The answer is to set resource quotas per namespace and implement the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA). Resource quotas cap the total CPU and memory a namespace can consume, preventing a single team or service from starving others and directly addressing pod evictions due to resource constraints in EKS. The HPA automatically scales pod replicas based on real-time metrics like CPU utilization, ensuring demand is met without overcommitting node resources. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between pod-level scaling (HPA) and node-level scaling (Cluster Autoscaler), a common trap where candidates confuse adding nodes with fixing pod-level resource pressure. Remember that resource quotas act as a hard limit, while HPA provides dynamic elasticity—think “quotas cap, HPA adapts.” A useful memory tip: for pod evictions, focus on controlling consumption (quotas) and scaling out (HPA), not on resizing pods (VPA) or adding nodes (Cluster Autoscaler).
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. 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 company runs a containerized microservices application on Amazon EKS. The operations team notices that some pods are frequently being evicted due to resource constraints. The team wants to improve resource utilization and reduce evictions. Which TWO actions should the team take? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure Horizontal Pod Autoscaler based on CPU and memory utilization.
Options A and C are correct. Resource quotas prevent a single namespace from consuming all resources. Horizontal Pod Autoscaler automatically scales pods based on resource usage. Option B is wrong because Vertical Pod Autoscaler adjusts resource requests, but can cause pod restarts. Option D is wrong because cluster autoscaler adds nodes, not reduces evictions due to pod-level constraints. Option E is wrong because increasing requests may lead to 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.
✓
Configure Horizontal Pod Autoscaler based on CPU and memory utilization.
Why this is correct
Scales pods to handle load.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the resource requests for all pods to ensure they have enough resources.
Why it's wrong here
May waste resources.
✓
Set resource quotas per namespace to limit resource consumption.
Why this is correct
Prevents one namespace from starving others.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable Cluster Autoscaler to add more worker nodes.
Why it's wrong here
Does not address pod-level evictions.
✗
Use Vertical Pod Autoscaler to automatically adjust pod resource requests.
Why it's wrong here
Can cause pod restarts, not ideal.
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
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure Horizontal Pod Autoscaler based on CPU and memory utilization. — Options A and C are correct. Resource quotas prevent a single namespace from consuming all resources. Horizontal Pod Autoscaler automatically scales pods based on resource usage. Option B is wrong because Vertical Pod Autoscaler adjusts resource requests, but can cause pod restarts. Option D is wrong because cluster autoscaler adds nodes, not reduces evictions due to pod-level constraints. Option E is wrong because increasing requests may lead to over-provisioning.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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