- A
Deploy the CloudWatch agent as a Daemon service on the ECS cluster to collect logs from all tasks and forward them to CloudWatch Logs.
The CloudWatch agent can collect logs from all tasks with minimal overhead and send them to CloudWatch Logs for search and retention.
- B
Use the FireLens log driver in the ECS task definition to send logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs.
Why wrong: FireLens is a good option, but not all tasks may have it configured; the question asks for minimal overhead and central collection without specifying changes to each service.
- C
Configure the ECS tasks to write logs to Amazon S3 and use Amazon Athena to query the logs.
Why wrong: S3 is not designed for low-latency searching; Athena adds query overhead and latency.
- D
Add a sidecar container to each ECS task that streams logs to Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose, which delivers to Amazon OpenSearch Service.
Why wrong: Adding sidecars increases resource usage and cost; Kinesis Firehose adds latency.
Quick Answer
The answer is to deploy the CloudWatch agent as a Daemon service on the ECS cluster for Fargate log collection. This is correct because the CloudWatch agent, when run as a Daemon, automatically discovers and collects logs from all running tasks on each Fargate instance without requiring individual sidecar containers, forwarding them to CloudWatch Logs with near real-time searchability and configurable retention policies up to 90 days. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of minimizing operational overhead while meeting centralized log analysis requirements; a common trap is choosing FireLens or a per-task sidecar, which add complexity and cost, or S3, which lacks native searchability. Remember the memory tip: "Daemon does it all" — a single Daemon service handles log collection across the cluster, avoiding the overhead of sidecars for every task.
DOP-C02 Monitoring and Logging Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and logging. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 DevOps engineer is responsible for monitoring a set of microservices running on Amazon ECS with Fargate. The services are fronted by an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The engineer needs to collect and analyze application logs centrally with minimal latency and operational overhead. The logs should be searchable and retainable for 90 days. Which solution meets these requirements?
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
Deploy the CloudWatch agent as a Daemon service on the ECS cluster to collect logs from all tasks and forward them to CloudWatch Logs.
Option C is correct because the CloudWatch agent can collect logs from ECS tasks and send them to CloudWatch Logs, which provides near real-time search and configurable retention. Option A is wrong because S3 is not searchable natively and would require additional services like Athena. Option B is wrong because FireLens is a log router, but not all containers have it configured; also, it adds overhead. Option D is wrong because putting a sidecar for every task increases cost and complexity, and Kinesis Data Firehose adds latency.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Deploy the CloudWatch agent as a Daemon service on the ECS cluster to collect logs from all tasks and forward them to CloudWatch Logs.
Why this is correct
The CloudWatch agent can collect logs from all tasks with minimal overhead and send them to CloudWatch Logs for search and retention.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Use the FireLens log driver in the ECS task definition to send logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs.
Why it's wrong here
FireLens is a good option, but not all tasks may have it configured; the question asks for minimal overhead and central collection without specifying changes to each service.
- ✗
Configure the ECS tasks to write logs to Amazon S3 and use Amazon Athena to query the logs.
Why it's wrong here
S3 is not designed for low-latency searching; Athena adds query overhead and latency.
- ✗
Add a sidecar container to each ECS task that streams logs to Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose, which delivers to Amazon OpenSearch Service.
Why it's wrong here
Adding sidecars increases resource usage and cost; Kinesis Firehose adds latency.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Monitoring and Logging — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Monitoring and Logging — This question tests Monitoring and Logging — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy the CloudWatch agent as a Daemon service on the ECS cluster to collect logs from all tasks and forward them to CloudWatch Logs. — Option C is correct because the CloudWatch agent can collect logs from ECS tasks and send them to CloudWatch Logs, which provides near real-time search and configurable retention. Option A is wrong because S3 is not searchable natively and would require additional services like Athena. Option B is wrong because FireLens is a log router, but not all containers have it configured; also, it adds overhead. Option D is wrong because putting a sidecar for every task increases cost and complexity, and Kinesis Data Firehose adds latency.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This DOP-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 DOP-C02 exam.
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