The present invention is generally directed to systems and methods of provisioning, and using heterogeneous clusters in a cloud-based big data system, the heterogeneous clusters made up of primary instance types and different types of instances, the method including: determining if there are composition requirements of any heterogeneous cluster, the composition requirements defining instance types permitted for use; determining if any of the permitted different types of instances are required or advantageous for use; determining an amount of different types of instances to utilize, this determination based at least in part on an instance weight; provisioning the heterogeneous cluster comprising both primary instances and permitted different types of instances.