Jeff’s Note #
Unlike generic exam dumps, ADH analyzes this scenario through the lens of a Real-World Lead Developer.
For AWS DVA-C02 candidates, the confusion often lies in how best to ingest on-premises logs into CloudWatch for unified monitoring without custom or overly complex workarounds. In production, this is about knowing exactly which tools integrate natively and with minimal overhead to send logs securely and reliably to CloudWatch from outside AWS. Let’s drill down.
The Certification Drill (Simulated Question) #
Scenario #
Innovatech Solutions maintains a critical legacy inventory application hosted on-premises. Several modern microservices running in AWS rely on this legacy app to function correctly. The Lead Developer wants to implement a centralized monitoring strategy so that any errors or anomalies across both on-premises and AWS applications can be viewed and troubleshooted from a single console—Amazon CloudWatch.
The Requirement: #
Enable real-time, secure, and consolidated log monitoring for the legacy on-premises application and AWS-hosted applications through CloudWatch.
The Options #
- A) Install an AWS SDK on the on-premises server to automatically send logs to CloudWatch.
- B) Download and install the CloudWatch agent on the on-premises server. Configure it with IAM user credentials that allow publishing logs to CloudWatch Logs.
- C) Upload log files manually from the on-premises server to an Amazon S3 bucket and configure CloudWatch to read from S3.
- D) Upload log files from the on-premises server onto an EC2 instance and have that instance forward logs to CloudWatch.
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Correct Answer #
B
Quick Insight: The Developer Imperative #
The CloudWatch Agent is the officially supported, managed tool for hybrid environments that simplifies secure, real-time log ingestion using AWS native APIs. Manually using SDKs or intermediary storage like S3 or EC2 proxies adds operational overhead, complexity, and latency.
Content Locked: The Expert Analysis #
You’ve identified the answer. But do you know the implementation details that separate a Junior from a Senior?
The Expert’s Analysis #
Correct Answer #
Option B
The Winning Logic #
The AWS CloudWatch Agent supports installation on on-premises servers, enabling native log and metric collection with minimal configuration. It uses IAM credentials to push data securely and integrates seamlessly with CloudWatch Logs and Metrics services. This method supports real-time streaming and automatic log rotation handling, critical for effective troubleshooting.
- Why Option B?
- The CloudWatch agent is designed to run on various OS types, including on-premises.
- It supports uploading logs and custom metrics to CloudWatch directly and securely.
- IAM permissions control access granularity, aligning with best security practice.
- It requires less custom coding than an SDK and is easier to maintain than scripting pushes.
The Trap (Distractor Analysis) #
- Why not Option A?
- AWS SDKs are low-level libraries designed for programmatic API calls, not streamlined log collection agents. Using SDKs manually to send logs requires substantial custom development and continuous maintenance—so it’s less practical for log collection from an existing application.
- Why not Option C?
- CloudWatch does not natively ingest logs from S3 buckets. Logs in S3 must be processed via other services (e.g., Lambda) to forward to CloudWatch. This adds latency and complexity. Also, this lacks real-time monitoring capabilities.
- Why not Option D?
- Using an EC2 instance as a log forwarder is an unnecessary operational overhead. It introduces extra components to manage (the instance itself) and potential single points of failure, increasing cost and maintenance burden.
The Technical Blueprint #
Relevant CLI command to install and start the CloudWatch agent on Linux (on-premises): #
# Download CloudWatch agent package
wget https://s3.amazonaws.com/amazoncloudwatch-agent/amazon_linux/amd64/latest/amazon-cloudwatch-agent.rpm
# Install the agent
sudo rpm -U ./amazon-cloudwatch-agent.rpm
# Create or edit the CloudWatch agent config JSON file (example: /opt/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent/bin/config.json)
# Start the agent with the config
sudo /opt/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent/bin/amazon-cloudwatch-agent-ctl -a fetch-config -m ec2 -c file:/opt/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent/bin/config.json -s
IAM permissions needed: logs:PutLogEvents, logs:CreateLogStream, logs:DescribeLogStreams
The Comparative Analysis #
| Option | API Complexity | Performance (Latency) | Use Case Suitability |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | High - requires custom SDK dev | Medium - dependent on custom code | Not ideal for log collection; more for API calls |
| B | Low - Managed agent | High - near real-time streaming | Best for hybrid log ingestion across environments |
| C | Medium - requires Lambda or ETL | Low - batch only, no streaming | Inefficient and complex for logs |
| D | Medium - requires EC2 setup | Medium - Proxy delays possible | Overcomplicated and costly |
Real-World Application (Practitioner Insight) #
Exam Rule #
For the exam, always pick CloudWatch Agent when you see hybrid or on-premises log ingestion mentioned.
Real World #
In production, many organizations leverage the CloudWatch agent combined with Systems Manager for automated deployment and patching, enabling scalable hybrid monitoring without building custom pipelines or log forwarders.
(CTA) Stop Guessing, Start Mastering #
Disclaimer
This is a study note based on simulated scenarios for the AWS DVA-C02 exam.