What is a key feature of Amazon EBS regarding instance lifecycle?

A key feature of Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) is that its volumes are designed to persist independently from the lifecycle of the Amazon EC2 instances to which they are attached. This means that when an EC2 instance is stopped or terminated, the EBS volumes can continue to exist and retain their data. This feature allows for greater flexibility in managing data, as volumes can be detached from one instance and attached to another without loss of data.

This independent persistence is essential for use cases where data needs to be maintained beyond the life of a particular instance, such as databases or applications that require persistent storage. EBS volumes can also be backed up and restored using snapshots, further enhancing their usability and protection against data loss.

Other choices highlight concepts that are not correct in relation to EBS. For example, discussing relationships with S3 or suggesting that EBS volumes have the same lifespan as EC2 instances does not capture the fundamental capability of EBS to act as independent storage. Additionally, the notion that EBS volumes require backup to S3 for persistence misrepresents EBS's functionality, as volumes are inherently persistent unless explicitly deleted.