Minimum, maximum, and desired capacity in AWS - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to set the minimum capacity of an Auto Scaling group to 2.

AWS

"MinSize": [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A10

B5

C0

D2

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Setting minimum capacity higher than maximum capacity.

Using zero when you want at least one instance.

The minimum capacity defines the smallest number of instances the group should have. Setting it to 2 ensures at least two instances run.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the code to set the maximum capacity of an Auto Scaling group to 6.

AWS

"MaxSize": [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A6

B3

C1

D10

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Setting maximum capacity lower than minimum capacity.

Choosing a number too low for expected traffic.

The maximum capacity limits how many instances the group can scale out to. Setting it to 6 means no more than six instances will run.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in setting the desired capacity to 8 when maximum capacity is 5.

AWS

"DesiredCapacity": [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A10

B8

C5

D3

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Setting desired capacity higher than maximum capacity.

Ignoring capacity limits and causing deployment errors.

The desired capacity cannot be greater than the maximum capacity. Since max is 5, desired must be 5 or less.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to set minimum capacity to 1 and desired capacity to 3.

AWS

"MinSize": [1], "DesiredCapacity": [2]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A1

B2

C3

D4

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Setting desired capacity lower than minimum capacity.

Confusing minimum and desired capacity values.

Minimum capacity is set to 1 to keep at least one instance running. Desired capacity is 3 to start with three instances.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to set minimum capacity to 2, maximum capacity to 5, and desired capacity to 4.

AWS

"MinSize": [1], "MaxSize": [2], "DesiredCapacity": [3]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A2

B5

C4

D3

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Setting desired capacity outside the min-max range.

Mixing up min, max, and desired values.

Minimum capacity is 2 to keep at least two instances running. Maximum capacity is 5 to limit scaling. Desired capacity is 4 to start with four instances.

Practice

1. What does the MinSize setting control in an AWS Auto Scaling group?

easy

A. The exact number of servers to run at all times

B. The largest number of servers allowed to run

C. The smallest number of servers that must always be running

D. The number of servers to add during scaling

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand MinSize meaning

   MinSize defines the minimum number of servers that the Auto Scaling group keeps running to handle load.

2. Step 2: Compare with other settings

   MaxSize is the maximum allowed, DesiredCapacity is the target number, so MinSize is the smallest number always running.

3. Final Answer:

   The smallest number of servers that must always be running -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   MinSize = smallest server count [OK]

Hint: MinSize = minimum servers always running [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing MinSize with DesiredCapacity
• Thinking MinSize is maximum limit
• Assuming MinSize is the exact number to run

2. Which of the following is the correct way to set the desired capacity to 5 in an AWS Auto Scaling group configuration snippet?

easy

A. DesiredCapacity => 5

B. "DesiredCapacity" = 5

C. DesiredCapacity: "5"

D. "DesiredCapacity": 5

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct JSON syntax

   In JSON, keys and string values use double quotes and key-value pairs use colon (:).

2. Step 2: Check each option

   "DesiredCapacity": 5 uses correct JSON syntax: key in quotes, colon, numeric value without quotes.

3. Final Answer:

   "DesiredCapacity": 5 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   JSON key-value uses colon and quotes [OK]

Hint: JSON uses colon and quotes for keys [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using equals sign instead of colon
• Putting numbers in quotes unnecessarily
• Using arrow symbols instead of colon

3. Given an Auto Scaling group with MinSize=2, MaxSize=6, and DesiredCapacity=4, what happens if the current number of running servers is 5 and one server fails?

medium

A. The group does nothing because the current number of running servers equals DesiredCapacity

B. The group launches a new server to maintain DesiredCapacity of 4

C. The group terminates another server to reach DesiredCapacity

D. The group launches two new servers to reach MaxSize

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand DesiredCapacity role

   DesiredCapacity is the target number of servers to keep running, here 4.

2. Step 2: Analyze failure impact

   One server fails, so running servers drop from 5 to 4, which matches DesiredCapacity.

3. Step 3: Check if scaling needed

   Since running servers dropped below DesiredCapacity, the group launches a new server to maintain DesiredCapacity.

4. Final Answer:

   The group launches a new server to maintain DesiredCapacity of 4 -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Running servers < DesiredCapacity triggers scaling [OK]

Hint: Scaling triggers only if running servers < DesiredCapacity [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming scaling happens immediately on failure
• Confusing MinSize with DesiredCapacity
• Thinking MaxSize limits minimum servers

4. You configured an Auto Scaling group with MinSize=3, MaxSize=5, and DesiredCapacity=6. What is the problem?

medium

A. DesiredCapacity cannot be greater than MaxSize

B. MinSize cannot be less than DesiredCapacity

C. MaxSize cannot be less than MinSize

D. No problem, this configuration is valid

Solution

1. Step 1: Check relationship between capacities

   DesiredCapacity must be between MinSize and MaxSize inclusive.

2. Step 2: Compare values

   DesiredCapacity is 6, but MaxSize is 5, which is less than DesiredCapacity.

3. Step 3: Identify error

   This violates the rule that DesiredCapacity cannot exceed MaxSize.

4. Final Answer:

   DesiredCapacity cannot be greater than MaxSize -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   DesiredCapacity ≤ MaxSize [OK]

Hint: DesiredCapacity must be ≤ MaxSize [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Setting DesiredCapacity higher than MaxSize
• Confusing MinSize and MaxSize roles
• Assuming any values are allowed

5. You want an Auto Scaling group to always run at least 2 servers, never more than 8, and normally keep 5 running. If traffic suddenly spikes, which setting controls the maximum servers it can scale up to, and what should it be set to?

hard

A. MaxSize controls maximum servers; set to 8

B. DesiredCapacity controls maximum servers; set to 8

C. MinSize controls maximum servers; set to 5

D. DesiredCapacity controls maximum servers; set to 2

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify which setting limits maximum servers

   MaxSize sets the upper limit of servers allowed in the group.

2. Step 2: Match requirement to setting

   To never exceed 8 servers, MaxSize must be set to 8.

3. Step 3: Understand DesiredCapacity and MinSize roles

   DesiredCapacity is the target number (5), MinSize is the minimum (2), neither limits maximum scaling.

4. Final Answer:

   MaxSize controls maximum servers; set to 8 -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   MaxSize = max servers allowed [OK]

Hint: MaxSize limits max servers; DesiredCapacity is target [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing DesiredCapacity with MaxSize
• Setting MinSize as maximum limit
• Not setting MaxSize high enough for spikes