Fargate vs EC2 launch type in AWS - Practice Questions

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding AWS Fargate vs EC2 Launch Type

Which statement correctly describes a key difference between AWS Fargate and EC2 launch types for running containers?

A Fargate requires you to manage the underlying EC2 instances, while EC2 launch type abstracts instance management.

B EC2 launch type requires you to manage the underlying EC2 instances, while Fargate abstracts instance management.

C Both Fargate and EC2 launch types require manual scaling of EC2 instances.

D Fargate launch type only supports Windows containers, while EC2 supports Linux containers.

💡 Hint

Think about who manages the servers in each launch type.

Fargate lets you run containers without managing servers. EC2 launch type requires you to manage the EC2 instances yourself.

❓ Architecture

intermediate

Choosing Launch Type for Cost Optimization

You want to run a containerized application with predictable steady traffic and want to optimize costs by using reserved capacity. Which launch type should you choose?

A Use EC2 launch type to leverage reserved EC2 instances for cost savings.

B Use Fargate launch type because it automatically uses reserved instances.

C Use Fargate launch type because it supports reserved EC2 capacity.

D Use EC2 launch type because Fargate does not support container orchestration.

💡 Hint

Reserved capacity applies to EC2 instances, not serverless services.

Reserved EC2 instances reduce cost when you manage your own EC2 instances. Fargate is serverless and does not use reserved instances.

❓ service_behavior

advanced

Behavior of Auto Scaling with Fargate vs EC2

Which statement best describes how auto scaling works differently between Fargate and EC2 launch types?

A Fargate auto scaling adjusts the number of running tasks without managing instances; EC2 auto scaling adjusts the number of EC2 instances.

B Both Fargate and EC2 auto scaling adjust the number of EC2 instances only.

C Fargate auto scaling requires manual scaling of EC2 instances; EC2 auto scaling automatically scales tasks.

D Auto scaling is not supported with Fargate launch type.

💡 Hint

Consider what resources each launch type manages.

Fargate scales tasks directly since it manages infrastructure. EC2 launch type requires scaling EC2 instances to support tasks.

❓ security

advanced

Security Responsibility Differences

Which security responsibility is unique to the EC2 launch type compared to Fargate?

A Encrypting data in transit between containers.

B Configuring security groups for tasks.

C Managing container image vulnerabilities.

D Patching and securing the underlying EC2 instances.

💡 Hint

Think about who controls the servers in each launch type.

With EC2 launch type, you must patch and secure the EC2 instances. Fargate abstracts this responsibility.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Best Practice for Hybrid Use of Fargate and EC2 Launch Types

You have a mixed workload: some tasks require custom AMIs and others benefit from serverless management. What is the best practice for using both Fargate and EC2 launch types in the same ECS cluster?

A Use only EC2 launch type and simulate serverless behavior with custom scripts.

B Create separate ECS clusters for Fargate and EC2 launch types to avoid conflicts.

C Use a single ECS cluster with both launch types and assign tasks to appropriate launch types as needed.

D Use only Fargate launch type and avoid EC2 launch type for simplicity.

💡 Hint

Consider ECS cluster flexibility and task placement.

ECS supports running both Fargate and EC2 launch types in the same cluster, allowing flexible task placement.