DVA-C02 Deployment Practice Question
A developer is deploying a serverless application using AWS SAM. The developer wants to define a Lambda function that is invoked by an Amazon API Gateway REST API. Which SAM resource type should the developer use to define the API?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS::Serverless::Api
AWS::Serverless::Api defines an API Gateway REST API in SAM. Option A is wrong because AWS::Serverless::SimpleTable defines a DynamoDB table, not an API. Option C is wrong because AWS::ApiGateway::RestApi is a raw CloudFormation resource, not a SAM shorthand resource type. Option D is wrong because AWS::Serverless::Function defines a Lambda function, not an API.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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AWS::Serverless::SimpleTable
Why it's wrong here
This AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM) resource is specifically designed to provision an Amazon DynamoDB table, providing a simplified way to define a NoSQL data store for serverless applications. It automatically configures a primary key and can be used for persistent data storage. However, `AWS::Serverless::SimpleTable` does not define an API endpoint or an API Gateway, which is responsible for handling HTTP requests and routing them to backend services.
- ✓
AWS::Serverless::Api
Why this is correct
This is the correct AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM) resource for defining an Amazon API Gateway REST API within a serverless application. `AWS::Serverless::Api` allows developers to specify API endpoints, methods, and integrations with backend services like AWS Lambda functions. This resource abstracts away much of the underlying CloudFormation complexity required to set up a robust and scalable API Gateway, making it the idiomatic choice for exposing HTTP endpoints.
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AWS::ApiGateway::RestApi
Why it's wrong here
This resource is a native AWS CloudFormation type used to define an Amazon API Gateway REST API. While technically capable of creating an API Gateway, it requires more verbose configuration and manual setup of methods and integrations compared to its SAM counterpart. For serverless applications built with SAM, `AWS::Serverless::Api` is the preferred and more concise abstraction, as it simplifies the definition of API Gateway resources significantly.
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AWS::Serverless::Function
Why it's wrong here
This AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM) resource is used to define an AWS Lambda function, which serves as the compute component for executing serverless code. It specifies the function's runtime, handler, memory, and environment variables. While a Lambda function is often the backend target for an API Gateway, `AWS::Serverless::Function` itself only defines the compute resource, not the API Gateway endpoint or its routing logic.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.