AWS (Amazon Web Services) Certification Practice Exam

What is the function of Elastic Container Registry (ECR)?

1. Store and manage Docker images securely

2. Deploy applications directly to EC2

3. Monitor container performance

4. Provide a web interface for container management

The correct answer is: Store and manage Docker images securely

The Elastic Container Registry (ECR) serves primarily to store and manage Docker images securely. This service enables users to easily store, version, and manage their container images as part of their development and deployment pipeline. By utilizing ECR, developers can leverage a fully managed service that eliminates the need for them to manage their own registry software, as it automatically scales and handles the infrastructure concerns related to image storage. ECR integrates seamlessly with Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service) and Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service), allowing for straightforward deployment of containers directly from the registry. Security is a key feature, with automatic encryption of images at rest and in transit, along with IAM (Identity and Access Management) controls to manage access to the images stored. While the other options describe activities related to container management or deployment, they do not encapsulate the primary purpose of ECR. For instance, while deploying applications can occur via ECS or EKS, that function falls outside the specific remit of ECR. Monitoring container performance pertains to different services such as Amazon CloudWatch. Providing a web interface for container management also falls under the capabilities of services like ECS or Kubernetes rather than ECR which focuses specifically on image storage and management.