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Describe a custom EMR cluster configuration for Spark-based ETL with minimal cost.

Spark/Big Dataeasy0.3 min readPremium
Frequency
Low
Asked at 1 company
Category
452
questions in Spark/Big Data
Difficulty Split
88E|81M|283H
in this category
Total Bank
1,863
across 7 categories
Asked at these companies
Capco
Key Concepts Tested
etlspark
Expert AnswerPremium
70 wordsInterview-ready
**Why config matters**: 50–70% cost savings with right instance mix. **Minimal-cost config**: (1) Spot instances for workers (interruptible); (2) On-demand for driver (reliability). (3) Right-size: m5.xlarge or m5.2xlarge workers; 1 driver, 2–10 workers. (4) S3 for storage (no EBS for data). (5) Autoscaling. **Scalability trade-offs**: Spot = possible interruption; use checkpointing. **Cost implications**: Spot ~70% cheaper; appropriate instance types....
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