Optimizing EC2, ASG, and EBS Costs with AWS Compute Optimizer

SAA-C03 By islever Editorial Last updated

Design cost-optimized compute solutions.

Short answer

C Configure AWS Compute Optimizer for cost recommendations for the EC2 instances, the Auto Scaling group and the EBS volumes.

Question

A company has an internal application that runs on Amazon EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group. The EC2 instances are compute optimized and use Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS) volumes. The company wants to identify cost optimizations across the EC2 instances, the Auto Scaling group, and the EBS volumes. Which solution will meet these requirements with the MOST operational efficiency?
  1. Create a new AWS Cost and Usage Report. Search the report for cost recommendations for the EC2 instances the Auto Scaling group, and the EBS volumes.
  2. Create new Amazon CloudWatch billing alerts. Check the alert statuses for cost recommendations for the EC2 instances, the Auto Scaling group, and the EBS volumes.
  3. Configure AWS Compute Optimizer for cost recommendations for the EC2 instances, the Auto Scaling group and the EBS volumes. Correct Answer
  4. Configure AWS Compute Optimizer for cost recommendations for the EC2 instances. Create a new AWS Cost and Usage Report. Search the report for cost recommendations for the Auto Scaling group and the EBS volumes.

Key Takeaways

The question tests knowledge of AWS services for cost optimization, specifically distinguishing between general reporting tools (CUR) and specialized optimization engines (Compute Optimizer). The trap is assuming detailed reports are more efficient than automated recommendations.

AWS Compute Optimizer provides automated cost recommendations for EC2 instances, Auto Scaling groups, and EBS volumes. This solution offers the most operational efficiency by leveraging AI/ML to analyze historical usage data without manual intervention.

Common mistake: Candidates often choose Option A (AWS Cost and Usage Report) because it is a comprehensive billing tool. However, searching through large datasets in CUR is operationally inefficient compared to receiving targeted recommendations from Compute Optimizer.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

AWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning to analyze historical utilization metrics and recommends optimal AWS resources, including EC2 instances, Auto Scaling groups, and Amazon EBS volumes. It provides specific actions to reduce costs while maintaining performance, making it the most operationally efficient solution as it automates the identification of waste.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A involves manually searching through a Cost and Usage Report, which requires significant effort to identify specific underutilized resources among many entries. Option B uses CloudWatch billing alerts, which notify you when costs exceed thresholds but do not provide actionable optimization recommendations for specific resources. Option D is redundant and less efficient because it splits the workload between two different services rather than using a single integrated tool designed for this purpose.

Community Comment Notes

Community consensus strongly supports Option C, noting that Compute Optimizer is the dedicated service for this task. As one user noted, "AWS compute Optimizer... gives recommendations to optimize your compute resources... for better performance and lower cost." Another commenter clarified that while CUR is detailed, it lacks the direct optimization guidance provided by Compute Optimizer, reinforcing the choice of C for operational efficiency.

Official Reference

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/compute-optimizer/latest/ug/what-is-compute-optimizer.html

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

When a question asks for 'operational efficiency' in optimization, look for managed services that use automation or ML (like Compute Optimizer) rather than manual analysis of reports (like CUR or CloudTrail). Always prioritize tools that provide direct, actionable recommendations over those that just provide raw data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not use AWS Cost Explorer for cost optimization?

Cost Explorer helps visualize and forecast costs but does not provide specific resource-level optimization recommendations like Compute Optimizer does.

Does Compute Optimizer cover EBS volumes?

Yes, AWS Compute Optimizer analyzes EBS volume usage and provides recommendations to right-size volumes or switch to more cost-effective storage classes.

More SAA-C03 FAQ →

Community Votes

C
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer C. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 4 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 4

  1. example_ 👍 3 Answered C
    https://aws.amazon.com/compute-optimizer/ https://docs.aws.amazon.com/compute-optimizer/latest/ug/what-is-compute-optimizer.html
  2. Sarayounisaldossary 👍 1 Answered C
    the question here focuses on (COST Optimization) - AWS Cost and Usage Report is the most detailed report that shows your AWS usage and charges. - cloudwatch is only for setting alerts based on setting policies- - would go right-away with AWS compute Optimizer because this service gives recommendations to optimize your compute resources (like EC2, Lambda, etc.) for better performance and lower cost. which is C and D BUT when reading D choice there's nothing wrong with AWS Cost and Usage report but why would i make it more complex to get the cost optimization? AWS compute Optimizer is more than enough which is C option
  3. LeonSauveterre 👍 1 Answered C
    Go with Option C for the most efficient and straightforward solution for sure. Just one more thing: AWS Compute Optimizer doesn’t provide cost data directly (such as detailed dollar amounts), so supplementing it with AWS Cost Explorer or Trusted Advisor is a good practice for deeper cost analysis.
  4. komorebi 👍 2 Answered C
    Answer is C

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