Why EC2 matters for compute in AWS - Challenge Your Understanding

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

What is the primary benefit of using EC2 for compute?

Imagine you want to run a website. Why would you choose EC2 instead of your own computer?

A EC2 lets you rent virtual computers that can run your website anytime, without needing your own hardware.

B EC2 is a storage service that keeps your website files safe.

C EC2 automatically writes your website code for you.

D EC2 is a tool to design website graphics.

💡 Hint

Think about what you need to run a website 24/7 without buying a physical machine.

EC2 provides virtual servers you can use anytime, so you don't need to own or manage physical computers.

❓ Architecture

intermediate

Which EC2 feature helps you handle sudden traffic spikes?

You run an online store. Sometimes many people visit at once. Which EC2 feature helps your site stay fast?

A Elastic Load Balancer to spread traffic across multiple EC2 instances.

B EC2 Snapshots to save your data.

C EC2 Key Pairs to secure your login.

D EC2 Placement Groups to store files.

💡 Hint

Think about how to share work among many computers to avoid overload.

Elastic Load Balancer distributes incoming traffic to multiple EC2 instances, helping handle more visitors smoothly.

❓ security

advanced

What happens if you launch an EC2 instance without a security group?

You start an EC2 server but forget to assign a security group. What is the result?

A The instance will be open to the internet with no restrictions.

B The instance will automatically get a default security group.

C The instance will have no network access, blocking all inbound and outbound traffic.

D The instance will fail to launch.

💡 Hint

Security groups act like firewalls. What if none is set?

If you don't specify a security group when launching, the instance is automatically associated with the default security group for the VPC.

❓ service_behavior

advanced

How does EC2 Auto Scaling respond when CPU usage is high?

Your EC2 Auto Scaling group monitors CPU usage. When usage goes above 80%, what happens?

A It sends an alert but takes no action.

B It shuts down existing instances to save costs.

C It launches new EC2 instances to share the workload and reduce CPU usage.

D It automatically upgrades the CPU on existing instances.

💡 Hint

Think about how to keep performance steady when demand grows.

Auto Scaling adds more EC2 instances when CPU usage is high to handle more work smoothly.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Which practice improves EC2 cost efficiency for steady workloads?

You run a steady application on EC2 24/7. Which option best reduces your costs?

A Keep instances running without monitoring usage.

B Use On-Demand Instances only when traffic spikes.

C Launch Spot Instances without interruption handling.

D Purchase Reserved Instances to get a lower hourly rate for long-term use.

💡 Hint

Think about paying less when you know you will use the server for a long time.

Reserved Instances offer a discount for committing to use EC2 over a period, saving money for steady workloads.