The answer is an Evaluation Periods setting of 3 and a Datapoints to Alarm setting of 3, with a Period of 5 minutes. This configuration is correct because CloudWatch uses the Evaluation Periods parameter to define the total number of recent data points to examine, while Datapoints to Alarm specifies how many of those points must be in a breach state to trigger the alarm. By setting both to 3, you enforce that the alarm fires only when three consecutive 5-minute data points exceed the threshold, matching the requirement exactly. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the distinction between consecutive and non-consecutive breach detection, a common trap where candidates confuse Evaluation Periods with Datapoints to Alarm. A frequent mistake is selecting 3 out of 5 periods, which allows non-consecutive breaches. Remember the memory tip: “Three for three” — when you need consecutive periods, both the evaluation count and the datapoint count must be the same number.
DOP-C02 Incident and Event Response Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of incident and event response. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 team is configuring CloudWatch alarms for their production environment. They want to receive notifications when the CPUUtilization metric of an EC2 instance exceeds 90% for three consecutive 5-minute periods. Which combination of settings should they use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Period: 5 minutes; Evaluation periods: 3; Datapoints to alarm: 3
Option A is correct because the evaluation period must be set to 3, and the datapoints to alarm must be 3 to require three consecutive periods. Option B is wrong because datapoints to alarm set to 1 would trigger on any single high reading. Option C is wrong because evaluation period 1 with datapoints 3 is impossible. Option D is wrong because evaluation period 5 with datapoints 3 would require 3 out of 5, not necessarily consecutive.
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.
✓
Period: 5 minutes; Evaluation periods: 3; Datapoints to alarm: 3
Why this is correct
This configuration ensures three consecutive 5-minute periods exceed the threshold.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Period: 5 minutes; Evaluation periods: 3; Datapoints to alarm: 1
Why it's wrong here
This would alarm on any single period.
✗
Period: 5 minutes; Evaluation periods: 1; Datapoints to alarm: 3
Why it's wrong here
Cannot have datapoints to alarm greater than evaluation periods.
✗
Period: 5 minutes; Evaluation periods: 5; Datapoints to alarm: 3
Why it's wrong here
This would alarm on 3 out of 5 periods, not necessarily consecutive.
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 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. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. 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.
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.
Incident and Event Response — This question tests Incident and Event Response — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Period: 5 minutes; Evaluation periods: 3; Datapoints to alarm: 3 — Option A is correct because the evaluation period must be set to 3, and the datapoints to alarm must be 3 to require three consecutive periods. Option B is wrong because datapoints to alarm set to 1 would trigger on any single high reading. Option C is wrong because evaluation period 1 with datapoints 3 is impossible. Option D is wrong because evaluation period 5 with datapoints 3 would require 3 out of 5, not necessarily consecutive.
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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Question Discussion
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