SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
Network Topology
A solutions architect is troubleshooting an EC2 instance that is not sending metrics to CloudWatch. The instance is running and has internet connectivity. Based on the exhibit, what is the MOST likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume missing IAM permissions or network restrictions are the root cause, overlooking that the CloudWatch agent must be explicitly installed and running to publish custom metrics beyond the default EC2 metrics.
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
✓
The CloudWatch agent is not installed or running on the instance.
The exhibit shows an EC2 instance that is running and has internet connectivity, but metrics are not being sent to CloudWatch. For custom metrics (such as memory or disk utilization) to be published, the CloudWatch agent must be installed and running on the instance. Without the agent, the instance cannot collect and send operating-system-level metrics, even if network connectivity and IAM permissions are correctly configured.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The instance does not have an IAM role that allows sending metrics to CloudWatch.
Why it's wrong here
While an IAM role is needed, the exhibit does not show IAM information; this is a possible cause but not the most likely given the monitoring state.
- ✗
The instance's security group is blocking outbound traffic to CloudWatch endpoints.
Why it's wrong here
The instance has internet connectivity, so security group is likely not the issue.
- ✗
The instance is in the wrong AWS region for CloudWatch.
Why it's wrong here
The region is not shown, but CloudWatch is region-specific; however, the instance would still send metrics to its own region.
- ✓
The CloudWatch agent is not installed or running on the instance.
Why this is correct
The monitoring state is 'disabled', indicating detailed monitoring is off, but even with basic monitoring, the CloudWatch agent is needed for system-level metrics.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SAP-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 SAP-C02 exam.