Optimizing Architecture for Cost-Efficient Exam Results Portal

Correct Answer - C.

Leveraging AWS Lambda functions will remove the need to run a dedicated web server for the organization.

During periods of high requests to the database cluster, AWS lambda back-end infrastructure will automatically scale out resources to meet the demand adequately.

AWS Lambda provides a platform to run code without provisioning or managing any servers.

The organization pays only for the compute time they consume.

There is no charge when your code is not running.

Lambda functions can reduce the cost significantly.

https://aws.amazon.com/lambda/

Option A INCORRECT because the premise of the scenario is about cost-efficiency more than load and server responsiveness.

The addition of Elastic load balancing will increase the cost based on the number of instances.

So this option is not cheaper.

https://aws.amazon.com/elasticloadbalancing/

Option B is INCORRECT because RDS Multi-AZ helps with disaster recovery, enhanced availability, and durability.

However, the scenario requires a solution that reduces the cost of maintaining the organization's infrastructure.

https://aws.amazon.com/rds/details/multi-az/

Option D is INCORRECT because migrating to Amazon EC2 Spot Instances may negatively impact the service during periods of high traffic.

Instances could be terminated mid-transaction that would have adverse effects on the overall user experience.

This would not be a cost-effective solution.

Spot Instances let you to take advantage of unused EC2 capacity in the AWS cloud.

Spot Instances are available at up to a 90% discount compared to On-Demand prices.

Spot Instances can reclaim the capacity back with two minutes of notice.

https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/spot/

Note: You can test the pricing of different AWS services by using Pricing Calculator.

https://calculator.aws/#/

The Professional Educational Institution has a web server and database cluster that is used to host an exam results portal for its students. The resource is idle for most of the learning cycle, and it becomes excessively busy when exam results are released. To improve this architecture and make it more cost-efficient, the following options can be considered:

A. Configure AWS Elastic Load Balancing (ELB) between the web server and database cluster: Elastic Load Balancing automatically distributes incoming application traffic across multiple targets, such as EC2 instances, containers, and IP addresses, in one or more Availability Zones. By configuring an ELB between the web server and database cluster, the traffic can be distributed more efficiently, improving availability and fault tolerance while reducing costs.

B. Configure RDS Multi-Availability Zone (Multi-AZ) for performance optimization: Amazon RDS Multi-AZ provides enhanced availability and durability for database instances within a single region by automatically replicating data between two Availability Zones. Multi-AZ deployment can help minimize downtime during system maintenance, such as patching or upgrades, by automatically failing over to the standby instance in the event of a primary database instance failure.

C. Configure serverless architecture leveraging AWS Lambda functions: AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that runs your code in response to events and automatically manages the compute resources for you, so there is no need to provision or manage servers. By leveraging AWS Lambda functions, the Professional Educational Institution can build a serverless architecture for their exam results portal, reducing costs associated with server management, and scaling automatically based on demand.

D. Migrate the web servers onto Amazon EC2 Spot Instances: Amazon EC2 Spot Instances are spare compute capacity in the AWS Cloud available to customers at a discounted rate. By using EC2 Spot Instances for the web servers, the Professional Educational Institution can save up to 90% on the cost of running those instances. This option requires that the organization can tolerate the possibility of Spot Instances being interrupted or terminated with two minutes' notice, which may not be suitable for all workloads.

Overall, the best approach depends on the specific needs and requirements of the Professional Educational Institution. However, combining options A and B would improve availability and fault tolerance while minimizing costs, while option C can be considered for a more modern, scalable, and cost-efficient architecture. Option D can also be considered, depending on the workload's tolerance for interruptions and cost savings needs.