AWS Cloud Practitioner Practice Test (CLF-C02)

The service sought after for database migrations is designed to streamline the transfer of databases to the cloud, supporting minimal downtime through continuous replication. This service does not merely host databases but is specialized to aid in their migration, accommodating various database platforms and ensuring data integrity during the move. While other options might provide hosting or assist in schema conversion, the correct service uniquely balances the act of migration with ongoing operations.

CloudTrail is designed to provide logs of API calls and account activity, helping organizations to monitor and audit interactions with their resources. CloudWatch, while also useful for collecting log data, is primarily employed for monitoring and operational purposes. AWS Config helps track configuration changes, but doesn't provide API logs. GuardDuty is a threat detection service and doesn't log API calls.

The primary economic advantage of moving to the cloud is transforming capital expenditure (CapEx) to variable costs. In an on-premises environment, companies typically invest in hardware and data centers upfront, which is a CapEx. When they move to the AWS Cloud, they pay only for what they use, converting those large, upfront expenses into smaller, variable costs. The answer about operational efficiency, while a benefit, is not primarily an economic advantage. Similarly, while a company may experience a performance improvement, this is not the primary economic advantage. Global reach is a strategic benefit rather than a direct economic one.

Amazon ElastiCache is the optimal solution for this scenario because it provides a high-performance, in-memory caching service designed to decrease database load by retrieving information from fast, managed, in-memory caches, rather than relying solely on slower disk-based databases. ElastiCache supports two open-source in-memory engines: Redis and Memcached. In contrast, Amazon RDS and Amazon DynamoDB are durable database services that store data on disk instead of memory and would not directly address the requirement for a caching layer to improve read performance during high traffic periods. Amazon S3 is an object storage service, which is not suitable for use as an in-memory caching layer.

The People Perspective of the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework focuses on staff skills and organizational processes necessary for cloud adoption. It provides guidance on identifying skill gaps, defining new roles, and creating training strategies to build cloud competencies within the team, which is crucial in supporting a successful transition to cloud technologies. The Governance Perspective is more related to policies, whereas Platform Perspective deals with principles and patterns for implementing and managing technology. Migration Acceleration Program, despite being important, is incorrect because it is not a perspective within AWS CAF but rather a program that supports migration efforts.

Activating cost allocation tags in the billing dashboard is a required step to include these tags in the detailed usage report. This activation allows the expenses to be broken down according to the user-defined tags, promoting precise tracking and categorization. It is important to note that tagging alone is not sufficient; without activation, these tags won't appear in the billing report, and thus will not assist in the desired cost breakdown.

The hybrid deployment model integrates both cloud-based resources and on-premises infrastructure, offering flexibility and enabling various use cases, such as gradual cloud migration, disaster recovery, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Activating tags for detailed billing lets the company label resources with specific team identifiers, and, once these tags are activated, they help break down expenditure in cost reports according to the tagged labels. 'Naming conventions' provide a way to identify resources but don't enable cost categorization in billing reports. 'Budgets' help in setting spending limits but don't detail cost allocation. 'Configuration Compliance' is not related to cost allocation, and 'Multiple accounts' would separate costs but may be overly complex and do not exploit the full capabilities of cost allocation tags.

The correct service for ongoing replication and real-time data synchronization is the Database Migration Service. When you need to move databases with minimal downtime and require continuous replication, this service is the optimal choice. It not only allows for the migration of data but also keeps the databases in sync during the migration process.

• The Snapshot feature within the Relational Database Service platform is primarily for backups, not for ongoing replication or real-time synchronization.
• The Schema Conversion Tool is mainly utilized for converting database schemas for migration purposes, but it does not handle real-time data replication.
• DataSync is more suitable for large-scale data transfer tasks and does not specialize in the specific requirements of ongoing database replication or synchronization.

The main financial advantage is that the shift to a cloud service provider allows the business to reduce upfront capital expenditures on physical hardware since billing is based on the actual consumption of computing resources. This matches expenditures to usage and can result in significant cost savings, particularly in scenarios with fluctuating demand. Fixed costs would not offer the same economic flexibility and could lead to overprovisioning. Licensing models that are per user do not accurately represent the use-based cost savings of cloud services. While reserved instances can indeed provide cost discounts for certain use cases, they involve upfront payment or a commitment to a certain level of usage, hence they do not represent the same level of financial flexibility provided by on-demand, consumption-based pricing.

AWS Artifact should be consulted for on-demand access to compliance documentation and to review, accept, and manage agreements for accounts or organizations. This service provides the necessary information on which resources comply with specific legal and regulatory standards, such as HIPAA. Other services, like the two configuration and advice-oriented tools, help with resource configuration and best practices, but are not centered on providing compliance documentation. The tool for managing permissions is critical for securing resources but does not directly relate to the confirmation of compliance standards adherence.

The service provider is tasked with protecting the infrastructure that runs the services offered in the cloud. This includes the physical security of the data centers where information is stored and processed. While the service provider ensures the security of the cloud infrastructure, it is up to the client to manage encryption, access policies, and security assessments related to their data and applications within the cloud environment.

The correct choice is the tool designed to provide cost estimates for the provider's various service offerings, which includes generating detailed pricing for different virtual servers, managed database solutions, and object storage services based on individual use cases. It accommodates numerous configurations and options, such as selecting different server types or considering data transfer implications, directly influencing the overall cost.

Reserved Instances require an upfront payment and provide customers with a capacity reservation for a term of 1 or 3 years. They offer cost savings compared to On-Demand pricing, which is pay-as-you-go with no upfront costs. Spot Instances are an incorrect option because they allow users to purchase unused capacity at a lower price without any upfront payment or time commitment. Savings Plans also provide significant savings over On-Demand pricing, but they apply to consistent usage over a 1 or 3-year period rather than reserving specific capacity. Dedicated Hosts are a physical server with EC2 instance capacity fully dedicated to a user's use and also involve a different cost structure.

A route table is a key network component that contains a set of rules, called routes, which are used to determine where network traffic is directed. It enables communication between different subnets within a VPC.