Quick Answer
The answer is to enable AWS X-Ray tracing on the ECS tasks to trace requests across microservices. This is correct because intermittent latency spikes in a Fargate environment often stem from bottlenecks in distributed service calls rather than from a single resource constraint; X-Ray provides end-to-end visibility by capturing traces as requests travel between containers, allowing you to pinpoint exactly which service or downstream dependency is causing the delay. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between monitoring tools—CloudWatch Logs Insights is for querying structured logs, not for tracing request paths, and CloudWatch Synthetics only checks endpoint availability, not internal service latency. A common trap is to jump to scaling up task size, but that masks the symptom without identifying the root cause. Memory tip: think “X-Ray sees the path, CloudWatch sees the stats”—when latency spikes are intermittent and cross-service, always trace the request flow first.
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. 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 is using Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type for a microservices application. The application experiences intermittent latency spikes. CloudWatch metrics show high CPU utilization but no obvious pattern. What should the company do to identify the cause?
Increase the CPU and memory for all ECS tasks.
Why wrong: Doesn't identify cause.
Enable AWS X-Ray tracing on the ECS tasks to trace requests across microservices.
Identifies latency sources.
Set up CloudWatch Synthetics canaries to monitor the endpoints.
Why wrong: External monitoring, not internal tracing.
Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to analyze application logs for errors.
Why wrong: Logs may not show tracing.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Enable AWS X-Ray tracing on the ECS tasks to trace requests across microservices.
Option A is correct because AWS X-Ray provides distributed tracing to pinpoint performance bottlenecks. Option B is wrong because CloudWatch Logs Insights is for querying logs, not tracing. Option C is wrong because increasing task size is a reactive fix. Option D is wrong because CloudWatch Synthetics monitors endpoints, not internal traces.
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
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Increase the CPU and memory for all ECS tasks.
Why it's wrong here
Doesn't identify cause.
Enable AWS X-Ray tracing on the ECS tasks to trace requests across microservices.
Why this is correct
Identifies latency sources.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Set up CloudWatch Synthetics canaries to monitor the endpoints.
Why it's wrong here
External monitoring, not internal tracing.
Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to analyze application logs for errors.
Why it's wrong here
Logs may not show tracing.
Common exam traps
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Logs may not show tracing.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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
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
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 SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: Enable AWS X-Ray tracing on the ECS tasks to trace requests across microservices. — Option A is correct because AWS X-Ray provides distributed tracing to pinpoint performance bottlenecks. Option B is wrong because CloudWatch Logs Insights is for querying logs, not tracing. Option C is wrong because increasing task size is a reactive fix. Option D is wrong because CloudWatch Synthetics monitors endpoints, not internal traces.
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 SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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