The answer is the I family of storage-optimized EC2 instances. These instances are built specifically for workloads demanding very high IOPS and low latency, using NVMe SSD-backed instance storage to deliver consistent sub-millisecond performance for frequent read and write operations. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to match instance families to workload characteristics—a core domain of the exam. A common trap is confusing compute-optimized (C family) or memory-optimized (R family) instances with storage performance, but remember that only the I family is designed for high-frequency, low-latency I/O. For a relational database requiring high IOPS and low latency, storage-optimized is the clear choice. Memory tip: think "I" for "Input/Output" or "I/O intensive"—that’s your clue for high IOPS and low latency.
CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud technology and services. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which Amazon EC2 instance type provides the best performance for a relational database that requires very high IOPS with consistent sub-millisecond storage latency?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Why wrong: M-family instances provide a balance of compute, memory, and networking — they're not optimized for extreme I/O throughput.
B
Storage-optimized instances (I family)
I-family instances provide NVMe SSD-backed storage with hundreds of thousands of IOPS and sub-millisecond latency — designed for I/O-intensive database workloads.
C
Compute-optimized instances (C family)
Why wrong: C-family instances have a high CPU-to-memory ratio for compute-intensive workloads — not for high-IOPS storage performance.
D
Memory-optimized instances (R family)
Why wrong: R-family instances provide large amounts of RAM for in-memory databases — not specifically high-IOPS NVMe storage performance.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Storage-optimized instances (I family)
The I family (Storage-optimized instances) is designed for high-frequency, low-latency I/O operations, leveraging NVMe SSD-backed instance storage to deliver very high IOPS and consistent sub-millisecond latency, making it ideal for relational databases with demanding storage performance requirements.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
General purpose instances (M family)
Why it's wrong here
M-family instances provide a balance of compute, memory, and networking — they're not optimized for extreme I/O throughput.
✓
Storage-optimized instances (I family)
Why this is correct
I-family instances provide NVMe SSD-backed storage with hundreds of thousands of IOPS and sub-millisecond latency — designed for I/O-intensive database workloads.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Compute-optimized instances (C family)
Why it's wrong here
C-family instances have a high CPU-to-memory ratio for compute-intensive workloads — not for high-IOPS storage performance.
✗
Memory-optimized instances (R family)
Why it's wrong here
R-family instances provide large amounts of RAM for in-memory databases — not specifically high-IOPS NVMe storage performance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'high IOPS' with compute or memory optimization, overlooking that storage-optimized instances are the only family specifically engineered for ultra-low latency and high-throughput storage operations.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, I family instances (e.g., I3, I4i) use non-volatile memory express (NVMe) SSDs directly attached to the server, bypassing the network stack for storage I/O, which reduces latency to sub-millisecond levels. In real-world scenarios, a relational database like MySQL or PostgreSQL running on an I4i instance can achieve over 100,000 random read IOPS per instance, critical for high-transaction OLTP workloads where every millisecond of latency impacts user experience.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CLF-C02 question in full detail.
Cloud Technology and Services — This question tests Cloud Technology and Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Storage-optimized instances (I family) — The I family (Storage-optimized instances) is designed for high-frequency, low-latency I/O operations, leveraging NVMe SSD-backed instance storage to deliver very high IOPS and consistent sub-millisecond latency, making it ideal for relational databases with demanding storage performance requirements.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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