- A
Use the AWS CLI to force delete the stack with the --force option.
Why wrong: There is no --force option for delete-stack.
- B
Manually delete the DB instance using the RDS console.
After manual deletion, the stack can be deleted.
- C
Disable termination protection on the EC2 instance.
Why wrong: Not related to DB retention issue.
- D
Change the deletion policy of the DB instance to 'Delete' and then update the stack before deleting.
Changing to 'Delete' allows CloudFormation to delete the DB instance during stack deletion.
- E
Modify the DB instance to allow deletion by setting DeletionProtection to false.
Why wrong: Deletion protection is an RDS setting, but CloudFormation deletion policy overrides? Actually, if deletion policy is Retain, CloudFormation will retain regardless. So changing DeletionProtection alone won't help.
DOP-C02 Configuration Management and IaC Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of configuration management and iac. 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.
A company uses AWS CloudFormation to manage infrastructure. They have a stack that creates an Amazon RDS DB instance and an EC2 instance that connects to it. The DB instance has a deletion policy of 'Retain'. The stack fails to delete because the DB instance is retained and still exists. Which TWO actions would allow the stack to be deleted successfully? (Select TWO.)
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
Manually delete the DB instance using the RDS console.
Option B is correct because manually deleting the retained DB instance removes the resource that is blocking the stack deletion. CloudFormation cannot delete a stack that contains a resource with a 'Retain' deletion policy until that resource is manually removed, as the stack expects the resource to no longer exist for the deletion to complete.
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.
- ✗
Use the AWS CLI to force delete the stack with the --force option.
Why it's wrong here
There is no --force option for delete-stack.
- ✓
Manually delete the DB instance using the RDS console.
Why this is correct
After manual deletion, the stack can be deleted.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Disable termination protection on the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
Not related to DB retention issue.
- ✓
Change the deletion policy of the DB instance to 'Delete' and then update the stack before deleting.
Why this is correct
Changing to 'Delete' allows CloudFormation to delete the DB instance during stack deletion.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Modify the DB instance to allow deletion by setting DeletionProtection to false.
Why it's wrong here
Deletion protection is an RDS setting, but CloudFormation deletion policy overrides? Actually, if deletion policy is Retain, CloudFormation will retain regardless. So changing DeletionProtection alone won't help.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Retain' deletion policy with 'DeletionProtection' or assume that termination protection on EC2 instances is relevant, when in fact the core issue is that the retained resource must be either manually removed or its policy changed to allow CloudFormation to delete it.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a CloudFormation stack resource has a deletion policy of 'Retain', the resource is preserved after the stack deletion, but the stack deletion process still requires the resource to be removed from the stack's resource list. If the resource is not manually deleted, the stack enters a DELETE_FAILED state because CloudFormation cannot complete the deletion while the resource exists. Updating the stack to change the deletion policy to 'Delete' before deleting the stack allows CloudFormation to delete the DB instance as part of the stack deletion process, which is a common pattern for handling retained resources.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Configuration Management and IaC — This question tests Configuration Management and IaC — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Manually delete the DB instance using the RDS console. — Option B is correct because manually deleting the retained DB instance removes the resource that is blocking the stack deletion. CloudFormation cannot delete a stack that contains a resource with a 'Retain' deletion policy until that resource is manually removed, as the stack expects the resource to no longer exist for the deletion to complete.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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: Jun 24, 2026
This DOP-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 DOP-C02 exam.
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