CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
Which AWS compute service allows developers to run code in response to HTTP requests without managing servers, using a simple programming model based on functions?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse AWS Fargate's 'serverless containers' with serverless functions, but Fargate still requires container orchestration and does not use a function-based programming model triggered directly by HTTP requests.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Lambda
AWS Lambda is the correct answer because it is a serverless compute service that executes code in response to events such as HTTP requests via Amazon API Gateway. Developers upload functions and Lambda automatically scales and manages the underlying infrastructure, aligning with the question's requirement of running code without managing servers using a function-based model.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon EC2
Why it's wrong here
Amazon EC2 provides virtual machines that the developer must provision, patch and scale; it has no function-based programming model or automatic HTTP invocation. It is tempting because EC2 underpins many AWS services, and it would be correct when full operating-system control or persistent compute is required.
- ✓
AWS Lambda
Why this is correct
AWS Lambda executes function code in response to HTTP requests via API Gateway or function URLs, with no server provisioning or management. Its event-driven, function-based programming model directly satisfies the stem's requirement for running code without managing servers.
- ✗
Amazon ECS
Why it's wrong here
Amazon ECS orchestrates containers on clusters, requiring task definitions and a container image rather than function code triggered by HTTP. It is tempting because ECS is serverless-capable via Fargate, and it would be correct when deploying long-running containerised workloads behind a load balancer.
- ✗
AWS Fargate
Why it's wrong here
AWS Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers, not a function service; it runs ECS or EKS tasks, not event-triggered code. It is tempting because Fargate removes server management, and it would be correct when running containerised applications without provisioning EC2 instances.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CLF-C02 question is part of Courseiva's 993-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CLF-C02 exam.