SAA-C03 Practice Question: EBS volumes incur charges even when unattached.
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design cost-optimized architectures. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: eBS volumes incur charges even when unattached.. 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.
A internal reporting portal has old unattached EBS volumes and many stale snapshots. Which two actions reduce storage cost without affecting running instances? The design must avoid adding custom operational scripts.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Delete unattached EBS volumes after verifying they are no longer needed
Option C is correct because deleting unattached EBS volumes directly reduces storage costs without impacting running instances, as these volumes are not in use. Option D is correct because snapshot lifecycle policies automate the deletion of obsolete snapshots, eliminating manual cleanup and reducing storage costs without custom scripts.
Key principle: EBS volumes incur charges even when unattached.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Disable CloudTrail logging
Why it's wrong here
Disabling audit logging is not a storage cost optimization for EBS and weakens governance.
✗
Stop all EC2 instances in the account
Why it's wrong here
Stopping instances does not remove EBS volume or snapshot charges.
✓
Delete unattached EBS volumes after verifying they are no longer needed
Why this is correct
Unattached volumes continue to incur charges until deleted.
Related concept
EBS volumes incur charges even when unattached.
✓
Apply snapshot lifecycle policies to expire obsolete snapshots
Why this is correct
Lifecycle policies can automate cleanup of old snapshots.
Related concept
EBS volumes incur charges even when unattached.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates might think stopping instances or disabling CloudTrail saves costs, but these actions either disrupt operations or target unrelated services, while the real savings come from cleaning up orphaned storage resources.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Unattached EBS volumes incur charges for provisioned storage even when not in use, and stale snapshots (especially those of deleted volumes) accumulate costs over time. Snapshot lifecycle policies use Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) to automatically expire snapshots based on age or count, reducing manual intervention. Deleting unattached volumes requires verifying they are not needed, as they may contain critical data for future use.
KKey Concepts to Remember
EBS volumes incur charges even when unattached.
Deleting an EBS volume is permanent and stops billing.
EBS snapshots are billed based on stored data.
Snapshot Lifecycle Policies automate snapshot retention and deletion.
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
EBS volumes incur charges even when unattached.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review eBS volumes incur charges even when unattached., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — This question tests Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — EBS volumes incur charges even when unattached..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Delete unattached EBS volumes after verifying they are no longer needed — Option C is correct because deleting unattached EBS volumes directly reduces storage costs without impacting running instances, as these volumes are not in use. Option D is correct because snapshot lifecycle policies automate the deletion of obsolete snapshots, eliminating manual cleanup and reducing storage costs without custom scripts.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Review eBS volumes incur charges even when unattached., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
EBS volumes incur charges even when unattached.
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Question Discussion
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