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A media company uses AWS for video processing. They have a fleet of EC2 instances that perform non-time-critical batch processing tasks, such as transcoding and content analysis. These tasks can tolerate interruptions and can be restarted without significant loss of progress. The company wants to significantly reduce its compute costs. Which EC2 purchasing option should they choose?
- AReserved Instances
- BSpot Instances
- CDedicated Hosts
- DOn-Demand Instances
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Spot Instances
Spot Instances allow users to bid on unused EC2 capacity, offering significant cost savings (up to 90% compared to On-Demand). They are ideal for fault-tolerant, flexible, and non-time-critical workloads that can tolerate interruptions, such as batch processing.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Reserved Instances provide significant discounts for a committed term but are for steady-state workloads, not interruptible ones.
- C. Dedicated Hosts provide physical servers for regulatory compliance but are very expensive and not suited for general cost optimization of interruptible workloads.
- D. On-Demand Instances are ideal for unpredictable workloads but are the most expensive option.
Amazon EC2 Spot Instances
Amazon EC2 Spot Instances let you take advantage of unused EC2 capacity in the AWS cloud, available at steep discounts compared to On-Demand prices.
- Up to 90% savings compared to On-Demand.
- Workloads can be interrupted with a two-minute warning.
- Ideal for fault-tolerant, flexible, non-time-critical tasks.
- Good for batch processing, big data analytics, and CI/CD.
Memory trick: Think of EC2 options like different ways to rent a car: hourly, long-term, or bidding for a spare.