- A
Migrate the volumes from gp2 to gp3 and provision the baseline IOPS to match the actual usage.
gp3 volumes are more cost-effective than gp2 because they offer a lower per-GB price and allow you to customize IOPS independently of storage size. By matching IOPS to actual need, you reduce costs while maintaining performance.
- B
Replace the EBS volumes with instance store volumes.
Why wrong: Instance store volumes provide temporary block-level storage for an EC2 instance; data is lost if the instance stops or terminates. They are not suitable for persistent data and cannot be used as a replacement for EBS volumes in most applications.
- C
Change the volume type to io2 (Provisioned IOPS SSD) and reduce the provisioned IOPS.
Why wrong: io2 volumes are designed for high-performance workloads requiring high IOPS and low latency. They are more expensive than gp2 and gp3 on a per-GB basis, so this would increase costs, not reduce them.
- D
Change the volume type to Cold HDD (sc1) to reduce cost.
Why wrong: Cold HDD volumes are designed for infrequently accessed, throughput-intensive workloads. They have low IOPS and high latency, which would degrade application performance for a web application.
SOA-C02 Cost and Performance Optimization Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cost and performance optimization. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage size.. 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 company runs a web application on a fleet of Amazon EC2 instances. The application uses Amazon EBS volumes of type gp2 (General Purpose SSD). Each volume is 100 GB, which provides a baseline of 3000 IOPS (the minimum performance of gp2). The SysOps administrator monitors the volumes and finds that the average IOPS used is only 1,500, and the application performance is adequate. The administrator wants to reduce storage costs without affecting performance. Which action should the administrator take?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Migrate the volumes from gp2 to gp3 and provision the baseline IOPS to match the actual usage.
Migrating from gp2 to gp3 is the correct action because gp3 offers a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput at a lower per-GB cost than gp2, regardless of volume size. Since the current gp2 volumes are 100 GB and provide only 3,000 IOPS baseline, but actual usage is only 1,500 IOPS, switching to gp3 allows the administrator to provision exactly 1,500 IOPS (paying only for what is used) while still benefiting from the included baseline performance, thereby reducing costs without affecting performance.
Key principle: gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage size.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Migrate the volumes from gp2 to gp3 and provision the baseline IOPS to match the actual usage.
Why this is correct
gp3 volumes are more cost-effective than gp2 because they offer a lower per-GB price and allow you to customize IOPS independently of storage size. By matching IOPS to actual need, you reduce costs while maintaining performance.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage size.
- ✗
Replace the EBS volumes with instance store volumes.
Why it's wrong here
Instance store volumes provide temporary block-level storage for an EC2 instance; data is lost if the instance stops or terminates. They are not suitable for persistent data and cannot be used as a replacement for EBS volumes in most applications.
- ✗
Change the volume type to io2 (Provisioned IOPS SSD) and reduce the provisioned IOPS.
Why it's wrong here
io2 volumes are designed for high-performance workloads requiring high IOPS and low latency. They are more expensive than gp2 and gp3 on a per-GB basis, so this would increase costs, not reduce them.
- ✗
Change the volume type to Cold HDD (sc1) to reduce cost.
Why it's wrong here
Cold HDD volumes are designed for infrequently accessed, throughput-intensive workloads. They have low IOPS and high latency, which would degrade application performance for a web application.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think reducing provisioned IOPS on a premium volume like io2 is cheaper, but they overlook that gp3 already includes a baseline of 3,000 IOPS at a lower per-GB cost, making it the most cost-efficient choice for this workload.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage capacity, allowing independent provisioning; the baseline of 3,000 IOPS is included at no extra cost, and additional IOPS can be provisioned up to 16,000 IOPS per volume. In contrast, gp2 uses a credit-based burst model where baseline IOPS are calculated at 3 IOPS per GB, so a 100 GB volume gets exactly 3,000 IOPS baseline, and any unused burst credits are wasted. This makes gp3 more cost-effective for workloads with consistent but moderate IOPS requirements, as the administrator can set IOPS to exactly 1,500 and pay only for the provisioned amount above the baseline (which is zero in this case).
KKey Concepts to Remember
- gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage size.
- gp3 offers a lower per-GB storage cost than gp2.
- gp3 includes a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MiB/s throughput.
- EBS Elastic Volumes allow online modification of volume types.
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
gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage size.
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 gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage size., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Cost and Performance Optimization — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Cost and Performance Optimization — This question tests Cost and Performance Optimization — gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage size..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Migrate the volumes from gp2 to gp3 and provision the baseline IOPS to match the actual usage. — Migrating from gp2 to gp3 is the correct action because gp3 offers a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput at a lower per-GB cost than gp2, regardless of volume size. Since the current gp2 volumes are 100 GB and provide only 3,000 IOPS baseline, but actual usage is only 1,500 IOPS, switching to gp3 allows the administrator to provision exactly 1,500 IOPS (paying only for what is used) while still benefiting from the included baseline performance, thereby reducing costs without affecting performance.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage size., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage size.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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