AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03)Design High-Performing ArchitecturesHard
A research institution needs to process massive datasets (terabytes to petabytes) for scientific simulations. These simulations are computationally intensive and can run for extended periods, but they are fault-tolerant and can be restarted from checkpoints if interrupted. The institution has a strict budget and wants to minimize compute costs. Which EC2 purchasing option is most suitable for this scenario?
- AOn-Demand Instances.
- BSpot Instances.
- CDedicated Hosts.
- DReserved Instances.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Spot Instances.
EC2 Spot Instances offer significant cost savings (up to 90% compared to On-Demand) by bidding on unused EC2 capacity. Since scientific simulations are 'fault-tolerant and can be restarted from checkpoints if interrupted,' Spot Instances are the most cost-effective solution for massive, long-running, but interruptible workloads.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. On-Demand instances are more expensive and do not provide cost optimization for interruptible workloads.
- C. Dedicated Hosts are for specific licensing requirements or regulatory compliance, offering no cost advantage for this scenario and are the most expensive option.
- D. Reserved Instances are for predictable, long-term, non-interruptible workloads, not for flexible, interruptible processing where cost minimization is the primary driver.
EC2 Spot Instances
EC2 Spot Instances allow you to bid on unused EC2 capacity, offering significant discounts (up to 90%) compared to On-Demand prices, making them ideal for fault-tolerant and flexible workloads.
- Up to 90% cost savings.
- Can be interrupted by AWS with a two-minute warning.
- Ideal for fault-tolerant, flexible, and stateless workloads.
- Suitable for batch processing, big data analytics, scientific computing.
- Available across all instance types and regions.
Memory trick: Spot Instances are like finding a great sale for your science projects, as long as you don't mind a little waiting.