AWS Trusted Advisor recommendations - Commands & Configuration

Introduction

AWS Trusted Advisor helps you find ways to improve your cloud setup. It checks your AWS resources and gives advice to save money, improve security, and increase performance.

When you want to find unused or underused resources to save costs.

When you need to check if your AWS setup follows security best practices.

When you want to improve the speed and reliability of your applications.

When you want to make sure your AWS limits are not exceeded.

When you want a simple report to understand your AWS environment health.

Commands

This command lists all the Trusted Advisor checks available in English. It helps you see what areas Trusted Advisor can review.

Terminal

aws support describe-trusted-advisor-checks --language en

Expected Output

{"checks":[{"id":"eW7HH0l7J9","name":"Service Limits","category":"Service Limits"},{"id":"i-1234567890abcdef0","name":"Security Groups - Specific Ports Unrestricted","category":"Security"}]}

→

--language - Sets the language for the check names and descriptions.

This command shows the results of the Service Limits check. It tells you if you are close to AWS service limits that could block your resources.

Terminal

aws support describe-trusted-advisor-check-result --check-id eW7HH0l7J9 --language en

Expected Output

{"result":{"status":"ok","resourcesSummary":{"resourcesProcessed":10,"resourcesFlagged":0},"categorySpecificSummary":{"serviceLimits":{"limitName":"EC2 Instances","max":20,"current":5}}}}

→

--check-id - Specifies which Trusted Advisor check to get results for.

→

--language - Sets the language for the output.

This command requests AWS to refresh the results of the Service Limits check. It ensures you get the latest advice.

Terminal

aws support refresh-trusted-advisor-check --check-id eW7HH0l7J9

Expected Output

{"status":"success"}

→

--check-id - Specifies which Trusted Advisor check to refresh.

Key Concept

If you remember nothing else from this pattern, remember: AWS Trusted Advisor gives you easy-to-understand advice to improve your AWS setup by checking your resources and usage.

Common Mistakes

Trying to use Trusted Advisor commands without AWS Support plan.

Trusted Advisor requires a Business or Enterprise Support plan to access most checks.

Make sure your AWS account has the right Support plan before running Trusted Advisor commands.

Not refreshing the Trusted Advisor checks before reading results.

Results may be outdated and not reflect recent changes in your AWS resources.

Always run the refresh command before fetching check results to get current advice.

Using incorrect check IDs when requesting results or refresh.

The commands will fail or return no data if the check ID is wrong.

List available checks first and copy the exact check ID to use in commands.

Summary

Use 'aws support describe-trusted-advisor-checks' to list all available Trusted Advisor checks.

Use 'aws support describe-trusted-advisor-check-result' with a check ID to see detailed advice.

Use 'aws support refresh-trusted-advisor-check' to update the check results before viewing them.

Practice

1. What is the primary purpose of AWS Trusted Advisor?

easy

A. To monitor real-time application logs

B. To deploy new AWS services automatically

C. To provide recommendations for cost savings, security, and performance improvements

D. To create backups of AWS resources

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Trusted Advisor's role

   AWS Trusted Advisor analyzes your AWS environment and suggests improvements in cost, security, fault tolerance, and performance.

2. Step 2: Compare options with Trusted Advisor's functions

   Only To provide recommendations for cost savings, security, and performance improvements matches Trusted Advisor's purpose; others describe different AWS services.

3. Final Answer:

   To provide recommendations for cost savings, security, and performance improvements -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Trusted Advisor = Recommendations [OK]

Hint: Trusted Advisor gives advice, not deploys or monitors [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Trusted Advisor with AWS CloudWatch
• Thinking it deploys services automatically
• Assuming it manages backups

2. Which AWS Trusted Advisor category checks for unused or idle resources to help reduce costs?

easy

A. Cost Optimization

B. Fault Tolerance

C. Security

D. Performance

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the category related to cost savings

   The Cost Optimization category focuses on reducing unnecessary expenses by identifying idle or underused resources.

2. Step 2: Match categories to their functions

   Security checks protect resources, Fault Tolerance improves availability, Performance enhances speed; only Cost Optimization targets unused resources.

3. Final Answer:

   Cost Optimization -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Idle resources = Cost Optimization [OK]

Hint: Cost Optimization finds idle resources to save money [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Security for cost-related checks
• Confusing Fault Tolerance with cost savings
• Selecting Performance instead of Cost Optimization

3. You run AWS Trusted Advisor and see a recommendation to "Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on root account." What will happen if you follow this advice?

medium

A. Your root account will have an extra security layer requiring a second verification step

B. Your AWS resources will automatically back up daily

C. Your billing alerts will be disabled

D. Your EC2 instances will be stopped automatically

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand MFA's function on root account

   Enabling MFA adds a second step to login, improving security by requiring a code from a device.

2. Step 2: Evaluate the effects of enabling MFA

   It does not affect backups, billing alerts, or EC2 instance states; it only secures the root user login.

3. Final Answer:

   Your root account will have an extra security layer requiring a second verification step -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   MFA = Extra login security [OK]

Hint: MFA means extra login step for security [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking MFA triggers backups
• Assuming it disables billing alerts
• Believing it controls EC2 instance state

4. You receive a Trusted Advisor alert about "Security Groups with unrestricted access." What is the best way to fix this issue?

medium

A. Disable Trusted Advisor alerts

B. Remove rules that allow inbound traffic from 0.0.0.0/0 unless necessary

C. Open all ports to all IP addresses

D. Delete all security groups immediately

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the risk of unrestricted access

   Allowing inbound traffic from 0.0.0.0/0 means anyone on the internet can access your resources, which is risky.

2. Step 2: Apply the best security practice

   Remove or restrict such rules to only trusted IPs or ranges; deleting all security groups or opening all ports is unsafe, and disabling alerts ignores the problem.

3. Final Answer:

   Remove rules that allow inbound traffic from 0.0.0.0/0 unless necessary -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Restrict open access = Fix security groups [OK]

Hint: Close open access, keep only needed IPs [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Deleting all security groups blindly
• Opening all ports to everyone
• Ignoring alerts by disabling them

5. Your company wants to improve fault tolerance using AWS Trusted Advisor. Which recommendation should you prioritize to achieve this?

hard

A. Use AWS Trusted Advisor to identify underutilized EC2 instances

B. Disable CloudTrail logging to reduce costs

C. Open all security group ports to increase accessibility

D. Enable Amazon S3 versioning to protect data from accidental deletion

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand fault tolerance goals

   Fault tolerance means systems keep working despite failures, often by protecting data and resources.

2. Step 2: Evaluate recommendations for fault tolerance

   Enabling S3 versioning protects data by keeping copies, improving fault tolerance. Identifying underutilized instances helps cost but not fault tolerance. Opening all ports reduces security. Disabling CloudTrail removes audit logs, harming security and fault tolerance.

3. Final Answer:

   Enable Amazon S3 versioning to protect data from accidental deletion -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Fault tolerance = Data protection with versioning [OK]

Hint: Versioning protects data, boosting fault tolerance [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing cost savings with fault tolerance
• Opening all ports thinking it helps availability
• Disabling logging to save money