A three-year Standard Reserved Instance for a steady production workload expires in two weeks. The workload will stay on the same instance family in the same Region for at least three more years, and the company wants maximum savings. What should it purchase?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
A three-year all-upfront Standard Reserved Instance offers the largest discount available for a workload whose family and Region are known to be stable. Paying the whole term upfront maximizes the saving compared with partial or no upfront payment.
Convertible reservations trade part of the discount for the ability to change instance family, which this workload does not need.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Convertible reservations are flexible but carry a smaller discount, so they do not deliver maximum savings for a fixed workload.
- C. On-Demand pricing is the most expensive option for a predictable three-year commitment.
- D. Spot capacity can be reclaimed with a two-minute notice and is not appropriate for a steady production workload.