SAA-C03 Question 452
Single answerA company runs a set of batch processing workloads on Amazon EC2 instances. These workloads are non-critical and can be interrupted without causing significant issues. The company wants to minimize costs while running these workloads. Which purchasing option should they choose?
- 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 best choice for this scenario because they are highly cost-effective for workloads that can tolerate interruptions, such as batch processing. By taking advantage of unused EC2 capacity, the company can reduce costs significantly compared to On-Demand Instances or Reserved Instances. While Savings Plans offer cost savings, they are not specifically tied to interruptible workloads and would not provide the same level of cost optimization as Spot Instances for this use case.
- A. Incorrect.
On-Demand Instances are the most flexible but also the most expensive purchasing option. They are not cost-effective for workloads that are non-critical and can be interrupted.
- B. Incorrect.
Reserved Instances provide significant cost savings for workloads with predictable, steady-state usage over a long period. However, they are not suitable for temporary, interruptible workloads.
- C. Correct.
Spot Instances allow you to use spare EC2 capacity at a significantly reduced cost, making them ideal for non-critical, interruptible workloads like batch processing.
- D. Incorrect.
Savings Plans offer discounts on compute usage in exchange for a commitment to a consistent amount of usage over a 1- or 3-year period. However, they do not specifically address the needs of interruptible workloads.