- A
Buy a Compute Savings Plan for the predictable baseline usage.
Correct. A Compute Savings Plan discounts predictable compute spend across ECS and Lambda without binding the team to one instance family. That flexibility matches a mixed compute estate and avoids overcommitting.
- B
Move the event-driven tasks to AWS Lambda instead of keeping a separate always-on service.
Correct. Lambda removes idle server cost for small, infrequent tasks and fits event-driven processing well. This lowers operational overhead and avoids paying for a service that mostly waits for work.
- C
Buy an EC2 Instance Savings Plan tied to one instance family for all workloads.
Why wrong: Incorrect. An EC2 Instance Savings Plan is more restrictive than a Compute Savings Plan and does not cover the Lambda portion of the estate. The vendor would lose flexibility without improving coverage.
- D
Use Spot Instances for the control plane because it is the largest bill.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Control planes usually require steady availability and should not depend on interruptible capacity. Spot is a poor fit when service stability matters more than the last increment of savings.
- E
Increase the ECS desired count so Lambda can be removed.
Why wrong: Incorrect. More ECS tasks mean more always-on compute cost, which directly conflicts with the cost-reduction goal. It also adds unnecessary operational burden instead of reducing it.
SAA-C03 Design Cost-Optimized Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design cost-optimized architectures. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage.. 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 SaaS vendor has a steady 24/7 control plane on ECS and several small event-driven tasks that currently run on a separate always-on service. Management wants the billing discount that applies across both ECS and Lambda usage without committing to a specific instance family. Which two actions are best? Select two.
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.
Clue:
"always"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
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
Buy a Compute Savings Plan for the predictable baseline usage.
A Compute Savings Plan offers the largest discount (up to 66%) across both ECS and Lambda usage without committing to a specific instance family, which matches the requirement for a flexible discount. It applies to any EC2 instance, including those used by ECS, and also covers AWS Lambda compute usage, making it ideal for mixed workloads with predictable baseline usage.
Key principle: Compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Buy a Compute Savings Plan for the predictable baseline usage.
Why this is correct
Correct. A Compute Savings Plan discounts predictable compute spend across ECS and Lambda without binding the team to one instance family. That flexibility matches a mixed compute estate and avoids overcommitting.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "always" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage.
- ✓
Move the event-driven tasks to AWS Lambda instead of keeping a separate always-on service.
Why this is correct
Correct. Lambda removes idle server cost for small, infrequent tasks and fits event-driven processing well. This lowers operational overhead and avoids paying for a service that mostly waits for work.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "always" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage.
- ✗
Buy an EC2 Instance Savings Plan tied to one instance family for all workloads.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An EC2 Instance Savings Plan is more restrictive than a Compute Savings Plan and does not cover the Lambda portion of the estate. The vendor would lose flexibility without improving coverage.
- ✗
Use Spot Instances for the control plane because it is the largest bill.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Control planes usually require steady availability and should not depend on interruptible capacity. Spot is a poor fit when service stability matters more than the last increment of savings.
- ✗
Increase the ECS desired count so Lambda can be removed.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. More ECS tasks mean more always-on compute cost, which directly conflicts with the cost-reduction goal. It also adds unnecessary operational burden instead of reducing it.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Compute Savings Plans with EC2 Instance Savings Plans, assuming any Savings Plan covers Lambda, or they overlook that Compute Savings Plans are the only option that spans both ECS and Lambda without instance family restrictions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Compute Savings Plans apply to any EC2 instance (including those in ECS Fargate or EC2 launch type) and to Lambda compute usage (measured in GB-seconds), automatically applying the lowest price across all regions. This plan is ideal for workloads with predictable baseline usage, as it requires a 1- or 3-year commitment but offers flexibility to change instance families or move to Lambda without losing the discount. In contrast, EC2 Instance Savings Plans only cover a specific instance family and exclude Lambda, making them less suitable for mixed compute environments.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage.
- They offer the most flexible Savings Plan type.
- Discounts apply regardless of instance family, region, or OS.
- Requires a commitment to a consistent hourly spend for 1 or 3 years.
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
Compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage.
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 compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — This question tests Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — Compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Buy a Compute Savings Plan for the predictable baseline usage. — A Compute Savings Plan offers the largest discount (up to 66%) across both ECS and Lambda usage without committing to a specific instance family, which matches the requirement for a flexible discount. It applies to any EC2 instance, including those used by ECS, and also covers AWS Lambda compute usage, making it ideal for mixed workloads with predictable baseline usage.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Review compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best", "always". 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?
Compute Savings Plans cover EC2, Fargate, and Lambda usage.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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