AWS (Amazon Web Services) Certification Practice Exam

Which purchasing option is characterized by paying for resources on a recurring schedule?

1. On-Demand Instances

2. Spot Instances

3. Scheduled Instances

4. Reserved Instances

The correct answer is: Scheduled Instances

The answer is characterized by a financial commitment where resources are ordered and billed according to a predefined schedule. This option allows organizations to reserve instances for specific periods, typically one or three years, while providing cost benefits compared to paying for On-Demand Instances. Scheduled Instances specifically can be set to run at repeated intervals, which makes it ideal for workloads that require instances to be available at specific times. For example, a company might need certain resources for use only during business hours on weekdays. By opting for Scheduled Instances, they can effectively manage their costs while ensuring that the resources are available when needed. The other purchasing options operate differently: On-Demand Instances allow payment for computing capacity by the hour or second without any long-term commitment. Spot Instances let users bid on unused Amazon EC2 capacity and typically benefit from lower pricing but with the risk of interruptions. Reserved Instances require a longer-term commitment without the specific scheduled usage, focusing instead on sustained use over months or years but lacking the flexibility of specific time slots like Scheduled Instances. This clarity in how Scheduled Instances are structured in relation to payment schedules establishes them as the correct choice in this scenario.