Amazon Exam SAA-C03 Topic 1 Question 64 Discussion

Actual exam question for Amazon's SAA-C03 exam

Question #: 64
Topic #: 1

A company is developing a latency-sensitive application. Part of the application includes several AWS Lambda functions that need to initialize as quickly as possible. The Lambda functions are written in Java and contain initialization code outside the handlers to load libraries, initialize classes, and generate unique IDs.

Which solution will meet the startup performance requirement MOST cost-effectively?

AMove all the initialization code to the handlers for each Lambda function. Activate Lambda SnapStart for each Lambda function. Configure SnapStart to reference the $LATEST version of each Lambda function.

BPublish a version of each Lambda function. Create an alias for each Lambda function. Configure each alias to point to its corresponding version. Set up a provisioned concurrency configuration for each Lambda function to point to the corresponding alias.

CPublish a version of each Lambda function. Set up a provisioned concurrency configuration for each Lambda function to point to the corresponding version. Activate Lambda SnapStart for the published versions of the Lambda functions.

DUpdate the Lambda functions to add a pre-snapshot hook. Move the code that generates unique IDs into the handlers. Publish a version of each Lambda function. Activate Lambda SnapStart for the published versions of the Lambda functions.

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: D

AWS Lambda SnapStart is designed to improve the cold start performance of Java Lambda functions by initializing the function, taking a snapshot of the execution environment, and then reusing that snapshot for subsequent invocations. However, some code (such as code that generates unique IDs or session-specific data) should run during each invocation, not during the snapshot process. By using a pre-snapshot hook and moving the unique ID generation into the handler, you ensure that non-deterministic or per-invocation code is executed correctly, while the rest of the initialization benefits from SnapStart. This delivers the lowest latency and cost, as you do not need to pay for provisioned concurrency.

AWS Documentation Extract:

'Lambda SnapStart is ideal for Java functions with long cold starts due to heavy initialization. Move non-deterministic code such as unique ID generation to the handler, and use pre-snapshot hooks to customize what gets snapshotted. SnapStart works only for published versions, not $LATEST.'

(Source: AWS Lambda documentation, Using SnapStart for Java Functions)

Other options:

A: SnapStart is not supported for the $LATEST version; must be a published version.

B & C: Provisioned concurrency removes cold starts but is more expensive than SnapStart for most workloads.

C: You must use SnapStart on published versions, but provisioned concurrency is not required for SnapStart and adds cost.

by Trinidad at Aug 15, 2025, 06:57 AM

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2 months ago

Option B looks like the most cost-effective solution to me. Provisioned concurrency and aliases will ensure the Lambda functions start up quickly without the overhead of SnapStart.

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