SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
A company has a web application running on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group. The application experiences unpredictable traffic spikes. The company wants to ensure that the application can scale out quickly and scale in to reduce costs. Which TWO actions should the solutions architect recommend?
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
✓
Create a target tracking scaling policy based on Average CPU Utilization.
Options C and D are correct. A target tracking scaling policy (C) automatically adjusts capacity based on a specified metric like CPU utilization, providing dynamic scaling for unpredictable spikes. A simple scaling policy with a step adjustment (D) allows you to define specific thresholds (e.g., CPU > 80%) to add instances quickly. Option A is wrong because a lifecycle hook delays termination during scale-in, which would increase costs by keeping instances running longer. Option B is wrong because manually adjusting capacity is not automated and does not respond quickly to spikes. Option E is wrong because scheduled scaling is for predictable patterns, not unpredictable traffic spikes.
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 a lifecycle hook to delay instance termination during scale-in.
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle hooks delay scale-in, increasing cost, not improving scalability.
- ✗
Manually increase the desired capacity during peak times.
Why it's wrong here
Manual intervention is not automated and may be too slow.
- ✓
Create a target tracking scaling policy based on Average CPU Utilization.
Why this is correct
Target tracking dynamically adjusts capacity to maintain a target metric.
- ✓
Create a simple scaling policy with a step adjustment to add instances when CPU exceeds 80%.
Why this is correct
Step scaling allows rapid scale-out based on breach thresholds.
- ✗
Use a scheduled scaling policy to add instances during expected peak hours.
Why it's wrong here
Scheduled scaling is for predictable traffic, not unpredictable spikes.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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