This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company uses AWS OpsWorks for configuration management and deployment of applications on EC2 instances. The company wants to migrate to AWS Systems Manager for automation and patching. Which Systems Manager capability should be used to execute scripts and commands on EC2 instances as part of a deployment?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Systems Manager State Manager
AWS Systems Manager State Manager is the correct capability because it is designed to define and maintain consistent configuration of EC2 instances, including executing scripts and commands as part of a deployment. State Manager uses associations to enforce a desired state, such as running a custom script during instance boot or on a schedule, making it ideal for deployment automation. This aligns with the migration from OpsWorks, which also manages configuration state.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager
Why it's wrong here
Patch Manager is specifically for patching, not for executing arbitrary scripts.
✓
AWS Systems Manager State Manager
Why this is correct
State Manager can run scripts on a schedule or on demand as part of a deployment.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
AWS Systems Manager Automation
Why it's wrong here
Automation is for executing predefined workflows, not for ongoing configuration.
✗
AWS Systems Manager Run Command
Why it's wrong here
Run Command is for one-time commands, not for ongoing configuration management.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Run Command (on-demand execution) with State Manager (stateful, scheduled execution), but the question's emphasis on 'as part of a deployment' implies a need for ongoing configuration enforcement, not just a one-time command.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Run Command is for one-time commands, not for ongoing configuration management.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
State Manager uses SSM documents (e.g., AWS-RunShellScript or AWS-RunPowerShellScript) within associations that can be triggered by a schedule, on instance boot, or on a change event. Under the hood, State Manager leverages the same SSM Agent as Run Command but adds a persistence layer via association definitions stored in the Systems Manager backend, ensuring the desired state is reapplied even after instance reboots. In a real-world scenario, migrating from OpsWorks Chef recipes to State Manager allows you to define a 'deployment' association that runs a script to pull the latest application code from S3 and restart services, with automatic re-execution on instance replacement.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Deployment — This question tests Deployment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Systems Manager State Manager — AWS Systems Manager State Manager is the correct capability because it is designed to define and maintain consistent configuration of EC2 instances, including executing scripts and commands as part of a deployment. State Manager uses associations to enforce a desired state, such as running a custom script during instance boot or on a schedule, making it ideal for deployment automation. This aligns with the migration from OpsWorks, which also manages configuration state.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This DVA-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DVA-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
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