AWS CSA Sample Test Questions
Designing Secure Architectures: 10 MCQ with Answers and Explanations
This practice quiz focuses on core security practices for designing secure architectures on AWS.
1. Which of the following is the MOST IMPORTANT principle for securing access to AWS resources?
- A. Implementing complex password policies
- B. Granting users root access for administrative tasks
- C. Applying the principle of least privilege (LP)
- D. Utilizing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users
Answer: C. Applying the principle of least privilege (LP)
Explanation: The principle of least privilege (LP) is the foundation of secure access control. It dictates granting users only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their job functions. This minimizes the potential damage if a user's credentials are compromised.
2. Which AWS service provides centralized management of encryption keys for various AWS services?
- A. Amazon EC2
- B. Amazon S3
- C. Amazon KMS (Key Management Service)
- D. Amazon CloudWatch
Answer: C. Amazon KMS (Key Management Service)
Explanation: Amazon KMS allows you to create and manage encryption keys centrally for use with various AWS services. This ensures consistent encryption practices and simplifies key management.
3. You are designing a web application on AWS. Which of the following security measures is MOST EFFECTIVE in protecting against common web attacks like SQL injection and XSS?
- A. Implementing strong password policies for user accounts
- B. Utilizing IAM roles for programmatic access
- C. Encrypting data at rest in S3 buckets
- D. Deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Answer: D. Deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Explanation: A Web Application Firewall (WAF) inspects incoming web traffic and filters out malicious requests that could exploit vulnerabilities in your web application. WAF is specifically designed to protect against common web attacks like SQL injection and XSS.
4. You are building a scalable application architecture on AWS. Which of the following is the BEST approach to ensure high availability of your application?
- A. Deploying your application on a single large EC2 instance
- B. Utilizing serverless services like AWS Lambda
- C. Implementing redundancy across all tiers of your architecture
- D. Utilizing cost-optimized storage for infrequently accessed data
Answer: C. Implementing redundancy across all tiers of your architecture
Explanation: High availability ensures your application remains accessible even if a single component fails. This requires redundancy across all tiers (compute, storage, network) . For example, deploying your application on multiple EC2 instances or utilizing load balancers to distribute traffic can achieve redundancy in the compute tier.
5. Which of the following is the BEST practice for managing security groups in your VPC?
- A. Assigning all security groups to all resources within your VPC
- B. Granting full inbound and outbound traffic for all security groups
- C. Applying the principle of least privilege by defining granular access rules
- D. Leaving security groups open for maximum flexibility
Answer: C. Applying the principle of least privilege by defining granular access rules
Explanation: Security groups act as firewalls, controlling inbound and outbound traffic to your resources. Following the principle of least privilege, you should define granular rules in your security groups to allow only the specific traffic required by your application. This minimizes the attack surface and improves security.
6. Which of the following AWS services is BEST suited for storing frequently accessed application data that requires high availability?
- A. Amazon S3
- B. Amazon EBS
- C. Amazon DynamoDB
- D. Amazon Glacier
Answer: B. Amazon EBS
Explanation: Amazon EBS provides block-level storage for attaching persistent disks to EC2 instances. It is ideal for frequently accessed application data as it offers high performance and availability compared to object storage options like S3.
7. When designing a disaster recovery (DR) plan for your AWS deployments, which of the following is the MOST valuable strategy?
- A. Implementing complex backups with long retention periods
- B. Replicating critical data and resources to different AWS regions
- C. Utilizing spot instances for cost-effective disaster recovery
- D. Reinstalling your application from scratch in case of a disaster
Answer: B. Replicating critical data and resources to different AWS regions
Explanation: Disaster recovery involves recovering from unforeseen outages or disasters. Replicating critical data and resources to a different AWS region ensures business continuity even if a major outage affects your primary region.
8.. You are designing a cost-effective security strategy for your AWS environment. Which of the following approaches is MOST effective in optimizing security costs?
- A. Implementing the highest security settings for all AWS services, regardless of need
- B. Utilizing a single, complex security group rule for all resources in your VPC
- C. Right-sizing IAM policies to grant users only the necessary permissions
- D. Enabling MFA for all users but allowing long expiration times for increased convenience
Answer: C. Right-sizing IAM policies to grant users only the necessary permissions
Explanation: Cost optimization in security involves finding the right balance between security and cost. Option A is overkill and can be expensive. Complex security groups (B) are difficult to manage and may not be necessary. While MFA is important (D), short expiration times enhance security without significantly impacting convenience. Right-sizing IAM policies (C) ensures users have the minimum permissions needed, potentially reducing the need for additional security measures that could incur costs. This approach balances security effectiveness with cost efficiency.
9. You are building a new API for your application. Which of the following authentication methods is MOST secure for protecting access to your API?
- A. Basic authentication with username and password
- B. API key authentication with a single static key
- C. Token-based authentication with short-lived access tokens
- D. Session-based authentication with cookies
Answer: C. Token-based authentication with short-lived access tokens
Explanation: While all options can be used for API authentication, token-based authentication with short-lived access tokens offers better security. These tokens expire after a short period, reducing the window of vulnerability if compromised. Additionally, unlike basic authentication and API keys, they are not tied to user accounts, minimizing the impact of a single credential breach.
10. Which of the following is the BEST practice for securing data in transit between your on-premises environment and AWS resources?
- A. Transferring data as plain text over the public internet
- B. Utilizing SSH for secure file transfer protocols
- C. Encrypting data at rest on your on-premises servers
- D. Enabling MFA on all user accounts accessing AWS resources
Answer: B. Utilizing SSH for secure file transfer protocols
Explanation: Data in transit requires protection during transfer between locations. Secure protocols like SSH encrypt data transmission, ensuring it remains confidential even if intercepted. While data at rest encryption (option C) is important, it doesn't address security during transfer.
11. You are managing a large fleet of EC2 instances in your AWS environment. Which of the following is the MOST effective approach to ensure the instances are running the latest security patches?
- A. Manually patching each instance individually
- B. Scheduling periodic snapshots of all EC2 instances
- C. Utilizing AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager for automated patching
- D. Configuring strong passwords for all EC2 instance accounts
Answer: C. Utilizing AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager for automated patching
Explanation: Manually patching each instance (A) is inefficient and error-prone. Patching snapshots (B) doesn't address patching running instances. AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager offers a centralized and automated way to deploy security patches to your EC2 instances, improving security posture and efficiency.
Designing Resilient Architectures: 10 MCQ with Answers and Explanation
This practice quiz focuses on core principles for designing resilient architectures on AWS.
1. Your web application experiences a sudden spike in traffic. Which of the following AWS services can help you automatically scale your application to handle the increased load?
- A. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)
- B. Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service)
- C. Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service)
- D. AWS Auto Scaling
Answer: D. AWS Auto Scaling
Explanation: AWS Auto Scaling automatically scales your EC2 instances or other resources (e.g., Lambda functions) based on predefined metrics. It allows your application to handle sudden traffic spikes without manual intervention.
2. You are designing a highly available database architecture on AWS. Which of the following strategies is MOST effective in ensuring database availability?
- A. Implementing a single, large RDS instance
- B. Utilizing Amazon DynamoDB for its NoSQL flexibility
- C. Deploying your database in a single Availability Zone (AZ)
- D. Configuring an Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployment
Answer: D. Configuring an Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployment
Explanation: High availability ensures your database remains accessible even if a single component fails. An RDS Multi-AZ deployment automatically creates and maintains a replicated database instance in a different Availability Zone (AZ) within your region. If the primary instance fails, the standby instance takes over, minimizing downtime.
3. You are building a critical business application on AWS. Which of the following strategies is the BEST approach to ensure disaster recovery in case of a major outage?
- A. Implementing automated backups with daily retention
- B. Utilizing serverless services like AWS Lambda for cost savings
- C. Replicating critical data and resources to a different AWS region
- D. Utilizing spot instances for cost-effective disaster recovery
Answer: C. Replicating critical data and resources to a different AWS region
Explanation: Disaster recovery involves recovering from unforeseen outages or disasters. Replicating critical data and resources (including applications and databases) to a different AWS region ensures business continuity even if a major outage affects your primary region.
4. You are managing a fleet of EC2 instances that run stateless web servers. Which of the following strategies is MOST beneficial for improving the scalability of your application?
- A. Upgrading the hardware configuration of your existing EC2 instances
- B. Implementing complex load balancing configurations
- C. Utilizing a stateful database architecture
- D. Designing your application with a stateless architecture
Answer: D. Designing your application with a stateless architecture
Explanation: In a stateless architecture, web servers don't store application state (session data, etc.). This allows you to easily add more instances to handle increased load without worrying about maintaining state information on each individual server. Stateless applications are easier to scale horizontally.
5. Which of the following options is the BEST practice for monitoring the health and performance of your AWS resources?
- A. Manually reviewing cloud watch logs on a weekly basis
- B. Utilizing a centralized service like Amazon CloudWatch with custom dashboards
- C. Monitoring resource utilization through individual service consoles
- D. Relying on user-reported issues to identify problems
Answer: B. Utilizing a centralized service like Amazon CloudWatch with custom dashboards
Explanation: CloudWatch provides a central platform for collecting and monitoring metrics, logs, and events from various AWS resources. By creating custom dashboards, you can gain a holistic view of your application health and performance, allowing proactive identification and resolution of potential issues.
6. Which of the following contributes MOST to improving the fault tolerance of your application architecture?
- A. Implementing complex security controls for all resources
- B. Designing your application with a single point of failure
- C. Implementing redundancy across all tiers of your architecture
- D. Utilizing the latest software versions for all AWS services
Answer: C. Implementing redundancy across all tiers of your architecture
Explanation: Fault tolerance implies the ability of your application to remain operational even if a single component fails. This requires redundancy across all tiers (compute, storage, network). For example, deploying your application on multiple EC2 instances, utilizing load balancers, and replicating data across S3 buckets can all contribute to fault tolerance.
7. You are deploying a new microservices application on AWS. Which of the following is the MOST important factor to consider when designing for scalability?
- A. Implementing a complex network architecture with multiple VPCs
- B. Choosing the most powerful EC2 instance type for all microservices
- C. Designing loosely coupled microservices with well-defined APIs
- D. Utilizing a single large database to store all application data
Answer: C. Designing loosely coupled microservices with well-defined APIs
Explanation: Loose coupling means microservices are independent and communicate through APIs. This allows you to scale individual services independently based on their specific needs. Tightly coupled services (with shared resources) are more difficult to scale effectively.
8. You are designing a cost-effective architecture for a batch processing application that runs infrequently. Which of the following AWS services is the MOST suitable option?
- A. Amazon EC2 with on-demand instances
- B. Amazon RDS for a managed relational database
- C. Amazon EC2 with reserved instances (RIs)
- D. AWS Lambda for serverless execution
Answer: D. AWS Lambda for serverless execution
Explanation: On-demand EC2 instances (A) incur charges even when idle. RDS (B) may be overkill for a batch processing application. While RIs (C) can offer cost savings for predictable workloads, Lambda (D) is ideal for serverless execution. You only pay for the resources used during execution, making it cost-effective for infrequent batch jobs.
9. You are implementing a disaster recovery (DR) plan for your critical AWS deployments. Which of the following considerations is LEAST important for a robust DR strategy?
- A. Regularly testing your DR procedures to ensure effectiveness
- B. Defining clear roles and responsibilities for DR activities
- C. Utilizing cost-saving measures like spot instances for DR resources
- D. Replicating critical data and resources to a different AWS region
Answer: C. Utilizing cost-saving measures like spot instances for DR resources
Explanation: Disaster recovery focuses on rapid recovery from outages. Spot instances (A) are interruptible and can be unreliable for critical DR resources. Regular testing (A,B), clear roles (B), and data replication (D) are all crucial aspects of a robust DR strategy.
10. You notice that your application performance has degraded significantly. Which of the following actions is the MOST appropriate initial troubleshooting step?
- A. Immediately scale up all your application servers
- B. Analyze CloudWatch metrics to identify potential bottlenecks
- C. Redeploy your application with a different configuration
- D. Reboot all your EC2 instances to clear any temporary issues
Answer: B. Analyze CloudWatch metrics to identify potential bottlenecks
Explanation: Before taking corrective actions, analyzing CloudWatch metrics provides valuable insights into resource utilization, errors, and other factors impacting performance. This data-driven approach allows you to pinpoint the root cause of the issue and implement targeted solutions. Scaling up (A) may not address the root cause and could be costly. Redeploying (C) or rebooting (D) could disrupt application availability and should be considered later if necessary.
Designing High-Performing Architectures: 10 MCQ with Answers and Explanations
This practice quiz focuses on core principles for designing high-performing architectures on AWS.
1. Your application experiences high latency when retrieving data from an S3 bucket. Which of the following options can MOST improve data retrieval performance?
- A. Uploading all data to a single, large S3 object
- B. Enabling access logging for your S3 bucket
- C. Utilizing Amazon S3 Glacier for long-term archival storage
- D. Distributing your data across multiple S3 buckets in the same region
Answer: D. Distributing your data across multiple S3 buckets in the same region
Explanation: Distributing data across multiple S3 buckets allows for parallel object access, potentially reducing latency. Option A increases retrieval time for large objects. Access logging (B) adds overhead and doesn't improve performance. Glacier (C) is optimized for cost-effective archival, not performance.
2. You are designing a high-throughput application that processes large amounts of streaming data. Which of the following AWS services is BEST suited for this purpose?
- A. Amazon EC2 with CPU-optimized instances
- B. Amazon RDS for a managed relational database
- C. Amazon Kinesis for real-time data processing
- D. Amazon S3 for object storage
Answer: C. Amazon Kinesis for real-time data processing
Explanation: Kinesis is designed to ingest and process large streams of data in real-time. It scales automatically to handle high throughput workloads, making it ideal for streaming data applications. Option A (EC2) requires manual scaling and may not be cost-effective for high volume data. RDS (B) is better suited for relational databases. S3 (D) is for object storage, not real-time processing.
3. You are building a web application that requires high availability and fault tolerance. Which of the following approaches is MOST effective in achieving this goal?
- A. Deploying your application on a single, large EC2 instance
- B. Utilizing an Auto Scaling group with a single instance type
- C. Implementing redundancy across all tiers of your architecture (compute, storage, network)
- D. Configuring complex security groups for all resources
Answer: C. Implementing redundancy across all tiers of your architecture (compute, storage, network)
Explanation: High availability ensures your application remains operational even if a single component fails. Redundancy across all tiers is crucial. This could involve deploying your application on multiple EC2 instances with an Auto Scaling group (consider using diverse instance types for fault tolerance, eliminating option B), utilizing load balancers, and replicating data across storage solutions.
4. You notice that your CPU utilization for your application servers is consistently high. Which of the following actions can MOST improve the performance of your application?
- A. Increase the storage capacity of your EBS volumes
- B. Upgrade your EC2 instances to a higher memory configuration
- C. Implement caching mechanisms to reduce database load
- D. Enable verbose logging for all application components
Explanation: High CPU utilization indicates your servers might be overloaded. Upgrading memory (B) could help if the bottleneck is memory-related. Caching (C) reduces database calls, improving performance. Verbose logging (D) adds overhead and doesn't address the core performance issue.
5. Which of the following strategies is MOST beneficial for optimizing the performance of your database on AWS?
- A. Implementing complex access controls for all database users
- B. Utilizing a single, large database instance type for all workloads
- C. Denormalizing your database schema to minimize joins
- D. Configuring full backups of your database every hour
Answer: C. Denormalizing your database schema to minimize joins
Explanation: Denormalization involves adding redundant data to tables to reduce the need for complex joins. This can improve query performance, but requires careful management to avoid data inconsistencies. Complex access controls (A) and full backups (D) are important but not the primary performance optimization technique. Option B limits scalability and may not be optimal for all workloads.
6. You are designing a cost-effective architecture for a web application with fluctuating traffic patterns. Which of the following AWS services can MOST help you optimize costs while maintaining performance?
- A. Amazon EC2 with on-demand instances
- B. Amazon EC2 with reserved instances (RIs) for a fixed monthly fee
- C. Amazon EC2 Spot Instances for highly discounted compute resources
- D. AWS Lambda for serverless execution that scales automatically
Answer: D. AWS Lambda for serverless execution that scales automatically
Explanation: On-demand instances (A) can be expensive for fluctuating workloads. RIs (B) offer discounts but require predictable usage patterns. Spot instances (C) can be interrupted, impacting
7. You are building a content delivery network (CDN) for your static website assets (images, CSS, JavaScript). Which of the following AWS services is BEST suited for this purpose?
- A. Amazon S3 with static website hosting enabled
- B. Amazon EC2 instances deployed in multiple regions
- C. Amazon CloudFront for content delivery acceleration
- D. Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) for persistent storage
Answer: C. Amazon CloudFront for content delivery acceleration
Explanation: CloudFront is a CDN service that caches your static content in geographically distributed edge locations. This reduces latency for users by serving content from the closest edge location, improving website performance. While S3 (A) can host static websites, it doesn't offer the same level of global content delivery as CloudFront. EC2 instances (B) are more complex to manage for a CDN solution. EBS (D) is for persistent storage, not content delivery.
8. You are designing a highly available architecture for a critical business application. Which of the following considerations is LEAST important for performance optimization?
- A. Selecting the appropriate EC2 instance type with sufficient resources
- B. Utilizing a caching layer (e.g., Amazon ElastiCache) to reduce database calls
- C. Implementing load balancing to distribute traffic across multiple application servers
- D. Configuring complex security groups with restrictive rules for all resources
Answer: D. Configuring complex security groups with restrictive rules for all resources
Explanation: While security is important, overly restrictive security groups (D) can impact performance by adding processing overhead for rule evaluation. The other options (A, B, C) directly contribute to performance optimization.
9. You are migrating a large on-premises database to AWS. Which of the following AWS services can help you with efficient data transfer and minimize downtime during the migration?
- A. Manually uploading data files to an S3 bucket
- B. Utilizing AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) for automated migration
- C. Implementing a complex network configuration with VPN tunnels
- D. Setting up a high-bandwidth internet connection for data transfer
Answer: B. Utilizing AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) for automated migration
Explanation: DMS provides a comprehensive solution for migrating relational databases to AWS. It offers features like data type conversion, schema conversion, and continuous replication to minimize downtime during the migration process. Manual upload (A) is time-consuming and error-prone. Complex network configurations (C) may not be necessary. While a good internet connection (D) helps with transfer speed, DMS offers additional functionality for a smooth migration.
10. You are monitoring the performance of your application on AWS. Which of the following metrics provides the MOST valuable insights into application responsiveness?
- A. The number of CPU cores utilized by your EC2 instances
- B. The amount of storage space used on your EBS volumes
- C. The average network latency for data transfer
- D. The application response time experienced by users
Answer: D. The application response time experienced by users
Explanation: User-centric metrics like application response time directly reflect how users experience your application's performance. This is the most crucial metric to identify and address performance bottlenecks affecting user experience. While other metrics (A, B, C) are important for resource management, they don't directly measure application responsiveness.
Designing Cost-Optimized Architectures: 10 MCQ with Answers and Explanations
This practice quiz focuses on core principles for designing cost-optimized architectures on AWS.
1. You are building a new web application that experiences fluctuating traffic patterns. Which of the following AWS services can help you optimize costs while maintaining performance?
- A. Amazon EC2 with on-demand instances (pay per hour)
- B. Amazon EC2 with reserved instances (RIs) for a fixed monthly fee
- C. Amazon EC2 Spot Instances for highly discounted compute resources
- D. AWS Lambda for serverless execution that scales automatically
Answer: C. Amazon EC2 Spot Instances for highly discounted compute resources
Explanation: On-demand instances (A) can be expensive for fluctuating workloads. RIs (B) offer discounts but require predictable usage patterns. Spot instances (C) are a cost-effective option for workloads that can tolerate interruptions. Lambda (D) is serverless and scales automatically, but may not be suitable for all applications.
2. You are managing a fleet of EC2 instances that are used for development and testing purposes. Which of the following strategies is MOST effective in optimizing costs for these instances?
- A. Upgrading all instances to the latest generation with higher performance
- B. Utilizing reserved instances (RIs) regardless of usage patterns
- C. Stopping or terminating unused instances during non-working hours
- D. Enabling detailed CloudWatch logging for all instances
Answer: C. Stopping or terminating unused instances during non-working hours
Explanation: Development and testing instances are likely idle during non-working hours. Stopping or terminating them (based on your needs) significantly reduces costs. Upgrading (A) may not be necessary. RIs (B) may not be cost-effective for unpredictable usage. Detailed logging (D) adds overhead and may not be crucial for dev/test environments.
3. You are designing a new application that processes data in batches at scheduled intervals. Which of the following options is the MOST cost-effective approach?
- A. Deploying your application on a single, large EC2 instance running 24/7
- B. Utilizing Amazon RDS for a managed relational database
- C. Utilizing Amazon SQS with worker instances triggered on demand
- D. Utilizing Amazon EC2 with reserved instances (RIs) for continuous operation
Answer: C. Utilizing Amazon SQS with worker instances triggered on demand
Explanation: Batch processing doesn't require continuous operation. Utilizing SQS with worker instances that are launched and terminated automatically based on queued messages optimizes costs. RDS (B) may be overkill if you don't need a relational database. A large running instance (A) is inefficient. RIs (D) may not be cost-effective for this use case.
4. Which of the following strategies is the LEAST effective for optimizing costs associated with Amazon S3 storage?
- A. Utilizing lifecycle policies to automatically transition data to cost-optimized storage classes
- B. Implementing access logging for all S3 buckets, even if not actively monitored
- C. Uploading large files to S3 instead of splitting them into smaller objects
- D. Utilizing S3 Standard for frequently accessed data and S3 Glacier for infrequently accessed data
Answer: B. Implementing access logging for all S3 buckets, even if not actively monitored
Explanation: Lifecycle policies (A) can significantly reduce costs by automatically moving data to cheaper storage classes based on access patterns. Logging adds overhead and incurs costs for storing logs, especially if not used actively. Splitting large files (C) optimizes storage utilization. Tiering data between Standard (D) and Glacier optimizes costs based on access frequency.
5. You notice that your application is incurring high egress costs (data transfer out of AWS). Which of the following strategies can help you reduce egress costs?
- A. Upgrading your EC2 instances to a higher bandwidth network interface
- B. Utilizing a content delivery network (CDN) like Amazon CloudFront to serve static content
- C. Implementing complex security groups with restrictive rules for all resources
- D. Optimizing your application code to minimize unnecessary data transfers
Answer: B. Utilizing a content delivery network (CDN) like Amazon CloudFront to serve static content
Explanation: A CDN caches your static content (images, CSS, etc.) in geographically distributed edge locations. This reduces egress costs by serving content from the closest edge location to users, minimizing data transfer out of your AWS region. While bandwidth upgrades (A) may help, they may not be the most cost-effective solution. Security groups (C) primarily impact performance, not egress costs. Code optimization (D) is beneficial but a CDN can offer significant cost savings.
6. You are managing a large fleet of EC2 instances that run web servers. Which of the following AWS services can help you optimize costs by automatically scaling your resources based on demand?
- A. Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service)
- B. AWS Auto Scaling with on-demand instances
- C. Amazon Elastic Beanstalk for application deployment management
- D. Amazon CloudWatch for monitoring and logging
Answer: B. AWS Auto Scaling with on-demand instances
Explanation: Auto Scaling allows you to automatically scale your EC2 instances (web servers) up or down based on predefined metrics like CPU utilization. This ensures you only pay for the resources you actually use during peak and off-peak times. Option A (RDS) is a database service. While Beanstalk (C) simplifies deployment, it doesn't handle auto-scaling. CloudWatch (D) monitors resources but doesn't manage scaling.
7. You are migrating a legacy application to AWS that utilizes a simple database with low storage and compute requirements. Which of the following AWS database services is the MOST cost-effective option?
- A. Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) with a managed database instance
- B. Amazon Aurora for high-performance and scalability
- C. Amazon DynamoDB for NoSQL database with pay-per-request pricing
- D. Amazon Redshift for data warehousing and analytics
Answer: C. Amazon DynamoDB for NoSQL database with pay-per-request pricing
Explanation: For a simple application with low resource requirements, RDS (A) with its fixed monthly cost might be overkill. Aurora (B) is powerful but also more expensive. DynamoDB (C) offers pay-per-request pricing based on read/write capacity units utilized, making it cost-effective for low-traffic scenarios. Redshift (D) is designed for data warehousing and may not be suitable for a simple application database.
8. You are designing a new microservices architecture for your application. Which of the following considerations can help you optimize costs associated with serverless functions?
- A. Implementing complex access control policies for all serverless functions
- B. Utilizing Lambda versions with different memory configurations for varying workloads
- C. Utilizing long timeouts for Lambda functions to handle complex tasks
- D. Invoking your Lambda functions frequently, even if not actively processing data
Answer: B. Utilizing Lambda versions with different memory configurations for varying workloads
Explanation: Cost for Lambda functions is based on execution time and memory allocated. Using a single, large memory configuration (C) might be expensive for simple tasks. Instead, leveraging Lambda versions with different memory allocations allows you to choose the most cost-effective option for each workload (A). Setting short timeouts for functions that complete quickly minimizes idle time and cost (C). Only invoke functions when necessary to avoid unnecessary costs (D).
9. You are reviewing the billing report for your AWS account and notice high charges for unused Elastic IP (EIP) addresses. Which of the following actions can help you optimize costs associated with EIPs?
- A. Assigning each EC2 instance a dedicated Elastic IP address
- B. Detaching unused Elastic IP addresses from your resources
- C. Upgrading all your EC2 instances to reserved instances (RIs)
- D. Utilizing a NAT Gateway for outbound internet access
Answer: B. Detaching unused Elastic IP addresses from your resources
Explanation: Elastic IP addresses are static IP addresses for your resources. Unused EIPs incur charges even when not actively used. Detaching them from your resources (B) eliminates these costs. Dedicated EIPs (A) may not be necessary for all instances. RIs (C) are unrelated to EIP costs. NAT Gateways (D) can provide outbound internet access but won't directly reduce EIP costs.
10. Which of the following pricing models is MOST beneficial for cost optimization when you have predictable workloads on AWS?
- A. On-demand pricing (pay per hour)
- B. Reserved instances (RIs) with a fixed monthly fee
- C. Spot instances for highly discounted compute resources
- D. Serverless pricing based on execution time and memory
Answer: B. Reserved instances (RIs) with a fixed monthly fee
Explanation: On-demand pricing (A) can be expensive for predictable workloads. RIs (B) offer significant discounts compared to on-demand pricing in exchange for a fixed monthly commitment. However, they require predictable usage patterns. Spot instances (C) are highly discounted but can be interrupted, impacting your application
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