AWS offers four distinct Support plans designed to meet varying customer needs and budgets. The Basic Support plan is free for all AWS customers and includes 24/7 access to customer service, documentation, whitepapers, and AWS Trusted Advisor core checks. It also provides access to the AWS Personal…AWS offers four distinct Support plans designed to meet varying customer needs and budgets. The Basic Support plan is free for all AWS customers and includes 24/7 access to customer service, documentation, whitepapers, and AWS Trusted Advisor core checks. It also provides access to the AWS Personal Health Dashboard.
The Developer Support plan starts at $29/month or 3% of monthly AWS usage. It provides business hours email access to Cloud Support Associates, with response times of 12 hours for general guidance and 24 hours for system impaired cases. This tier suits developers experimenting with AWS.
The Business Support plan begins at $100/month or varies based on usage percentage. It includes 24/7 phone, email, and chat access to Cloud Support Engineers. Response times improve significantly: 1 hour for production system down and 4 hours for production system impaired. Customers gain full access to AWS Trusted Advisor checks, AWS Support API, and third-party software support. This plan benefits production workloads.
The Enterprise On-Ramp plan starts at $5,500/month and includes all Business Support features plus access to a pool of Technical Account Managers (TAMs), Concierge Support Team for billing assistance, and 30-minute response time for business-critical system down situations.
The Enterprise Support plan, starting at $15,000/month, represents the highest tier. It includes a designated Technical Account Manager, Infrastructure Event Management, Well-Architected Reviews, and Operations Reviews. The response time for business-critical issues is 15 minutes. This plan suits large enterprises running mission-critical workloads.
Each tier builds upon the previous one, offering progressively faster response times, more communication channels, and additional features. Organizations should select their support tier based on workload criticality, technical expertise requirements, and budget considerations.
AWS Support Plans: A Complete Guide for Cloud Practitioner Exam
Why AWS Support Plans Are Important
AWS Support Plans are crucial because they determine the level of technical assistance, response times, and access to AWS resources that organizations receive. Understanding these plans is essential for the Cloud Practitioner exam as questions about support tiers appear frequently. In real-world scenarios, choosing the right support plan can significantly impact an organization's ability to resolve issues quickly and optimize their AWS infrastructure.
What Are AWS Support Plans?
AWS offers five distinct support plans, each designed for different customer needs:
1. Basic Support (Free) - Included for all AWS customers at no additional cost - Access to AWS documentation, whitepapers, and support forums - Access to AWS Trusted Advisor (7 core checks only) - Access to AWS Personal Health Dashboard - No technical support cases
2. Developer Support ($29/month or 3% of monthly AWS usage) - Best for testing and development environments - Business hours email access to Cloud Support Associates - General guidance response within 24 hours - System impaired response within 12 hours - One primary contact can open cases
3. Business Support ($100/month or 3-10% of monthly AWS usage) - Recommended for production workloads - 24/7 phone, email, and chat access to Cloud Support Engineers - Full access to AWS Trusted Advisor checks - Production system impaired response within 4 hours - Production system down response within 1 hour - Unlimited contacts can open cases - Access to Infrastructure Event Management for additional fee
4. Enterprise On-Ramp Support ($5,500/month or based on usage) - For organizations with business-critical workloads - Access to a pool of Technical Account Managers (TAMs) - Business-critical system down response within 30 minutes - Consultative application architecture guidance - Infrastructure Event Management included - Concierge Support Team for billing and account assistance
5. Enterprise Support ($15,000/month or based on usage) - For mission-critical workloads - Designated Technical Account Manager (TAM) - Business-critical system down response within 15 minutes - Infrastructure Event Management included - Well-Architected Reviews - Operations Reviews - Concierge Support Team access
How AWS Support Works
AWS Support operates through multiple channels depending on your plan: - AWS Support Center: The primary portal for creating and managing support cases - Phone Support: Available for Business, Enterprise On-Ramp, and Enterprise plans - Chat Support: Real-time assistance for eligible plans - Email Support: Available across paid support plans with varying response times
Response times are based on severity levels, with higher-tier plans receiving faster responses for critical issues.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on AWS Support Plans
Key Points to Remember:
1. TAM (Technical Account Manager): Only available with Enterprise On-Ramp (pool of TAMs) and Enterprise (designated TAM) plans. If a question mentions needing a TAM, the answer involves Enterprise-level support.
2. Trusted Advisor Full Checks: Business, Enterprise On-Ramp, and Enterprise plans have access to all Trusted Advisor checks. Basic and Developer only get 7 core checks.
3. Response Time Triggers: - 15-minute response = Enterprise - 30-minute response = Enterprise On-Ramp - 1-hour response = Business or higher
4. 24/7 Support: Business plan and above offer 24/7 phone, email, and chat support. Developer plan only offers business hours email support.
5. Concierge Support Team: Only available with Enterprise On-Ramp and Enterprise plans for billing and account best practices.
6. Infrastructure Event Management: Included with Enterprise plans, available for additional fee with Business plan.
7. Cost Considerations: Basic is free, Developer starts at $29/month, Business starts at $100/month, Enterprise On-Ramp at $5,500/month, and Enterprise at $15,000/month.
Common Exam Scenarios: - Company needs fastest response for critical systems = Enterprise Support - Startup testing applications needs basic technical guidance = Developer Support - Production workload needing 24/7 support = Business Support minimum - Organization wanting proactive guidance and a dedicated resource = Enterprise Support with TAM
Remember to match the business requirement in the question to the appropriate support tier based on response times, available features, and support channels.