AWS provider Resource Lifecycle Management Practice Test 2 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Why might someone use 'prevent_destroy = true' on a database resource while allowing it on smaller web server instances?

Accepted Answer

To protect critical data from accidental deletion.. This is a common best practice to prevent accidental loss of stateful, critical data while allowing ephemeral instances to be managed normally.

Answer

To increase the speed of the destroy process.

Answer

To ensure create_before_destroy works.

Answer

To satisfy the AWS provider requirements.

Question 2

When refactoring code, you rename a resource in your configuration. What happens if you run 'terraform plan' without updating the state?

Accepted Answer

Terraform will propose destroying the old resource and creating a new one.. Terraform will assume the old resource has been deleted and the new one needs to be created, leading to unnecessary destruction of real resources.

Answer

Terraform will do nothing.

Answer

Terraform will automatically rename it in the state.

Answer

Terraform will throw an error and stop.

Question 3

Which file stores the mapping between your Terraform configuration and the real-world infrastructure?

Accepted Answer

terraform.tfstate. The state file (terraform.tfstate) is the primary location for this mapping.

Answer

terraform.tfvars

Answer

provider.tf

Answer

backend.tf

Question 4

You need to ignore changes to a specific index in a list of security group rules. How is this formatted in 'ignore_changes'?

Accepted Answer

ignore_changes = [ingress[0]]. You can target specific elements of a collection in the ignore_changes list using index notation.

Answer

ignore_changes = [ingress[0].cidr_blocks]

Answer

ignore_changes = [ingress.0]

Answer

ignore_changes = { ingress = [0] }

Question 5

What is the primary risk of relying solely on 'create_before_destroy' without considering dependency chains?

Accepted Answer

It can lead to resource contention or naming conflicts.. If multiple resources have circular dependencies or if the provider lacks support for concurrent resource existence, the create_before_destroy might fail.

Answer

It causes infinite loops in Terraform.

Answer

It increases the cost of the plan.

Answer

It creates a security risk.

Question 6

When a resource is marked as 'tainted', what is the expected outcome of the next 'terraform apply'?

Accepted Answer

It is destroyed and recreated.. A tainted resource is destroyed and recreated during the next apply operation.

Answer

It is ignored.

Answer

It is removed from the state file.

Answer

It is updated in place.

Question 7

Which meta-argument is used to prevent a resource from being replaced when its configuration changes?

Accepted Answer

ignore_changes. Actually, there is no meta-argument that prevents replacement if the configuration changes; you would use 'ignore_changes' to prevent the *detection* of the change.

Answer

force_keep

Answer

keep_alive

Answer

prevent_replace

Question 8

If a user wants to ensure that a resource's lifecycle is managed by Terraform but wants to bypass the 'prevent_destroy' protection, what is the best approach?

Accepted Answer

Remove the prevent_destroy block from the configuration and apply.. You must remove the prevent_destroy rule from the code and then apply the configuration to update the state.

Answer

Add 'ignore_changes = [prevent_destroy]' to the block.

Answer

Use 'terraform state rm' to remove the constraint.

Answer

Use 'terraform destroy -force-remove-prevent-destroy'.

Question 9

When using 'replace_triggered_by', what happens if the referenced resource is deleted?

Accepted Answer

The plan fails because the dependency cannot be evaluated.. If the referenced resource is deleted, the expression for replace_triggered_by becomes invalid, and Terraform will return an error during the plan phase.

Answer

The resource is destroyed as well.

Answer

The resource is kept as is.

Answer

The trigger is ignored.

Question 10

Which THREE of the following are valid lifecycle meta-arguments?

Accepted Answer

create_before_destroy. create_before_destroy, prevent_destroy, and ignore_changes are the standard lifecycle meta-arguments.

Answer

version_pin

Answer

allow_replace

Question 11

Which THREE of these are reasons to use the 'ignore_changes' lifecycle meta-argument?

Accepted Answer

To ignore tags applied by external cost-allocation tools.. These are common scenarios for ignoring drifts or auto-populated fields in Terraform.

Answer

To force the creation of a new resource.

Answer

To prevent Terraform from destroying a database.

Question 12

Which THREE of the following are true regarding 'create_before_destroy'?

Accepted Answer

It is intended to minimize downtime during updates.. It ensures availability, requires enough capacity for two resources, and can be used on any resource.

Answer

It automatically resolves all name collision issues.

Answer

It is only available for AWS providers.

Question 13

Which TWO of the following accurately describe the behavior of 'terraform state rm'?

Accepted Answer

It stops Terraform from tracking the resource.. It removes the item from the state but leaves the actual infrastructure in place.

Answer

It requires the 'force' flag for all resources.

Answer

It is a permanent action that cannot be undone.

Answer

It destroys the infrastructure in the cloud.

Question 14

Which THREE of the following are consequences of drifting from the Terraform state?

Accepted Answer

The plan may show changes even if the config hasn't changed.. Drift causes mismatches, unexpected results, and potential failure during destructive actions.

Answer

It disables the use of lifecycle meta-arguments.

Answer

It automatically updates the configuration file.

Question 15

Which TWO of the following are valid ways to handle a resource that has become 'tainted'?

Accepted Answer

Run 'terraform apply' to recreate it.. You can either fix the taint by running a successful apply or manually untaint it using the CLI.

Answer

Run 'terraform refresh' to clear the taint.

Answer

Use 'terraform state rm' to fix the taint.

Answer

Use 'terraform plan -force-apply'.