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Incident and Event Response →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

DOP-C02 Target Tracking Scaling Policy Practice Question

This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of incident and event response. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: target Tracking Scaling Policy. 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 production environment that uses Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling. The engineer notices that the Auto Scaling group has been launching and terminating instances frequently over the past hour. The group uses a dynamic scaling policy based on average CPU utilization. The CloudWatch alarm that triggers scaling is set to a threshold of 70% CPU for scale-out and 30% for scale-in. The engineer checks the CloudWatch metrics and sees that CPU utilization is oscillating between 40% and 60%, never reaching the thresholds. The engineer suspects that the scaling policy is not working correctly. The engineer is considering the following actions: A) Change the scaling policy to use a target tracking policy with a target value of 50% CPU utilization. B) Increase the cooldown period for the scaling policy to 300 seconds. C) Disable the scale-in policy to prevent frequent terminations. D) Use a simple scaling policy instead of a dynamic scaling policy. Which action should the engineer take?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

  • Clue: "never"

    Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.

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

✓

Change the scaling policy to use a target tracking policy with a target value of 50% CPU utilization.

Option B is correct because a target tracking policy automatically adjusts the desired capacity to maintain a target utilization (e.g., 50%), which smooths out oscillations by continuously adapting to load rather than reacting to fixed thresholds. Option A is wrong because disabling scale-in could lead to over-provisioning and increased costs. Option C is wrong because simple scaling policies are more prone to causing oscillations due to step adjustments with cooldowns. Option D is wrong because increasing the cooldown period only delays scaling actions and does not address the root cause of oscillations; target tracking is more effective.

Key principle: Target Tracking Scaling Policy

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    Disable the scale-in policy to prevent frequent terminations.

    Why it's wrong here

    Disabling the scale-in policy prevents termination but does not address oscillations and can lead to over-provisioning.

  • ✓

    Change the scaling policy to use a target tracking policy with a target value of 50% CPU utilization.

    Why this is correct

    Target tracking policy maintains a target CPU utilization, continuously adjusting capacity, which stabilizes the metric and prevents oscillations.

    Clue confirmation

    The clue word "never" in the question point toward this answer.

    Related concept

    Target Tracking Scaling Policy

  • ✗

    Use a simple scaling policy instead of a dynamic scaling policy.

    Why it's wrong here

    Simple scaling policy uses step adjustments and cooldowns, which often exacerbate oscillations rather than reducing them.

  • ✗

    Increase the cooldown period for the scaling policy to 300 seconds.

    Why it's wrong here

    Increasing cooldown delays scaling actions but does not fix the underlying issue of inappropriate scaling thresholds; target tracking is a better solution.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Target Tracking Scaling Policy
  • Simple Scaling Policy

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

Target Tracking Scaling Policy

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 target Tracking Scaling Policy, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this DOP-C02 question test?

Incident and Event Response — This question tests Incident and Event Response — Target Tracking Scaling Policy.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Change the scaling policy to use a target tracking policy with a target value of 50% CPU utilization. — Option B is correct because a target tracking policy automatically adjusts the desired capacity to maintain a target utilization (e.g., 50%), which smooths out oscillations by continuously adapting to load rather than reacting to fixed thresholds. Option A is wrong because disabling scale-in could lead to over-provisioning and increased costs. Option C is wrong because simple scaling policies are more prone to causing oscillations due to step adjustments with cooldowns. Option D is wrong because increasing the cooldown period only delays scaling actions and does not address the root cause of oscillations; target tracking is more effective.

What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?

Review target Tracking Scaling Policy, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "never". Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Target Tracking Scaling Policy

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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026

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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.