The answer is to install the CloudWatch agent on the EKS cluster using a DaemonSet. This is correct because the CloudWatch agent, when deployed as a DaemonSet, runs on every node in the cluster and can be configured to collect custom application metrics from your pods, then emit them to CloudWatch using the PutMetricData API, which is the exact mechanism required for storing custom metrics in CloudWatch for dashboard visualization. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of agent-based metric collection in containerized environments, often contrasting it with the CloudWatch Container Insights agent or a sidecar pattern—a common trap is choosing a sidecar for every pod instead of a DaemonSet, which is more efficient for node-level metric aggregation. Remember the memory tip: "DaemonSet for data collection, sidecar for service injection."
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 needs to set up a monitoring solution for an application running on Amazon EKS. The application emits custom metrics that need to be stored in Amazon CloudWatch and visualized on a dashboard. Which THREE steps should the engineer take? (Choose THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure the CloudWatch agent to emit custom metrics to CloudWatch.
Option A is correct because the CloudWatch agent can be configured to emit custom application metrics to Amazon CloudWatch, which is the required destination for storing the metrics. The agent uses the CloudWatch PutMetricData API to send these metrics, enabling centralized monitoring and alerting within CloudWatch.
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 the CloudWatch agent to emit custom metrics to CloudWatch.
Why this is correct
The agent must be configured to send custom metrics.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to analyze the custom metrics.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs Insights is for log data, not metrics.
✓
Create a CloudWatch dashboard to visualize the collected metrics.
Why this is correct
CloudWatch dashboards display metrics.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Install the CloudWatch agent on the EKS cluster using a DaemonSet.
Why this is correct
The CloudWatch agent collects metrics from the cluster.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Amazon Managed Service for Prometheus to scrape the metrics.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, it is not directly integrated with CloudWatch dashboards.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse CloudWatch Logs Insights (for logs) with CloudWatch Metrics (for numeric data), or assume Amazon Managed Service for Prometheus is a direct replacement for CloudWatch metrics, when the question specifically requires storing custom metrics in CloudWatch.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The CloudWatch agent on EKS is typically deployed as a DaemonSet to ensure one agent runs on each node, collecting both infrastructure and custom metrics via the StatsD or collectd protocol. Custom metrics are emitted by the application to the agent's local endpoint (e.g., TCP/UDP port 8125 for StatsD), and the agent batches and sends them to CloudWatch using the PutMetricData API, which has a maximum of 20 metrics per request and a 150 KB payload limit. This approach avoids the need for a separate metrics store and leverages CloudWatch's built-in dashboard and alarm capabilities.
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.
Monitoring and Logging — This question tests Monitoring and Logging — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the CloudWatch agent to emit custom metrics to CloudWatch. — Option A is correct because the CloudWatch agent can be configured to emit custom application metrics to Amazon CloudWatch, which is the required destination for storing the metrics. The agent uses the CloudWatch PutMetricData API to send these metrics, enabling centralized monitoring and alerting within CloudWatch.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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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