The answer is to install and configure the Amazon CloudWatch agent on the EC2 instance, and also use the AWS CLI `put-metric-data` command. These two steps are correct because the CloudWatch agent is the recommended, in-guest method for collecting OS-level or application-level data like active connection counts from netstat, while the `put-metric-data` command provides a direct, programmatic way to publish custom metrics to CloudWatch when you need to send data from a script or application. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the distinction between AWS-managed metrics and custom metrics that require explicit publishing from within the instance. A common trap is assuming that enabling detailed monitoring or using the EC2 console alone will capture application-level data like connection counts—it will not, as those only cover hypervisor-level metrics. Remember the memory tip: "Agent for in-guest, CLI for custom push"—if you need to see inside the OS, use the agent; if you have a script, use put-metric-data.
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 needs to create a custom metric to track the number of active connections to an EC2 instance. Which steps should be taken? (Select TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use the AWS CLI to call put-metric-data and publish the custom metric.
Option B is correct because the AWS CLI `put-metric-data` command allows you to publish custom metrics directly to CloudWatch, which is the standard method for sending application-level or OS-level metrics that are not automatically provided by AWS. Option E is correct because the Amazon CloudWatch agent can collect custom metrics from the EC2 instance (e.g., active connection counts from netstat or a script) and publish them to CloudWatch, making it the recommended approach for in-guest metric collection.
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.
✗
Enable detailed monitoring on the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
Detailed monitoring only increases frequency of default metrics.
✓
Use the AWS CLI to call put-metric-data and publish the custom metric.
Why this is correct
You can publish custom metrics using the CLI.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Store the metric data in an S3 bucket and configure CloudWatch to read from it.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch does not read from S3.
✗
Use the EC2 console to enable custom metric collection.
Why it's wrong here
There is no such option.
✓
Install and configure the Amazon CloudWatch agent on the EC2 instance.
Why this is correct
The agent can collect and publish custom metrics.
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 often confuse 'detailed monitoring' (which only increases frequency of existing metrics) with the ability to create new custom metrics, leading them to select Option A incorrectly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The CloudWatch agent uses the `proc/net/tcp` or `ss` command output to track active connections, and it publishes these as a custom metric under the `CWAgent` namespace. The `put-metric-data` CLI call accepts a `--metric-data` parameter with the metric name, value, unit, and timestamp, and it supports up to 150 KB per request. In a real-world scenario, you might combine the agent with a script that parses `netstat -an | grep ESTABLISHED | wc -l` and sends the count every minute to CloudWatch for auto-scaling decisions.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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: Use the AWS CLI to call put-metric-data and publish the custom metric. — Option B is correct because the AWS CLI `put-metric-data` command allows you to publish custom metrics directly to CloudWatch, which is the standard method for sending application-level or OS-level metrics that are not automatically provided by AWS. Option E is correct because the Amazon CloudWatch agent can collect custom metrics from the EC2 instance (e.g., active connection counts from netstat or a script) and publish them to CloudWatch, making it the recommended approach for in-guest metric collection.
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.
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Question Discussion
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