Question #1870
A global enterprise requires isolated, managed PostgreSQL databases for short-term data analysis projects. The databases will handle minimal traffic and must be available only during active analysis periods, which typically last a few hours daily. The solution should minimize costs while ensuring scalability and developer autonomy.
Provide developers with permissions to launch dedicated Amazon RDS instances. Implement a cron job to stop instances overnight and restart them each morning.
Create an AWS Service Catalog product with strict storage limits for Amazon RDS PostgreSQL instances. Allow developers to deploy instances on demand and manually terminate them after use.
Deploy an Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 cluster. Build an AWS Service Catalog product to provision databases with automatic scaling. Grant developers access to the product for self-service deployment.
Use Amazon CloudWatch alarms to detect inactive RDS instances. Automate termination of databases exceeding a predefined idle threshold.
Explanation
Option C is optimal because:
1. Cost Efficiency: Aurora Serverless v2 scales to zero when inactive, eliminating charges during idle periods (ideal for short daily usage).
2. Scalability: Automatic scaling handles varying workloads without manual intervention.
3. Developer Autonomy: AWS Service Catalog allows developers to deploy preconfigured databases securely.
Other options fail because:
- A: Stopping RDS instances still incurs storage costs, and cron jobs add operational overhead.
- B: Manual termination risks unused instances, and RDS lacks serverless cost savings.
- D: CloudWatch termination delays lead to idle costs, and RDS requires manual scaling.
Key Points: Use serverless databases (Aurora Serverless) for intermittent workloads to minimize costs and enable auto-scaling. AWS Service Catalog streamlines self-service deployment.
Answer
The correct answer is: C