DOP-C02 SDLC Automation Practice Question

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 environment variable 'JAVA_HOME' in the buildspec file's 'env' section.

  Why this is correct

  Setting JAVA_HOME in the buildspec's env section ensures the variable is exported into every build phase's shell before commands run. This resolves the 'invalid JAVA_HOME' error because Maven or Gradle translates this variable into the absolute path of the JDK installation, which is needed for compilation. It's the canonical fix and works regardless of which base image CodeBuild uses.

• ✗

  Use the managed image 'aws/codebuild/standard:5.0' which has Java pre-installed.

  Why it's wrong here

  Switching to aws/codebuild/standard:5.0 does not automatically define JAVA_HOME; the image merely makes multiple JDK versions available on the PATH. When you don't explicitly set JAVA_HOME, CodeBuild's environment may inherit a default or leave it undefined, and a Spring Boot build will still fail if the variable is missing or points to the wrong JDK. Therefore, even on this managed image, you must still define JAVA_HOME in the buildspec.

• ✗

  Install Java in the pre_build phase using a command.

  Why it's wrong here

  Running apt-get or yum to install Java in pre_build only places the JDK binaries under /usr/lib/jvm or similar, but it never exports the JAVA_HOME environment variable to the build process. Because each build phase runs in a fresh shell process, any export you add to pre_build won't survive into the build phase unless you also append it to ~/.bashrc or set it via the buildspec's env section. This option leaves the root cause untouched and would still produce the same JAVA_HOME error.

• ✗

  Use a custom Docker image that has Java pre-installed.

  Why it's wrong here

  Building a custom Docker image that already contains Java does not address the missing JAVA_HOME variable; the image only provides the installed filesystem, and CodeBuild still starts with a default environment that lacks a defined JAVA_HOME unless the image's Dockerfile has an ENV JAVA_HOME instruction. You would need to verify the image's environment or explicitly set JAVA_HOME in the buildspec, so this option alone doesn't fix the failure. It also introduces extra maintenance and still requires the same configuration.

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