Switch to AWS Graviton Instances to Reduce Compute Costs
A test environment runs on x86 EC2 instances and uses open-source software with no architecture-specific licensing restriction. What should be evaluated to reduce compute cost? The design must avoid adding custom operational scripts.
Quick Answer
Graviton is the right lever here because the two constraints in the scenario, no architecture-specific licensing restriction and a requirement to avoid custom operational scripts, both point toward a change that only requires re-evaluating the underlying instance family rather than rearchitecting how the workload runs. Since the software is open source and not tied to a particular CPU architecture, it can generally run on Graviton's ARM-based instances without code changes, and AWS provides native support for them, so no custom scripts or special handling are needed to make the switch. The 'after performance testing' qualifier matters too: price-performance gains are workload-dependent, so validating that the application behaves correctly and performs well on ARM before committing is part of doing this safely, not an optional step. This is a cleaner win than something like manually re-tuning instance sizes or building automation to manage a more complex scaling setup, because it reduces cost at the infrastructure layer without adding operational surface area. When a question emphasizes a workload with no architecture lock-in and asks for lower compute cost while avoiding new operational complexity, that combination is a strong signal that a Graviton migration, rather than a scripted or architectural workaround, is the intended answer.
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse cost optimization with performance improvement or licensing requirements, leading them to select Dedicated Hosts or high-performance storage options that actually increase costs.
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 Graviton-based instances after performance testing
AWS Graviton-based instances (ARM architecture) offer up to 40% better price-performance compared to x86 instances for many workloads. Since the environment uses open-source software with no architecture-specific licensing restrictions, migrating to Graviton after performance testing can significantly reduce compute costs without requiring custom operational scripts, as AWS provides native support for ARM-based 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.
- ✗
Cross-Region data replication for all data
Why it's wrong here
Replicating data across Regions adds transfer and storage charges without reducing EC2 compute cost, which is the stated goal. It tempts for resilience or latency designs, but here it addresses availability rather than the compute spend being optimised.
- ✓
AWS Graviton-based instances after performance testing
Why this is correct
AWS Graviton processors use Arm64 architecture, delivering better price-performance than comparable x86 instances. Since the software is open-source with no architecture-specific licensing restriction, and no custom operational scripts are added, migrating after performance testing satisfies the cost-reduction requirement without introducing operational overhead.
- ✗
io2 Block Express volumes for all instances
Why it's wrong here
io2 Block Express delivers high IOPS and low latency for I/O-intensive databases, not compute savings; it raises storage spend. It is tempting because it boosts throughput for transactional workloads, but the scenario needs a cheaper instance family or Graviton migration, not premium block storage.
- ✗
Dedicated Hosts by default
Why it's wrong here
Dedicated Hosts bill for the entire physical server and target licensing or compliance needs, not general compute savings. It tempts when per-socket or per-core licences must be controlled, but this open-source workload has no such restriction.
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Variation 1. A test environment runs on x86 EC2 instances and uses open-source software with no architecture-specific licensing restriction. What should be evaluated to reduce compute cost?
medium- A.Cross-Region data replication for all data
- ✓ B.AWS Graviton-based instances after performance testing
- C.io2 Block Express volumes for all instances
- D.Dedicated Hosts by default
Why B: AWS Graviton-based instances (e.g., M6g, C6g) use Arm-based custom AWS silicon, offering up to 40% better price-performance compared to comparable x86 instances for many workloads. Since the test environment runs open-source software with no architecture-specific licensing restrictions, migrating to Graviton after performance testing can significantly reduce compute costs without compatibility issues.
JA
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.