SAA-C03 Practice Question: io2 is a Provisioned IOPS SSD EBS volume type.
A document portal requires consistent high IOPS for a transactional database on EC2. Which EBS volume type is most suitable? The architecture review board prefers a managed AWS-native control.
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'high IOPS' with throughput-optimized HDDs (st1) or mistakenly think instance store offers managed persistence, but the key differentiator is the need for consistent, provisioned IOPS and managed durability that only io2 provides.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Provisioned IOPS SSD such as io2
The scenario requires consistent high IOPS for a transactional database, which demands low-latency, predictable performance. Provisioned IOPS SSD (io2) is the only EBS volume type that allows you to specify a guaranteed IOPS rate independent of volume size, making it ideal for latency-sensitive transactional workloads. It is also a managed AWS-native service, satisfying the architecture review board's preference.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
sc1 Cold HDD
Why it's wrong here
sc1 Cold HDD is designed for infrequently accessed, low-cost cold data with very low performance ceilings. It delivers only single-digit to low throughput levels per volume and cannot sustain consistent high IOPS, making it completely unsuitable for a document portal that demands predictable high performance.
- ✗
Instance store only
Why it's wrong here
Instance store volumes offer low latency and high IOPS, but they are ephemeral and physically attached to the host. Any stop, termination, or hardware failure causes data loss, so relying on instance store only for a durable database or document portal is risky and violates the need for consistent, persistent high IOPS.
- ✓
Provisioned IOPS SSD such as io2
Why this is correct
Provisioned IOPS SSD volumes like io2 are purpose-built for business-critical workloads that require consistent, predictable high IOPS and low latency. They allow you to provision specific IOPS independent of capacity, and io2 offers 99.999% durability, making it the correct choice for a document portal where database performance is essential.
- ✗
st1 Throughput Optimized HDD
Why it's wrong here
st1 Throughput Optimized HDD is optimized for high sequential throughput, not for high IOPS or low latency. Its performance scales with volume size but cannot provide predictable, low-latency IOPS for small random transactions, making it better suited for big data analytics or log processing than for a high-performance document portal.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SAA-C03 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SAA-C03 exam.