Quick Answer
The answer is CPUUtilization, along with NetworkIn and StatusCheckFailed, though CPUUtilization is the most direct indicator of a web server bottleneck. When an EC2 instance’s CPU is consistently high, it means the processor is saturated, unable to keep up with incoming HTTP requests, which directly degrades response times and throughput. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between infrastructure-level metrics and application-level symptoms—CPUUtilization reveals compute pressure, while NetworkIn can show traffic spikes and StatusCheckFailed flags instance health issues. A common trap is choosing MemoryUtilization, but CloudWatch does not track memory by default; you must install the CloudWatch Agent. For the exam, remember the three pillars of EC2 bottleneck diagnosis: CPU, network, and status checks—think “CNS” for CPU, Network, Status.
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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.
Which THREE metrics from Amazon CloudWatch are most useful for diagnosing an application performance bottleneck on an EC2 instance running a web server? (Choose 3.)
CPUUtilization
High CPU can indicate a bottleneck.
NetworkIn
High network traffic can saturate the instance.
DiskReadOps
Why wrong: More relevant for database or storage workloads.
MemoryUtilization
Why wrong: Not available by default; requires CloudWatch Agent.
StatusCheckFailed
Indicates if the instance is impaired.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
CPUUtilization
CPUUtilization (A) is correct because high CPU usage directly indicates that the CPU is a bottleneck, limiting the web server's ability to process incoming requests. For a web server, sustained CPU saturation often correlates with poor response times and reduced throughput, making it a primary metric for performance diagnosis.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
CPUUtilization
Why this is correct
High CPU can indicate a bottleneck.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
NetworkIn
Why this is correct
High network traffic can saturate the instance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
DiskReadOps
Why it's wrong here
More relevant for database or storage workloads.
MemoryUtilization
Why it's wrong here
Not available by default; requires CloudWatch Agent.
StatusCheckFailed
Why this is correct
Indicates if the instance is impaired.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume MemoryUtilization is a default CloudWatch metric, but it is not; it requires the CloudWatch agent, and the question asks for the most useful metrics from CloudWatch, implying default available metrics.
Detailed technical explanation
CloudWatch aggregates CPUUtilization at the hypervisor level, reflecting the EC2 instance's actual CPU usage, which is critical for identifying CPU-bound web servers. NetworkIn measures inbound traffic volume, which can reveal if the network interface is saturated, causing packet loss or latency. StatusCheckFailed combines instance status (OS-level) and system status (hardware-level) checks, providing a holistic view of underlying issues that could cause performance degradation, such as failed hardware or OS hangs.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
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FAQ
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — This question tests Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: CPUUtilization — CPUUtilization (A) is correct because high CPU usage directly indicates that the CPU is a bottleneck, limiting the web server's ability to process incoming requests. For a web server, sustained CPU saturation often correlates with poor response times and reduced throughput, making it a primary metric for performance diagnosis.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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