The answer is to install the CloudWatch agent on the EC2 instances to collect memory metrics and emit them to CloudWatch. This is correct because the default Amazon CloudWatch metrics for EC2 only capture CPU, network, and disk activity—they do not include memory utilization. The CloudWatch agent, however, is a lightweight software package that can be configured to gather custom metrics like memory usage from the operating system and publish them to CloudWatch, enabling you to track memory consumption over time and pinpoint a leak without modifying any application code. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the difference between standard EC2 metrics and custom metrics collected via the agent, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose CloudWatch Logs or the default monitoring. Remember the key distinction: the CloudWatch agent is for in-guest metrics like memory and disk, while the default agent only covers hypervisor-level metrics. Memory tip: “Default misses memory; the agent adds the extra.”
DVA-C02 Troubleshooting and Optimization Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting and optimization. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A developer is managing an application running on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. Users report that the application becomes unresponsive after several hours, and restarting the instance temporarily fixes the issue. The developer suspects a memory leak but cannot add custom instrumentation. Which AWS service can collect memory utilization metrics and help identify the memory leak with minimal configuration?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Install the CloudWatch agent on the EC2 instances to collect memory metrics and emit them to CloudWatch.
The CloudWatch agent can collect custom metrics, including memory utilization, from EC2 instances and publish them to Amazon CloudWatch. This allows the developer to monitor memory usage over time and identify a memory leak without modifying the application code. The default EC2 metrics do not include memory utilization, so the CloudWatch agent is the minimal-configuration solution for this requirement.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Use Amazon CloudWatch Logs agent to capture application logs.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs captures log data, not memory metrics; it would require custom log parsing to infer memory usage.
✗
Use the EC2 instance metadata service to query memory usage.
Why it's wrong here
Instance metadata does not include memory utilization metrics.
✓
Install the CloudWatch agent on the EC2 instances to collect memory metrics and emit them to CloudWatch.
Why this is correct
Correct. The CloudWatch agent can collect memory metrics and send them to CloudWatch for monitoring.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use AWS X-Ray to trace memory allocation.
Why it's wrong here
X-Ray traces request paths and latencies, not memory allocation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume EC2 automatically provides memory metrics in CloudWatch, but in reality, only CPU, network, and disk metrics are available by default; memory requires the CloudWatch agent.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The CloudWatch agent uses the `proc/meminfo` file on Linux or Performance Counters on Windows to collect memory metrics, which are then sent to CloudWatch via the PutMetricData API. By default, EC2 instances only emit hypervisor-level metrics (CPU, network, disk), so memory monitoring requires the agent. The agent can be configured with a simple JSON file to specify which metrics to collect, and it supports automatic metric emission at configurable intervals (e.g., every 60 seconds).
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Troubleshooting and Optimization — This question tests Troubleshooting and Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Install the CloudWatch agent on the EC2 instances to collect memory metrics and emit them to CloudWatch. — The CloudWatch agent can collect custom metrics, including memory utilization, from EC2 instances and publish them to Amazon CloudWatch. This allows the developer to monitor memory usage over time and identify a memory leak without modifying the application code. The default EC2 metrics do not include memory utilization, so the CloudWatch agent is the minimal-configuration solution for this requirement.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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