The answer is to enable access logs on the load balancer, install the CloudWatch agent for disk metrics, and review web server error logs. These three steps are correct because when an EC2 web server becomes unresponsive under high load, the root cause is often hidden in patterns that default metrics miss—such as a sudden spike in requests logged by the load balancer, or disk space exhaustion from log files filling the root partition, which the CloudWatch agent can track by collecting custom disk metrics. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to move beyond basic CPUUtilization alarms and correlate application-layer data with infrastructure metrics; a common trap is assuming high CPU alone explains unresponsiveness, when in fact disk I/O or full storage can throttle the server. Remember the memory tip: “Logs, Disk, and Agent” – the three pillars to diagnose a choked web server under load.
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 SysOps administrator is troubleshooting an issue where an EC2 instance running a web server is becoming unresponsive under high load. The administrator has enabled detailed monitoring and set up CPUUtilization alarms. Which THREE additional steps could help diagnose the root cause? (Choose THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Install the CloudWatch agent and collect disk space metrics.
Option A is correct because under high load, the web server could become unresponsive due to disk space exhaustion (e.g., from log files filling the root partition). The CloudWatch agent can collect disk space metrics, which are not available by default, allowing the administrator to correlate disk usage with performance degradation.
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.
✓
Install the CloudWatch agent and collect disk space metrics.
Why this is correct
Disk full can cause failures.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Place the instance behind an Auto Scaling group.
Why it's wrong here
This is a scaling solution, not a diagnostic step.
✓
Install the CloudWatch agent and collect memory metrics.
Why this is correct
Memory pressure can cause unresponsiveness.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the instance size to handle more load.
Why it's wrong here
This is a remediation, not diagnostic.
✓
Enable access logs on the load balancer to analyze request patterns.
Why this is correct
Access logs can reveal high traffic patterns.
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 confuse reactive scaling actions (like resizing the instance or adding Auto Scaling) with diagnostic steps, failing to recognize that the question asks for steps to diagnose the root cause, not to mitigate the symptom.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The CloudWatch agent uses the procstat and disk plugins to collect memory and disk metrics from the OS, which are not included in EC2 detailed monitoring. Memory metrics are critical because the Linux kernel can start swapping or trigger the OOM killer when memory is exhausted, causing the web server to become unresponsive even if CPU utilization remains moderate. Enabling load balancer access logs provides request-level data (e.g., HTTP 5xx rates, latency) that can pinpoint whether the issue is application-level or infrastructure-level.
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
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — This question tests Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Install the CloudWatch agent and collect disk space metrics. — Option A is correct because under high load, the web server could become unresponsive due to disk space exhaustion (e.g., from log files filling the root partition). The CloudWatch agent can collect disk space metrics, which are not available by default, allowing the administrator to correlate disk usage with performance degradation.
What should I do if I get this SOA-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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.