Question

Difficulty: EasyCost-Optimized Compute Selection and Purchasing Strategies

A company is planning to deploy a new web application that consists of a 24/7 continuous backend API and a separate daily batch data processing job that is fault-tolerant and can be run at any time. The solutions architect needs to design a cost-optimized compute strategy for these workloads. Which combination of compute selection and purchasing strategies will meet these requirements at the lowest cost? (Select TWO.)

  1. Commit to a Compute Savings Plan to cover the continuous 24/7 backend API baseline.Answer
  2. Utilize Amazon EC2 Spot Instances to run the daily batch data processing jobs.Answer
  3. C
    Commit to a Compute Savings Plan to cover both the compute instances and the Amazon RDS database storage costs.
  4. D
    Deploy the daily batch data processing jobs on AWS Lambda with a 15-minute timeout configuration to run continuous background processing.
  5. E
    Purchase a Compute Savings Plan to discount the storage capacity of the Amazon DynamoDB table used by the application.

Answer

Commit to a Compute Savings Plan to cover the continuous 24/7 backend API baseline, and utilize Amazon EC2 Spot Instances to run the daily batch data processing jobs.
The correct strategy combines a Compute Savings Plan to cover the continuous, predictable 24/7 backend API baseline with EC2 Spot Instances for the daily, fault-tolerant batch processing. This leverages the high discount of Spot Instances (up to 90%) for flexible workloads while securing a baseline discount (up to 66%) for the steady-state API component.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the workload requirements of the two components to determine their execution patterns.
The backend API runs continuously (24/7) representing a steady-state workload, while the batch job is fault-tolerant, daily, and flexible on when it runs.
Identifying the workload characteristics allows matching them to the most cost-effective AWS compute purchasing model.
2
Select the optimal purchasing model for the steady-state API workload.
A Compute Savings Plan is chosen for the continuous backend API, offering up to 66% discounts for a 1-year or 3-year commitment.
Steady-state, predictable workloads are best optimized using Savings Plans or Reserved Instances to lower baseline costs.
3
Select the optimal purchasing model for the fault-tolerant batch processing workload.
Amazon EC2 Spot Instances are chosen for the daily batch jobs, offering up to 90% savings compared to On-Demand rates.
Workloads that are fault-tolerant, flexible, and interruptible can safely leverage the steep discounts of Spot Instances.

Key Concept

Selecting the most cost-effective compute purchasing models (Savings Plans vs Spot Instances) based on workload predictability and fault tolerance.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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