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SAA-C03 Exam - Question 84

A company wants to reduce the cost of its existing three-tier web architecture. The web, application, and database servers are running on Amazon EC2 instances for the development, test, and production environments. The EC2 instances average 30% CPU utilization during peak hours and 10% CPU utilization during non-peak hours.

The production EC2 instances run 24 hours a day. The development and test EC2 instances run for at least 8 hours each day. The company plans to implement automation to stop the development and test EC2 instances when they are not in use.

Which EC2 instance purchasing solution will meet the company's requirements MOST cost-effectively?

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Correct Answer: B

To meet the company's requirements most cost-effectively, use Reserved Instances for the production EC2 instances and On-Demand Instances for the development and test EC2 instances. Reserved Instances provide significant cost savings for instances that run continuously, like the production environment, by offering lower rates in exchange for a commitment to use the instances over a period of time. On-Demand Instances are suitable for the development and test environments, which do not run continuously, offering flexibility without the need for long-term commitments.

Discussion

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ArielSchivoOption: B
Oct 17, 2022

Spot blocks are not longer available, and you can't use spot instances on Prod machines 24x7, so option B should be valid.

cookieMrOption: B
Jun 21, 2023

Option B, would indeed be the most cost-effective solution. Reserved Instances provide cost savings for instances that run consistently, such as the production environment in this case, while On-Demand Instances offer flexibility and are suitable for instances with variable usage patterns like the development and test environments. This combination ensures cost optimization based on the specific requirements and usage patterns described in the question.

devmon
Sep 5, 2023

In addition to this, we can set up an automated process to start and stop the EC2 instances in the test and dev environment

Nandan747Option: B
Dec 28, 2022

Well, AWS has DISCONTINUED the Spot-Block option. so that rules out the two options that use spot-block. Wait, this question must be from SAA-C02 or even 01. STALE QUESTION. I don't think this will feature in SAA-C03. Anyhow, the most cost-effective solution would be Option "b"

MrPCarrot
Nov 18, 2023

B = Reserved for Prod and On Demand for Dev

BuruguduystunstugudunstuyOption: A
Dec 21, 2022

The most cost-effective solution for the company's requirements would be to use Spot Instances for the development and test EC2 instances and Reserved Instances for the production EC2 instances. Spot Instances are a cost-effective choice for non-critical, flexible workloads that can be interrupted. Since the development and test EC2 instances are only needed for at least 8 hours per day and can be stopped when not in use, they would be a good fit for Spot Instances.

Buruguduystunstugudunstuy
Dec 21, 2022

Reserved Instances are a good fit for production EC2 instances that need to run 24 hours a day, as they offer a significant discount compared to On-Demand Instances in exchange for a one-time payment and a commitment to use the instances for a certain period of time. Option A is the correct answer because it meets the company's requirements for cost-effectively running the development and test EC2 instances and the production EC2 instances.

Buruguduystunstugudunstuy
Dec 21, 2022

Option B is not the most cost-effective solution because it suggests using On-Demand Instances for the development and test EC2 instances, which would be more expensive than using Spot Instances. On-Demand Instances are a good choice for workloads that require a guaranteed capacity and can't be interrupted, but they are more expensive than Spot Instances. Option C is not the correct solution because Spot blocks are a variant of Spot Instances that offer a guaranteed capacity and duration, but they are not available for all instance types and are not necessarily the most cost-effective option in all cases. In this case, it would be more cost-effective to use Spot Instances for the development and test EC2 instances, as they can be interrupted when not in use.

Buruguduystunstugudunstuy
Dec 21, 2022

Option D is not the correct solution because it suggests using On-Demand Instances for the production EC2 instances, which would be more expensive than using Reserved Instances. On-Demand Instances are a good choice for workloads that require a guaranteed capacity and can't be interrupted, but they are more expensive than Reserved Instances in the long run. Using Reserved Instances for the production EC2 instances would offer a significant discount compared to On-Demand Instances in exchange for a one-time payment and a commitment to use the instances for a certain period of time.

WherecanIstart
Feb 27, 2023

Can't use Spot instances for Production environment that needs to run 24/7. That should tell you that Production instances can't have a downtime. Spot instances are used when an application or service can allow disruption and 24/7 production environment won't allow that.

PassNow1234
Dec 27, 2022

The production EC2 instances run 24 hours a day.

pentium75
Dec 25, 2023

A says to use Spot instances for production, which is nonsense as production must run "24 hours a day." Even DEV and TEST can't use Spot because you can't guarantee that they are available for "at least 8 hours each day". That rules out everything but B.

ChanghyeonYoonOption: B
Apr 16, 2023

Spot instances are not suitable for production due to the possibility of not running.

awsgeek75Option: B
Jan 14, 2024

Isn't this simple or am I thinking wrong? "The production EC2 instances run 24 hours a day" AC are not going to give the 24 hour usage as spot is for intermittent pattern. D is just normal cost without any discounts for production B use "reserved" instances so there is an option for discount in billing. On-demand for dev/test is ok as their usage patter doesn't really fall in reserved or spot usage discounts

Wpcorgan
Nov 21, 2022

B is correct

VickysssOption: B
Dec 16, 2022

Reserved instances for 24/7 production instances seems reasonable. By exclusion I will choose the on-demand for dev and test (despite thinking that Spot Flees may be even a better solution from a cost-wise perspective)

career360guruOption: B
Dec 17, 2022

Option B

career360guruOption: B
Dec 19, 2022

Option B

WajifOption: B
Dec 25, 2022

Choosing B as spot blocks (Spot instances with a finite duration) are no longer offered since July 2021

sparky231
May 24, 2023

https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/spot/?cards.sort-by=item.additionalFields.startDateTime&cards.sort-order=asc&trk=8e336330-37e5-41e0-8438-bc1c75320d09&sc_channel=ps&ef_id=CjwKCAjw67ajBhAVEiwA2g_jECgIX_lcbqawbH-wVx2Y_EozBm8xv3g3Ci1eps0V49XcZRyfuy9xPhoCOkcQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!4422!3!517520538467!p!!g!!aws%20ec2%20spot!12831094520!122300635918

alexiscloud
Mar 29, 2023

Answeer B: Sopt block are not longer available and you can't use spot instace on production

BmarodiOption: B
May 21, 2023

B meets the requirements, and most cost-effective.

MehulKapadiaOption: B
Apr 8, 2024

Option A,C: Production workload must not run on spot instances. Option D: No savings(compared to reserved Instances) for prod as its on-demand, Spot Blocks are no longer available. So correct answer is B

KTEgghead
Jun 24, 2024

Either a trick question, or an old question. The answer is B; spot blocks were discontinued by Amazon, July 2021.

jaradat02Option: B
Jul 21, 2024

B is the right answer