Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company runs a web application on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The application normally handles 1,000 requests per second, but occasionally experiences unpredictable spikes of up to 10,000 requests per second for a few minutes. The Auto Scaling group is configured with a maximum capacity of 2,000 instances, which is insufficient to handle the spikes. The company must ensure that no requests are lost during these spikes without requiring manual scaling. Which solution should the company implement?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Configure an Amazon CloudFront distribution in front of the ALB to cache responses and absorb the spike.
CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) that caches static and dynamic content at edge locations. While caching can reduce load for repeated requests, it does not buffer dynamic request surges. It addresses latency and origin offload for cacheable content, not the temporary processing capacity shortage described in this scenario.
B
Best answer
Use an Amazon SQS queue between the ALB and the EC2 instances to decouple the request flow and buffer excess requests.
Amazon SQS is a fully managed message queuing service that can decouple application components. By placing an SQS queue between the ALB and the EC2 instances, incoming requests are stored as messages. The instances process messages at their own pace, buffering the excess during spikes. This ensures no requests are lost even when the spike exceeds the Auto Scaling group's maximum capacity.
C
Distractor review
Enable Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling with predictive scaling to forecast and pre-provision capacity for the spikes.
Predictive scaling uses historical data to forecast future traffic and proactively adjust capacity. However, the spikes in this scenario are described as unpredictable, making accurate forecasting unreliable. Moreover, predictive scaling cannot provision capacity beyond the Auto Scaling group's maximum limit (2,000 instances), so it would still be insufficient during extreme spikes.
D
Distractor review
Register additional EC2 instances in an on-premises data center as targets for the ALB and use manual failover.
This hybrid approach requires maintaining on-premises infrastructure and manual failover processes, which contradicts the requirement for no manual intervention. Additionally, integrating on-premises instances with an ALB typically involves a VPN or Direct Connect, adding complexity and latency. It does not provide the automatic buffering needed for unpredictable spikes.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Related practice questions
Related CLF-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
AWS shared responsibility model practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS shared responsibility model.
AWS Cloud Practitioner cloud concepts practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS Cloud Practitioner cloud concepts.
AWS IAM practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS IAM.
AWS pricing practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS pricing.
AWS support plans practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS support plans.
AWS S3 practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS S3.
AWS EC2 practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS EC2.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A developer needs to launch a test server for a new application prototype. The developer logs into the AWS Management Console, selects an Amazon EC2 instance type, configures the security group, and starts the instance. The instance is running within two minutes, and the developer did not need to submit a formal request to the company's IT procurement team or wait for approval from a cloud administrator. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this scenario best demonstrate?
Question 2
A solutions architect is planning a new web application on AWS. The workload will include 3 Amazon EC2 instances (t3.medium) running 24/7, an Application Load Balancer, and an Amazon RDS for MySQL db.t3.small database. The architect needs to estimate the monthly cost for the first year, considering different purchasing options (On-Demand, 1-year All Upfront Reserved Instance, and Compute Savings Plan). Which AWS tool should the architect use to create this estimate?
Question 3
A company's development team frequently needs temporary test environments. A developer can log into the AWS Management Console, select an Amazon EC2 instance type, configure storage, and launch the instance within minutes without any interaction with the IT infrastructure team. This capability is an example of which essential characteristic of cloud computing?
Question 4
A company's finance team needs to analyze AWS spending in detail. They require a report that includes hourly cost data for each AWS service, each individual resource (e.g., a specific EC2 instance), and any cost allocation tags applied. The team plans to export this data to an Amazon S3 bucket and then import it into a custom business intelligence (BI) analytics dashboard. Which AWS tool should the finance team use to generate this level of detailed cost data?
Question 5
A company uses AWS for its development environment. The finance team wants to set a monthly budget of $10,000. They want to receive an email notification when the actual costs reach 80% of the budget ($8,000) and again when costs exceed the budget. The team needs a managed AWS service that can automatically send these alerts without requiring custom code or third-party tools. Which AWS service should the team use?
Question 6
A company uses AWS Organizations to manage multiple accounts. The security team needs to enforce a policy that restricts SSH access (port 22) from the internet (0.0.0.0/0) in all VPCs across all accounts. The team wants to centrally define the allowed rules and automatically apply them to newly created VPCs and security groups, while also automatically remediating any existing non-compliant security groups. Which AWS service should the team use?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use an Amazon SQS queue between the ALB and the EC2 instances to decouple the request flow and buffer excess requests. — The correct solution is to use an Amazon SQS queue to decouple the request flow. When a burst of requests exceeds the processing capacity of the EC2 instances, SQS can buffer the excess requests. The instances then pull messages from the queue at a sustainable rate, ensuring no requests are lost. CloudFront caches content but does not absorb dynamic request surges. Predictive scaling cannot provision capacity beyond the configured maximum. A hybrid on-premises extension is complex and does not automatically handle the spike within AWS. Amazon SQS is the appropriate service for decoupling and buffering in this scenario.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
Loading comments…
Sign in to join the discussion.