- A
Configure an ELB target group health check
Why wrong: Health checks are for routing, not scaling.
- B
Create a CloudWatch alarm on the ECS service's CPUUtilization metric
The alarm triggers scaling actions.
- C
Create a target tracking scaling policy for the ECS service
Target tracking maintains CPU at a set target.
- D
Enable auto scaling on the ECS cluster
Why wrong: Cluster auto scaling is separate from service scaling.
- E
Create an Application Auto Scaling step scaling policy
Why wrong: Target tracking is simpler and recommended.
Question 1,091 of 1,616
ECS Fargate Auto Scaling with CPU Utilization
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 deploying a microservice using Amazon ECS with Fargate. The service needs to scale based on CPU utilization. Which combination of actions is required? (Select TWO)
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
✓
Create a CloudWatch alarm on the ECS service's CPUUtilization metric
Option B is correct because a CloudWatch alarm on the ECS service's CPUUtilization metric is required to trigger scaling actions when CPU usage crosses a threshold. Option C is correct because a target tracking scaling policy simplifies auto scaling by automatically adjusting the desired count to maintain a target CPU utilization value, which is the recommended approach for ECS services with Fargate.
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.
- ✗
Configure an ELB target group health check
Why it's wrong here
Health checks are for routing, not scaling.
- ✓
Create a CloudWatch alarm on the ECS service's CPUUtilization metric
Why this is correct
The alarm triggers scaling actions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Create a target tracking scaling policy for the ECS service
Why this is correct
Target tracking maintains CPU at a set target.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable auto scaling on the ECS cluster
Why it's wrong here
Cluster auto scaling is separate from service scaling.
- ✗
Create an Application Auto Scaling step scaling policy
Why it's wrong here
Target tracking is simpler and recommended.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse cluster-level auto scaling with service-level auto scaling, or they mistakenly think a load balancer health check is required for scaling decisions, when in fact the CloudWatch alarm and target tracking policy are the correct components for CPU-based scaling.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When using ECS with Fargate, the CPUUtilization metric is emitted by the ECS service itself and is aggregated across all tasks in the service. A target tracking scaling policy works by creating two CloudWatch alarms (one for scale-out, one for scale-in) and automatically adjusting the desired count to keep the metric near the target value, which avoids the need to manually define step adjustments. This approach is ideal for steady-state workloads where you want to maintain a consistent CPU utilization level, such as 50%.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a CloudWatch alarm on the ECS service's CPUUtilization metric — Option B is correct because a CloudWatch alarm on the ECS service's CPUUtilization metric is required to trigger scaling actions when CPU usage crosses a threshold. Option C is correct because a target tracking scaling policy simplifies auto scaling by automatically adjusting the desired count to maintain a target CPU utilization value, which is the recommended approach for ECS services with Fargate.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This DVA-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 DVA-C02 exam.
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