DVA-C02 Development with AWS Services Practice Question
A developer wants to store application configuration data that can be accessed by multiple microservices. The data is sensitive and should be encrypted at rest. Which AWS service should be used to meet these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to choose Amazon S3 because they think of storing configuration files (e.g., JSON or YAML) in buckets, but they overlook that Parameter Store is purpose-built for secure, encrypted configuration management with native IAM integration and no need to manage file access or encryption manually.
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 Systems Manager Parameter Store
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store provides a secure, hierarchical store for configuration data and secrets. It supports encryption at rest using AWS KMS, integrates with AWS IAM for fine-grained access control, and is designed for use by multiple microservices via the AWS SDK or CLI. This makes it the ideal choice for storing sensitive application configuration that must be encrypted at rest and accessed by distributed services.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Amazon S3 is an object storage service designed for storing and retrieving large amounts of unstructured data, such as files, images, and backups. While it can technically store configuration files as objects, it lacks native features like secure parameter retrieval, hierarchical organization, or automatic secret rotation that are crucial for robust application configuration management. Its primary purpose is not for dynamic, secure application configuration data access, making it less suitable than specialized services.
- ✗
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Why it's wrong here
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a service used to securely control access to AWS resources by managing users, groups, roles, and their permissions. It defines who can access what and how, but it is not designed to store application configuration data itself. IAM policies and roles govern access to configuration stores, rather than serving as a configuration store for application settings.
- ✗
Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
Amazon DynamoDB is a fast, flexible NoSQL database service designed for applications requiring consistent, single-digit millisecond latency at any scale. While it can store key-value pairs, making it technically capable of holding configuration data, it does not offer the specialized features for configuration management like secure string types, built-in hierarchical organization for parameters, or direct integration with application deployment tools that a dedicated parameter store provides. Implementing secure access and versioning would require significant custom development.
- ✓
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Why this is correct
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store is a highly scalable, secure, and easy-to-use service for storing and managing configuration data and secrets. It supports hierarchical organization, versioning, and secure string types, allowing sensitive data like database credentials or API keys to be encrypted at rest using AWS KMS. Applications can securely retrieve parameters at runtime, making it the ideal solution for centralized application configuration management.
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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.