SAA-C03 Design Cost-Optimized Architectures Practice Question
A marketing site has EC2 instances that are oversized based on CPU, memory, and network utilisation. Which AWS service should identify rightsizing recommendations?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse AWS Compute Optimizer with AWS Trusted Advisor, which also provides cost optimization checks but does not offer the same ML-driven, granular rightsizing recommendations for EC2 instances.
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
✓
AWS Compute Optimizer
AWS Compute Optimizer analyzes historical utilization metrics (CPU, memory, network, and storage) from CloudWatch and uses machine learning to identify over-provisioned or under-provisioned EC2 instances. It generates actionable rightsizing recommendations, including instance type changes, to optimize cost and performance. This directly addresses the scenario of oversized EC2 instances.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Shield
Why it's wrong here
Shield protects against DDoS and does not analyse instance sizing.
- ✓
AWS Compute Optimizer
Why this is correct
Compute Optimizer analyses utilisation metrics and recommends rightsizing for supported resources.
- ✗
AWS DataSync
Why it's wrong here
DataSync transfers data and does not recommend compute sizes.
- ✗
AWS Artifact
Why it's wrong here
Artifact provides compliance reports and agreements, not rightsizing recommendations.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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