CloudFormation Stack Creation Failed Due to IAM Role Permission — Troubleshooting
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
The developer tries to deploy this stack but receives an error: 'CREATE_FAILED: LambdaExecutionRole - Resource creation cancelled'. The Lambda function is not created. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The IAM user does not have permission to create IAM roles
The error 'Resource creation cancelled' indicates that the CloudFormation stack creation was aborted because a resource (LambdaExecutionRole) failed to be created. The most likely cause is that the IAM user or role used to deploy the stack does not have the iam:CreateRole permission. This is a common issue when deploying IAM roles via CloudFormation, as the deploying identity needs sufficient IAM privileges. Other options are less likely: an S3 bucket in a different region (A) would cause a bucket access error, not a role creation failure; an incorrect handler name (B) would cause a Lambda invocation error after role creation; missing Lambda code (C) would affect the Lambda function after the role is created. Therefore, the correct answer is D.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The S3 bucket is in a different region
Why it's wrong here
Cross-region S3 access may cause issues but not role creation.
✗
The Lambda function handler name is incorrect
Why it's wrong here
Handler issues would appear on Lambda creation, not role.
✗
The Lambda function code is missing from the S3 bucket
Why it's wrong here
That would cause a different error on the Lambda function.
✓
The IAM user does not have permission to create IAM roles
Why this is correct
Creation cancelled typically indicates a permissions issue.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
Storage Class
Min Duration
Retrieval
Use Case
S3 Standard
None
Immediate
Frequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA
30 days
Immediate
Infrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA
30 days
Immediate
Non-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
None
Immediate–hours
Unknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant
90 days
Milliseconds
Archive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible
90 days
Minutes–hours
Archive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
180 days
Hours
Long-term compliance archive
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related DVA-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Deployment — This question tests Deployment — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The IAM user does not have permission to create IAM roles — The error 'Resource creation cancelled' indicates that the CloudFormation stack creation was aborted because a resource (LambdaExecutionRole) failed to be created. The most likely cause is that the IAM user or role used to deploy the stack does not have the iam:CreateRole permission. This is a common issue when deploying IAM roles via CloudFormation, as the deploying identity needs sufficient IAM privileges. Other options are less likely: an S3 bucket in a different region (A) would cause a bucket access error, not a role creation failure; an incorrect handler name (B) would cause a Lambda invocation error after role creation; missing Lambda code (C) would affect the Lambda function after the role is created. Therefore, the correct answer is D.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related DVA-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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