A municipality compares self-managed MySQL on EC2 with Amazon Aurora MySQL-Compatible for a new case-management database. Staff already work overtime on patching and failover drills. Which TCO framing is most appropriate?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
If the night crew is living in the data center for MySQL patches, that overtime is part of the price tag. Aurora’s sticker can look higher until you stop pretending human HA is free.
Full Explanation
Cost optimization for new solutions must compare total cost of ownership, including operational labor for patching, backup verification, and failover. Aurora’s managed storage, automated backups, and Multi-AZ-oriented operations often reduce that labor relative to self-managed MySQL on EC2. Ignoring staff cost systematically biases designs toward under-managed infrastructure that fails municipal reliability expectations.