The correct answer is to SSH into one of the failed instances and run the install script manually to identify the error. This approach directly addresses a non-zero exit code by replicating the exact execution environment where the script failed, allowing you to see the precise error message, missing dependencies, or permission issues that the automated deployment could not surface. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that CodeDeploy logs only the exit code, not the script’s stdout or stderr, making manual execution the fastest way to isolate the root cause. A common trap is to immediately rewrite the script or adjust the LifecycleEvent hook timeout, but those actions treat symptoms, not the underlying script failure. Remember the mnemonic: “Exit code one? SSH and run.”
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 DevOps engineer is using AWS CodeDeploy to deploy an application to an Auto Scaling group. The deployment fails with the error: 'The overall deployment failed because too many individual instances failed deployment'. The engineer checks the logs and finds that the application installation script exits with a non-zero exit code. What should the engineer do to troubleshoot?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SSH into one of the failed instances and run the install script manually to identify the error
Option D is correct because the deployment failure is caused by the application installation script exiting with a non-zero exit code, which indicates a specific error in the script or its environment. SSHing into a failed instance and running the install script manually allows the engineer to see the exact error output, debug the script logic, and identify missing dependencies or configuration issues directly on the target host.
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.
✗
Configure CloudWatch Logs to capture the script output
Why it's wrong here
While helpful, it does not directly fix the script error; manual debugging is faster.
✗
Increase the deployment's MinHealthyHosts percentage
Why it's wrong here
This would allow more failures, but not fix the root cause.
✗
Re-upload the application revision to S3
Why it's wrong here
The revision is already uploaded; the issue is execution.
✓
SSH into one of the failed instances and run the install script manually to identify the error
Why this is correct
Manual debugging reveals the script error.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume increasing MinHealthyHosts or re-uploading the revision will fix the issue, when in fact the problem is a script-level error that requires direct investigation on a failed instance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CodeDeploy uses the appspec.yml file to define lifecycle hooks, including the ApplicationInstall hook that runs the install script. A non-zero exit code from this script causes the deployment to fail on that instance, and if too many instances fail, the overall deployment fails. SSH access to the instance allows the engineer to inspect the script's environment variables, file permissions, and dependencies, and to run the script with bash -x for step-by-step debugging, which is more effective than relying on aggregated logs.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: SSH into one of the failed instances and run the install script manually to identify the error — Option D is correct because the deployment failure is caused by the application installation script exiting with a non-zero exit code, which indicates a specific error in the script or its environment. SSHing into a failed instance and running the install script manually allows the engineer to see the exact error output, debug the script logic, and identify missing dependencies or configuration issues directly on the target host.
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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Question Discussion
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