By default, EC2 instances publish metrics to CloudWatch every 5 minutes. How do you get 1-minute metric granularity for faster incident response?
A.Install the CloudWatch agent
The agent adds OS-level metrics (memory, disk) but doesn't change EC2 metric frequency.
B.Enable detailed monitoring on the instance
Correct. Detailed monitoring = 1-minute EC2 metric granularity.
C.Change the CloudWatch retention period
Retention controls how long metrics are stored, not collection frequency.
D.Nothing — 1-minute is the default
5-minute granularity is the default, not 1-minute.
Why this answer
Basic monitoring publishes EC2 metrics every 5 minutes free; enabling detailed monitoring raises granularity to 1 minute (additional charge). The CloudWatch agent is needed for OS-level metrics like memory/disk, not for faster EC2 hypervisor metrics.
Correct answer: B · Last reviewed 2026-10-26
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