DOP-C02 AutoScalingReplacingUpdate Practice Question
A company uses AWS CloudFormation to manage its infrastructure. The operations team needs to update a stack that includes an RDS database. The update requires changing the DB instance class, which will cause a replacement of the database. The team wants to minimize downtime and ensure that data is not lost. Which CloudFormation stack update policy should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates might assume that AutoScalingReplacingUpdate can be applied to any resource supporting replacement, but CloudFormation limits UpdatePolicy to specific resources like Auto Scaling groups, ElastiCache replication groups, and Elasticsearch domains. RDS DB instances do not support UpdatePolicy.
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
✓
Set the UpdatePolicy to AutoScalingReplacingUpdate with WillReplace set to true.
The UpdatePolicy attribute with AutoScalingReplacingUpdate is only supported for AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup resources, not for AWS::RDS::DBInstance. Therefore, option D is incorrect. Options A and C are also invalid (CreationPolicy is for signal-based creation, and AutoScalingRollingUpdate is for rolling updates on Auto Scaling groups). Option B, Stack Policy, can protect resources from being updated but does not control how a replacement occurs to minimize downtime or prevent data loss. Thus, none of the provided options are correct for ensuring minimal downtime and data safety during an RDS instance class change that requires replacement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set the CreationPolicy attribute on the database resource.
Why it's wrong here
CreationPolicy is used to wait for success signals during resource creation, not for controlling replacement during updates.
- ✗
Configure a Stack Policy to protect the database resource.
Why it's wrong here
Stack Policy governs which resources can be updated, but it does not provide a mechanism to minimize downtime if a replacement is required.
- ✗
Set the UpdatePolicy to AutoScalingRollingUpdate.
Why it's wrong here
AutoScalingRollingUpdate is used for rolling updates on Auto Scaling groups and is not applicable to RDS instances.
- ✓
Set the UpdatePolicy to AutoScalingReplacingUpdate with WillReplace set to true.
Why this is correct
AutoScalingReplacingUpdate is only supported for AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup and cannot be applied to an AWS::RDS::DBInstance resource.
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