & Profiles¶

Prism Profiles¶

Prism Term: Profile Purpose: Manages AWS credentials, region, and configuration Not to be confused with: AWS profiles (in ~/.aws/credentials)

How they relate:

# Prism profile references an AWS profile
prism profiles add personal research \
  --aws-profile my-aws-creds \
  --region us-west-2

Prism profile = AWS profile + region + Prism settings

Finding Technical Details¶

CLI --verbose Flag¶

Add --verbose to any command to see AWS technical details:

# Simple output
prism workspace list
# → my-ml-project   running   Size: L

# Technical details
prism workspace list --verbose
# → my-ml-project   running   t3.xlarge (i-abc123, us-west-2a)

GUI Technical Mode¶

Settings → Advanced → Show AWS Technical Details

Enables: - Instance types in workspace list - Instance IDs in connection info - AWS service names (EBS, EFS, S3) - VPC/subnet information

CLI Technical Details¶

Add --verbose to CLI commands to see AWS technical details (instance IDs, ARNs, etc.).

Why This Matters¶

For Researchers (Majority of Users)¶

• Focus on work, not infrastructure: "Workspace" and "storage" make sense for research computing
• Gentle learning curve: AWS complexity hidden by default, revealed progressively
• Confidence: Clear terminology reduces fear of misconfiguration or unexpected costs

For DevOps/IT (Power Users)¶

• Precise control available: --instance-type, --vpc, --subnet flags for exact AWS resource specification
• Transparency: --verbose flag reveals all AWS technical details
• Compatibility: Can use Prism alongside native AWS tools (AWS CLI, Console)

For AWS Experts (Contributors)¶

• Code uses AWS terminology internally: Variable names, API calls use instance, instanceId, etc.
• Documentation for mixed audiences: User guides use "workspace", admin guides use both terms
• Clear distinction: User-facing vs. implementation terminology

Progressive Disclosure¶

Prism follows progressive disclosure - simple by default, detailed when needed:

Examples in Context¶

Scenario: Launching a Workspace¶

Beginner (Simple):

prism workspace launch python-ml my-research

Intermediate (Sized):

prism workspace launch python-ml my-research --size L

Advanced (Spot + Storage):

prism workspace launch python-ml my-research \
  --size L \
  --spot \
  --attach-storage my-data

Expert (Full Control):

prism workspace launch python-ml my-research \
  --instance-type c5.4xlarge \
  --spot \
  --subnet subnet-abc123 \
  --security-group sg-def456 \
  --verbose

Scenario: Checking Workspace Status¶

Beginner:

prism workspace list
# → my-research   running   $2.40/day

Advanced:

prism workspace list --verbose
# → my-research   running   c5.4xlarge (i-abc123456789, us-west-2b)   $2.40/day

Expert:

aws ec2 describe-instances --instance-ids i-abc123456789
# → Full AWS EC2 API response

Summary¶

Key Principle: Prism meets users where they are - simple for researchers, powerful for experts.

See Also: - Issue #15 - Instances → Workspaces Rename - Issue #66 - Storage Terminology Simplification - Design Principles - User Requirements