Nightly video-transcoding jobs are checkpointed and can restart without data loss. Which EC2 purchasing option cuts compute cost the most?
A.On-Demand Instances
On-Demand is the most expensive flexible option — nothing here requires it.
B.Spot Instances
Correct — interruption-tolerant batch is the canonical Spot workload.
C.Reserved Instances
RIs discount steady 24/7 usage; batch workloads don't run around the clock to amortize them.
D.Dedicated Hosts
Dedicated Hosts are the most expensive option — for licensing/compliance, not cost savings.
Why this answer
Spot discounts up to ~90% for workloads that tolerate interruption — checkpointed batch is the textbook fit. Design for the 2-minute interruption notice and the jobs simply resume on replacement capacity.
Correct answer: B · Last reviewed 2026-11-01
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