- A
Store the credentials as environment properties in the Elastic Beanstalk environment configuration.
Elastic Beanstalk supports storing environment properties that are injected into the application at runtime.
- B
Encrypt the credentials and store them in an Amazon S3 bucket. Have the application download them at startup.
Why wrong: This adds complexity and the credentials could be exposed in the S3 bucket.
- C
Use AWS Secrets Manager to store the credentials and retrieve them in the application code.
Why wrong: This is a valid approach but not the simplest; EB environment properties are easier.
- D
Store the credentials in a separate configuration file and include it in the application source bundle.
Why wrong: Including credentials in the source bundle is insecure.
Storing Database Credentials as Environment Properties in Elastic Beanstalk
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. 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 developer is deploying an application using AWS Elastic Beanstalk. The application reads and writes data to an Amazon RDS database. The developer wants to ensure that database credentials are not stored in the application code or configuration files. What should the developer do?
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
Store the credentials as environment properties in the Elastic Beanstalk environment configuration.
Option A is correct because Elastic Beanstalk allows you to define environment properties that are injected into the application's environment variables at runtime. These properties are not stored in the application code or configuration files, and they can be managed through the Elastic Beanstalk console, CLI, or API. This approach keeps database credentials out of the source bundle while still making them accessible to the application.
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.
- ✓
Store the credentials as environment properties in the Elastic Beanstalk environment configuration.
Why this is correct
Elastic Beanstalk supports storing environment properties that are injected into the application at runtime.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Encrypt the credentials and store them in an Amazon S3 bucket. Have the application download them at startup.
Why it's wrong here
This adds complexity and the credentials could be exposed in the S3 bucket.
- ✗
Use AWS Secrets Manager to store the credentials and retrieve them in the application code.
Why it's wrong here
This is a valid approach but not the simplest; EB environment properties are easier.
- ✗
Store the credentials in a separate configuration file and include it in the application source bundle.
Why it's wrong here
Including credentials in the source bundle is insecure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may overthink the solution and choose AWS Secrets Manager (Option C) because it is a dedicated secrets management service, but the question specifically asks for a solution that avoids storing credentials in application code or configuration files, and Elastic Beanstalk's environment properties are the simplest and most direct way to achieve this without introducing additional services or complexity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Elastic Beanstalk environment properties are exposed as environment variables to the application's runtime process, and they can be set at the environment level or through the `aws:elasticbeanstalk:application:environment` namespace in the configuration file. These properties are encrypted at rest and in transit, and they can be updated without redeploying the application, making them ideal for sensitive data like database credentials. In a real-world scenario, you could also combine this with IAM roles for the EC2 instances to further restrict access to the RDS database.
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 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Store the credentials as environment properties in the Elastic Beanstalk environment configuration. — Option A is correct because Elastic Beanstalk allows you to define environment properties that are injected into the application's environment variables at runtime. These properties are not stored in the application code or configuration files, and they can be managed through the Elastic Beanstalk console, CLI, or API. This approach keeps database credentials out of the source bundle while still making them accessible to the application.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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