Question #1150
A startup is optimizing costs for its development and testing workloads on AWS. These workloads are non-critical, can be interrupted without impact, and require the lowest possible compute costs. The team is willing to accept occasional instance termination to achieve significant savings.
What is the MOST cost-effective Amazon EC2 pricing model that aligns with these requirements?
Reserved Instances
On-Demand Instances
Spot Instances
Dedicated Hosts
Explanation
Spot Instances (C) are the correct choice because they provide the lowest compute costs by leveraging AWS's unused EC2 capacity. They are ideal for non-critical, interruptible workloads (e.g., development/testing) where occasional termination is acceptable.
- Why Spot Instances?: They offer up to 90% savings over On-Demand pricing, making them the most cost-effective option. The trade-off is that AWS can reclaim Spot Instances with a 2-minute warning if capacity is needed elsewhere, which aligns with the startup's requirements.
- Why not other options?:
- A. Reserved Instances: Require a long-term commitment (1/3 years) and are better suited for steady-state, production workloads.
- B. On-Demand Instances: More expensive than Spot Instances and not optimized for interruptible workloads.
- D. Dedicated Hosts: Most expensive option, designed for regulatory/compliance needs, not cost optimization.
Key Takeaway: Spot Instances are optimal for fault-tolerant, flexible workloads where cost is the primary concern.
Answer
The correct answer is: C