Which Two Tools Calculate AWS Compute TCO?
A company wants to migrate its server-based applications to the AWS Cloud. The company wants to determine the total cost of ownership for its compute resources that will be hosted on the AWS Cloud. Which combination of AWS services or tools will meet these requirements? (Choose two.)
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer AB. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
The question tests TCO/cost-estimation tooling, and the trap is picking discovery or data-movement tools (Application Discovery Service, DMS) that gather information but do not themselves produce a total cost of ownership figure.
This CLF-C02 question asks which pair of AWS tools estimates the total cost of ownership for server-based compute workloads moved to the cloud. The correct combination is the AWS Pricing Calculator for building a detailed cost estimate of AWS resources and Migration Evaluator for modeling TCO against the existing on-premises estate.
Learners often choose AWS Application Discovery Service (D) because it sounds related to migration planning, but it only inventories on-premises servers and applications—it does not calculate TCO or produce a cost estimate on its own.
Community Discussion (3 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
The AWS Pricing Calculator lets you model the exact AWS services, configurations, and billing terms for your target architecture and produces an itemized cost estimate, which is the direct-cost half of a TCO calculation. Migration Evaluator complements this by analyzing your current server-based estate and projecting AWS costs (including right-sizing recommendations) so you can compare on-premises spend against AWS. Together these two tools cover both sides of a TCO analysis, which is exactly what the question's combination requirement demands. As HimoMemo noted, Migration Evaluator matters for "right-sizing, which is essential for accurate cost estimation."Why the Other Options Are Wrong
AWS Support Center (C) is a support-case portal and has no cost-modeling function, so it cannot produce a TCO figure. AWS Application Discovery Service (D) discovers and maps on-premises servers, applications, and their relationships, feeding data into migration planning tools but stopping short of any cost calculation. AWS Database Migration Service (E) actually moves database data into AWS and is an execution tool, not an estimation tool, so it is irrelevant to calculating ownership costs. ShaiTay and d00b229 both independently confirmed the A and B pairing.Community Comment Notes
All three commenters converged on the same combination, with HimoMemo explaining that the Pricing Calculator handles direct costs while Migration Evaluator adds right-sizing context. ShaiTay and d00b229 each simply restated "A. AWS Pricing Calculator B. Migration Evaluator" without further justification. The unanimity aligns with AWS's own documentation, though learners should still verify the reasoning rather than relying on vote counts alone.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When a question asks for a combination of tools, sort the options by whether they produce a cost number versus merely collecting data or performing an action; only cost-producing tools belong in a TCO answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't AWS Application Discovery Service correct for a TCO calculation?
It only inventories on-premises servers and applications and feeds data into migration planning; it does not compute costs or produce a TCO estimate on its own.
How do Pricing Calculator and Migration Evaluator differ for TCO?
Pricing Calculator builds an itemized estimate of future AWS service costs, while Migration Evaluator compares your current on-premises estate against projected AWS spend, including right-sizing.
Related Analysis
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