Which EC2 Instance Type Supports Windows Server BYOL?
When a user wants to utilize their existing per-socket, per-core, or per-virtual machine software licenses for a Microsoft Windows server running on AWS, which Amazon EC2 instance type is required?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer C. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
The question tests EC2 licensing/BYOL: the trap is confusing Dedicated Hosts with Dedicated Instances, which offer single-tenant hardware but not the socket/core visibility needed for per-socket or per-core license reuse.
Dedicated Hosts are the Amazon EC2 option that provides the socket and core visibility needed to reuse existing per-socket, per-core, or per-VM Microsoft Windows Server licenses on AWS. This page confirms why C is correct and why Dedicated Instances, Spot Instances, and Reserved Instances do not satisfy BYOL licensing terms.
Choosing Dedicated Instances (B) because they also provide single-tenant hardware; however, they do not expose physical sockets or cores, so they cannot satisfy per-socket, per-core, or per-VM BYOL terms.
Community Discussion (4 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Dedicated Hosts allocate an entire physical server to your AWS account and expose the number of sockets and physical cores on that host, which is exactly what Microsoft per-socket, per-core, and per-VM license terms require. AWS documents that Dedicated Hosts provide Bring Your Own License (BYOL) support for Windows Server, SQL Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and RHEL. Because you control instance placement on the host, you can align running instances with existing license entitlements instead of buying new ones. In this CLF-C02 scenario, the phrase "existing per-socket, per-core, or per-virtual machine software licenses" is the signal for Dedicated Hosts. Community consensus agrees, with every recorded vote selecting C.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Spot Instances are spare EC2 capacity that can be reclaimed with a two-minute interruption notice; they are a pricing mechanism and provide no host-level socket or core visibility, so they cannot satisfy BYOL terms. Dedicated Instances provide single-tenant hardware isolation, but AWS explicitly contrasts them with Dedicated Hosts for BYOL because Dedicated Instances do not expose the physical sockets and cores. Reserved Instances are a billing discount applied to matching instance usage, not a tenancy model that grants license visibility; they may be combined with Dedicated Hosts, but alone they do not meet the question's requirement. None of these options gives the per-socket or per-core mapping Microsoft licensing requires.Community Comment Notes
petercorn pointed directly to the AWS Dedicated Hosts page and stated that they "use your existing per-socket, per-core, or per-VM software licenses", matching the question wording almost exactly. Another commenter, now shown as removed, expanded on BYOL support for Windows Server, SQL Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and RHEL, reinforcing that Dedicated Hosts are the licensing-oriented choice. BShelat linked the AWS Windows Dedicated Hosts overview, whose BYOL section is the canonical source for this distinction. Aghajee restated the same conclusion without dissent, and all recorded votes landed on Dedicated Hosts.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When you see per-socket, per-core, or per-VM license language in CLF-C02, map it to Dedicated Hosts rather than Dedicated Instances. Read the tenancy and licensing keywords before choosing a pricing model such as Spot or Reserved Instances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't Dedicated Instances support per-socket Windows Server licenses?
Dedicated Instances give single-tenant hardware but do not expose the physical sockets or cores, so they cannot satisfy per-socket or per-core BYOL license terms.
Can Reserved Instances be used for BYOL instead of Dedicated Hosts?
No. Reserved Instances are a billing discount and do not expose host sockets or cores, so they fail the per-socket, per-core, or per-VM license requirement.
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