Which statement is true about the pricing model on AWS? (Select the best answer.)
a) In most cases, there is a per gigabyte charge for inbound data transfer.
b) Storage is typically charged per gigabyte.
c) Compute is typically charged as a monthly fee based on instance type.
d) Outbound charges are free up to a per account limit.
The correct answer and explanation is :
Correct Answer:
b) Storage is typically charged per gigabyte.
Explanation (Approx. 300 words):
Amazon Web Services (AWS) uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model, meaning customers only pay for what they use without long-term commitments. One of the key components of AWS services is storage, and the most accurate statement among the options is that storage is typically charged per gigabyte (GB).
AWS offers several storage services such as Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service), Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store), and Amazon Glacier, each priced based on the amount of data stored. For example, with Amazon S3, you are charged per GB of data stored per month, with different rates based on storage class (Standard, Infrequent Access, Glacier, etc.). This model allows customers to optimize costs by choosing the right storage tier for their data usage patterns.
Here’s why the other options are not correct:
- a) In most cases, there is a per gigabyte charge for inbound data transfer.
This is false. AWS typically offers free inbound data transfer into AWS services. Charges usually apply for outbound data (data leaving AWS to the internet or other regions). - c) Compute is typically charged as a monthly fee based on instance type.
This is misleading. Compute services like Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) are generally charged per second or per hour, depending on the instance type. Although reserved instances can be billed monthly or annually, the standard model is usage-based, not a fixed monthly fee. - d) Outbound charges are free up to a per account limit.
While there is a small amount of free outbound data (e.g., the first 100 GB/month for many services), outbound data is generally chargeable, especially at higher volumes, so this statement is only partially true and not the best overall answer.
Thus, option b is the most accurate and broadly applicable statement about AWS pricing.