Which of the following are required elements of an Auto Scaling group?

An Auto Scaling group is a fundamental component of AWS Auto Scaling that automatically adjusts the number of Amazon EC2 instances in response to user-defined policies, scaling schedules, and health checks. Among the required elements for establishing an Auto Scaling group, a launch configuration and minimum size are crucial.

The launch configuration specifies the instance type and other settings, such as the Amazon Machine Image (AMI), key pair, security groups, and block storage volume sizes. This configuration essentially dictates how the instances will be launched when scaling actions occur.

The minimum size defines the smallest number of instances that the Auto Scaling group will maintain at any time. This is essential for ensuring that your application has enough capacity to handle the minimum expected load. If the number of instances falls below this size, the Auto Scaling group will launch new instances to meet the minimum requirement.

By setting these parameters, you ensure that your application remains available and can scale down to a minimum level to optimize costs while still meeting service demands. Other elements mentioned in the alternatives, such as maximum size or scaling policies, while important for overall functionality, are not strictly required to create an Auto Scaling group.