- A
In the Elastic Beanstalk environment properties, set the database password to the ARN of the secret in Secrets Manager.
Why wrong: Elastic Beanstalk does not automatically resolve secret ARNs to values.
- B
Configure the Elastic Beanstalk environment to use the Amazon RDS integration feature, and select the option to retrieve credentials from Secrets Manager in the environment's software configuration.
Why wrong: Elastic Beanstalk does not have a built-in option to retrieve RDS credentials from Secrets Manager in the software configuration.
- C
Use a configuration file (.ebextensions) to define an option setting that retrieves the secret from Secrets Manager and sets it as an environment variable.
Elastic Beanstalk supports using .ebextensions to define environment variables from Secrets Manager using the 'aws:elasticbeanstalk:environment' option settings.
- D
Modify the EC2 instance profile of the Elastic Beanstalk environment to grant read access to the Secrets Manager secret, and use the AWS CLI in the application code to retrieve the secret.
Why wrong: This works but is not the best practice; Elastic Beanstalk offers a more integrated approach.
DOP-C02 Configuration Management and IaC Practice Question
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.
An organization uses AWS Elastic Beanstalk to deploy a Node.js application. The application requires access to an Amazon RDS database. The database credentials are stored in AWS Secrets Manager. How should the Elastic Beanstalk environment be configured to securely retrieve the database credentials at runtime?
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
Use a configuration file (.ebextensions) to define an option setting that retrieves the secret from Secrets Manager and sets it as an environment variable.
Option C is correct because it uses an .ebextensions configuration file to define a command or script that retrieves the secret from AWS Secrets Manager at deployment time and sets it as an environment variable. This approach ensures the secret is fetched securely via the AWS SDK or CLI, using the instance profile for permissions, and avoids hardcoding credentials in environment properties or application code. It aligns with AWS best practices for dynamic secret retrieval in Elastic Beanstalk.
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.
- ✗
In the Elastic Beanstalk environment properties, set the database password to the ARN of the secret in Secrets Manager.
Why it's wrong here
Elastic Beanstalk does not automatically resolve secret ARNs to values.
- ✗
Configure the Elastic Beanstalk environment to use the Amazon RDS integration feature, and select the option to retrieve credentials from Secrets Manager in the environment's software configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Elastic Beanstalk does not have a built-in option to retrieve RDS credentials from Secrets Manager in the software configuration.
- ✓
Use a configuration file (.ebextensions) to define an option setting that retrieves the secret from Secrets Manager and sets it as an environment variable.
Why this is correct
Elastic Beanstalk supports using .ebextensions to define environment variables from Secrets Manager using the 'aws:elasticbeanstalk:environment' option settings.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Modify the EC2 instance profile of the Elastic Beanstalk environment to grant read access to the Secrets Manager secret, and use the AWS CLI in the application code to retrieve the secret.
Why it's wrong here
This works but is not the best practice; Elastic Beanstalk offers a more integrated approach.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume the RDS integration feature or environment properties can directly reference Secrets Manager ARNs, but Elastic Beanstalk does not natively resolve secrets from ARNs; only explicit retrieval via .ebextensions or custom scripts works.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, .ebextensions files are YAML or JSON configuration files that Elastic Beanstalk processes during environment creation and updates. They can run container commands or scripts that use the AWS CLI (e.g., `aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id <ARN> --query SecretString --output text`) to fetch the secret and export it as an environment variable. The instance profile must include an IAM policy with `secretsmanager:GetSecretValue` permission. This approach ensures the secret is available to the application process without being stored in the environment properties, which are visible in the Elastic Beanstalk console.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: Use a configuration file (.ebextensions) to define an option setting that retrieves the secret from Secrets Manager and sets it as an environment variable. — Option C is correct because it uses an .ebextensions configuration file to define a command or script that retrieves the secret from AWS Secrets Manager at deployment time and sets it as an environment variable. This approach ensures the secret is fetched securely via the AWS SDK or CLI, using the instance profile for permissions, and avoids hardcoding credentials in environment properties or application code. It aligns with AWS best practices for dynamic secret retrieval in Elastic Beanstalk.
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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