AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – AssociateCost and Performance OptimizationHard
A company is using several Amazon EC2 instances to run a legacy application that requires a specific operating system and license that is only available through a BYOL (Bring Your Own License) model. They need to ensure that these instances always run on dedicated physical servers for licensing compliance and want to minimize their costs over a 3-year period. Which EC2 purchasing option is most suitable?
- ADedicated Instances with a 3-year Reserved Instance purchase.
- BDedicated Hosts with a 3-year upfront payment.
- CSpot Instances on a Dedicated Host.
- DOn-Demand Instances on a Dedicated Host.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Dedicated Hosts with a 3-year upfront payment.
Dedicated Hosts provide physical EC2 server capacity dedicated to your use, which is essential for BYOL scenarios that require specific server-bound licenses. Purchasing a Dedicated Host with a 3-year upfront payment offers the most significant cost savings for this long-term, dedicated physical server requirement, fulfilling both compliance and cost optimization goals.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Dedicated Instances run on hardware dedicated to a single customer, but they don't guarantee that instances will launch on the *same* physical host over time or allow for visibility into the host, which is often required for BYOL. Reserved Instances apply to the instance, not the host itself.
- C. Spot Instances are interruptible and unsuitable for a legacy application requiring continuous operation and specific licensing. While they can run on Dedicated Hosts, the interruptible nature conflicts with the application's needs.
- D. On-Demand Instances on a Dedicated Host would meet the physical server requirement but would not provide the cost optimization for a 3-year period. On-Demand is the most expensive model.
EC2 Dedicated Hosts
Physical EC2 servers fully dedicated to your use, providing visibility into sockets/cores and allowing you to use your existing per-socket, per-core, or per-VM software licenses.
- Essential for BYOL and regulatory compliance.
- Offers the most control over instance placement.
- Can be purchased On-Demand or with Reservations for cost savings.
Memory trick: Dedicated Hosts deliver compliance and cost savings for specific licenses.