What type of information is contained in instance metadata?

Instance metadata contains data about the configuration of the instance itself, such as the instance ID, type, and state, as well as information regarding the associated virtual networks, security groups, and other environmental settings. This metadata is used by the instance to configure itself and to facilitate communication and management tasks within a cloud environment.

For instance, an administrator could query the metadata to retrieve details that help in resource management, troubleshooting, or application configuration specific to that instance. This capability is crucial for automation and orchestration within cloud services, enabling dynamic adjustments based on the environment's needs.

On the other hand, encryption keys are sensitive and typically managed separately for security reasons. Network configurations, while important, may not directly be part of the instance metadata but rather related to the broader infrastructure setup. Billing details pertain to the accounting aspects of cloud resource usage and are not part of the instance's configuration dataset. Thus, the correct choice clearly aligns with the nature of instance metadata.