- A
Use a larger Fargate task size to handle the spikes
Why wrong: Larger tasks may still be overwhelmed by concurrent requests.
- B
Increase the CPU and memory limits for the ECS task definition
Why wrong: This may not resolve spikes if the application needs more instances.
- C
Set up a scheduled scaling action to add tasks during peak hours
Why wrong: Scheduled scaling is not responsive to unpredictable spikes.
- D
Configure target tracking scaling policies for the ECS service using CPU or memory utilization
This dynamically scales tasks based on actual utilization.
Question 198 of 1,750
ECS Fargate Target Tracking Scaling Policy
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of incident and event response. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 company runs a containerized application on Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type. The application experiences periodic spikes in response times. The CloudWatch metrics show high CPU and memory usage for the tasks during these spikes. What is the MOST effective approach to handle these spikes?
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
✓
Configure target tracking scaling policies for the ECS service using CPU or memory utilization
Target tracking scaling policies for Amazon ECS services using CPU or memory utilization are the most effective approach because they dynamically adjust the number of tasks in response to real-time demand, automatically adding capacity during spikes and removing it when load subsides. This aligns with the AWS Well-Architected Framework's principle of elasticity, ensuring the application scales out precisely when high CPU/memory usage is detected, without manual intervention or over-provisioning.
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.
- ✗
Use a larger Fargate task size to handle the spikes
Why it's wrong here
Larger tasks may still be overwhelmed by concurrent requests.
- ✗
Increase the CPU and memory limits for the ECS task definition
Why it's wrong here
This may not resolve spikes if the application needs more instances.
- ✗
Set up a scheduled scaling action to add tasks during peak hours
Why it's wrong here
Scheduled scaling is not responsive to unpredictable spikes.
- ✓
Configure target tracking scaling policies for the ECS service using CPU or memory utilization
Why this is correct
This dynamically scales tasks based on actual utilization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse increasing task-level resources (CPU/memory limits) with horizontal scaling, or assume scheduled scaling is sufficient, failing to recognize that unpredictable spikes require reactive, metric-based auto scaling.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Target tracking scaling policies in Amazon ECS use CloudWatch alarms to maintain a target value for a specified metric (e.g., average CPU utilization at 70%). Under the hood, the Application Auto Scaling service continuously monitors the metric and calculates the number of tasks needed to keep the metric near the target, using a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm to avoid oscillations. In a real-world scenario, this ensures that during a flash sale or sudden traffic burst, the ECS service scales out within minutes, while scheduled scaling would fail if the spike occurs outside the scheduled window.
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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Incident and Event Response — study guide chapter
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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure target tracking scaling policies for the ECS service using CPU or memory utilization — Target tracking scaling policies for Amazon ECS services using CPU or memory utilization are the most effective approach because they dynamically adjust the number of tasks in response to real-time demand, automatically adding capacity during spikes and removing it when load subsides. This aligns with the AWS Well-Architected Framework's principle of elasticity, ensuring the application scales out precisely when high CPU/memory usage is detected, without manual intervention or over-provisioning.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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