Explanation

The correct answer is C. GP3 volume type.

Here's why:

Key Requirements Analysis:

1. High block storage capacity - The company needs significant storage space
2. Peak IOPS ≤ 15,000 - Performance requirement is moderate
3. Provision disk performance independent of storage capacity - This is a critical requirement
4. Most cost-effective solution - Cost optimization is important

EBS Volume Type Comparison:

GP2 (General Purpose SSD v2):

• Performance is tied to storage capacity (3 IOPS per GB)
• To get 15,000 IOPS, you'd need 5,000 GB (5TB) of storage
• Not ideal when you need performance independent of capacity

GP3 (General Purpose SSD v3):

• Performance is independent of storage capacity
• Baseline performance of 3,000 IOPS (can be provisioned up to 16,000 IOPS)
• Can provision IOPS separately from storage size
• Most cost-effective for this scenario

io1 (Provisioned IOPS SSD v1):

• Performance independent of capacity
• Can provision up to 64,000 IOPS
• More expensive than GP3 for similar performance
• Overkill for 15,000 IOPS requirement

io2 (Provisioned IOPS SSD v2):

• Performance independent of capacity
• Higher durability (99.999% vs 99.9%)
• More expensive than GP3
• Designed for mission-critical applications needing highest durability

Why GP3 is the Best Choice:

1. Performance independence: GP3 allows separate provisioning of IOPS from storage capacity
2. Cost-effectiveness: GP3 is cheaper than io1/io2 for the same performance level
3. Adequate performance: GP3 supports up to 16,000 IOPS, which covers the 15,000 IOPS requirement
4. Flexibility: Can scale IOPS independently as needed without changing storage size

Cost Comparison:

• GP3: Pay separately for storage and provisioned IOPS (if above baseline)
• io1/io2: Higher cost per GB and per provisioned IOPS
• GP2: Would require over-provisioning storage to get required IOPS, potentially more expensive

For workloads with moderate IOPS requirements (≤ 16,000 IOPS) where performance needs to be independent of storage capacity, GP3 is the most cost-effective EBS volume type.