SAA-C03 Question 451
Single answerA company needs to run a batch processing job on a fleet of EC2 instances for several hours. The job is not time-sensitive and can tolerate interruptions. The company wants to minimize costs while ensuring the workload can be completed within an acceptable timeframe. Which purchasing option is the MOST cost-effective for this use case?
- A
On-Demand Instances
- B
Reserved Instances
- C
Spot Instances
- D
Savings Plans
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Spot Instances are the most cost-effective option for this scenario because they allow you to run EC2 instances at a significantly reduced price compared to On-Demand Instances. Since the batch job is not time-sensitive and can tolerate interruptions, the risk associated with Spot Instances is acceptable. Other options, such as Reserved Instances or Savings Plans, are better suited for predictable, long-term workloads and do not provide the same level of cost savings for this specific use case.
- A. Incorrect.
On-Demand Instances are the most flexible but also the most expensive option. They are suitable for short-term or unpredictable workloads, but not for cost-sensitive, interruption-tolerant workloads like batch processing jobs.
- B. Incorrect.
Reserved Instances provide significant cost savings over On-Demand Instances but are best suited for predictable, long-term workloads with consistent usage patterns. They are not ideal for interruption-tolerant, short-term jobs.
- C. Correct.
Spot Instances offer the lowest cost for EC2 but come with the risk of interruptions if AWS needs the capacity back. They are ideal for batch processing jobs that can tolerate interruptions and are not time-sensitive.
- D. Incorrect.
Savings Plans are a commitment-based pricing model that provides cost savings for consistent usage across EC2 and other services. However, they do not directly address the specific needs of a batch processing job or provide the flexibility and low cost of Spot Instances.