Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon ECS. This is the correct action provider for the deploy stage because it directly integrates CodePipeline with Amazon ECS, allowing the pipeline to automatically update an existing ECS service with a new task definition whenever a new image is pushed to Amazon ECR. When Amazon ECR is configured as a source, CodePipeline detects the image push, and the Amazon ECS deploy action triggers a rolling update of the service using the new image—no additional deployment tools like CodeDeploy or manual scripts are needed. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of native service integrations within CodePipeline; a common trap is choosing CodeDeploy, which is used for blue/green deployments on ECS, not for the standard rolling update. Remember the memory tip: "ECS for rolling, CodeDeploy for blue/green"—if the question simply says "deploy to ECS" without specifying a deployment type, the action provider is Amazon ECS.
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of configuration management and iac. 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 DevOps engineer is designing a CI/CD pipeline for an application that runs on Amazon ECS. The pipeline should automatically build a Docker image from source code, push it to Amazon ECR, and deploy it to the ECS service. The engineer wants to use AWS CodePipeline with Amazon ECR as a source. Which action provider should be used for the deploy stage?
AWS CloudFormation
Why wrong: CloudFormation can create/update stacks but is not the direct deploy action for ECS.
AWS CodeDeploy
Why wrong: CodeDeploy is for EC2/on-premises or Lambda, not ECS.
Amazon ECS
ECS action provider directly deploys to an ECS service.
AWS Elastic Beanstalk
Why wrong: Elastic Beanstalk is a different compute platform.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon ECS
Amazon ECS is the correct action provider for the deploy stage when using AWS CodePipeline because it directly integrates with ECS to update an existing ECS service with a new task definition. When Amazon ECR is configured as a source, CodePipeline detects image pushes, and the ECS deploy action automatically triggers a rolling update of the ECS service using the new image, without requiring additional deployment tools.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS CloudFormation
Why it's wrong here
CloudFormation can create/update stacks but is not the direct deploy action for ECS.
AWS CodeDeploy
Why it's wrong here
CodeDeploy is for EC2/on-premises or Lambda, not ECS.
Amazon ECS
Why this is correct
ECS action provider directly deploys to an ECS service.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Elastic Beanstalk
Why it's wrong here
Elastic Beanstalk is a different compute platform.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the Amazon ECS deploy action with AWS CodeDeploy, but CodeDeploy is only required for ECS blue/green deployments, while the Amazon ECS action directly handles rolling updates and is the simplest choice for standard ECS service deployments.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the Amazon ECS deploy action in CodePipeline works by calling the ECS UpdateService API with a new task definition ARN that references the updated image from ECR. CodePipeline automatically creates a new task definition revision with the image URI from the source artifact, then triggers a service update that respects the deployment controller (e.g., rolling update or blue/green). A subtle behavior is that the ECS deploy action requires the task definition to be defined as a JSON file in the source artifact, and the image URI must be specified as a parameter that CodePipeline substitutes with the actual ECR image URI from the source.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Configuration Management and IaC — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Configuration Management and IaC practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All DOP-C02 questions
1,740 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
DOP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Configuration Management and IaC.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Resilient Cloud Solutions.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Monitoring and Logging.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Incident and Event Response.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to SDLC Automation.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 fundamentals.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 scenario.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Configuration Management and IaC — This question tests Configuration Management and IaC — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon ECS — Amazon ECS is the correct action provider for the deploy stage when using AWS CodePipeline because it directly integrates with ECS to update an existing ECS service with a new task definition. When Amazon ECR is configured as a source, CodePipeline detects image pushes, and the ECS deploy action automatically triggers a rolling update of the ECS service using the new image, without requiring additional deployment tools.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.