This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of sdlc automation. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A DevOps engineer runs the CLI command to view stack events. The output shows that a Lambda function update was cancelled by the stack update. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Network Topology
A
The stack had a drift detection operation that overrode the update.
Why wrong: Drift detection does not cancel updates.
B
The IAM role for the Lambda function lacked permissions to update the function.
Why wrong: Permissions errors would produce a specific access denied message.
C
The Lambda function code exceeded the maximum size limit for inline code.
Why wrong: Size limit errors are not described as 'cancelled by stack update'.
D
A concurrent stack update was initiated while a previous update was in progress.
CloudFormation cancels pending updates when a new update is started.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A concurrent stack update was initiated while a previous update was in progress.
When a stack update is in progress, AWS CloudFormation locks the stack to prevent concurrent operations. If a second update is initiated, CloudFormation cancels the first update and returns an error. The Lambda function update was cancelled because a concurrent stack update was started while the previous update was still running, which is a known limitation of CloudFormation's stack management.
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.
✗
The stack had a drift detection operation that overrode the update.
Why it's wrong here
Drift detection does not cancel updates.
✗
The IAM role for the Lambda function lacked permissions to update the function.
Why it's wrong here
Permissions errors would produce a specific access denied message.
✗
The Lambda function code exceeded the maximum size limit for inline code.
Why it's wrong here
Size limit errors are not described as 'cancelled by stack update'.
✓
A concurrent stack update was initiated while a previous update was in progress.
Why this is correct
CloudFormation cancels pending updates when a new update is started.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
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 confuse a 'cancelled' update with a 'failed' update due to permissions or size limits, but CloudFormation explicitly cancels the first update only when a concurrent update is attempted.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudFormation uses a stack-level lock to ensure serialized updates; if a second update request arrives while the first is in progress, the second request fails with a 'Stack update in progress' error, and the first update continues. However, in some cases, the first update may be cancelled if the second request is processed as a replacement or if the stack's resource status changes. This behaviour is enforced by CloudFormation's internal state machine, which prevents race conditions and ensures stack consistency.
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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
Model
You Manage
Provider Manages
Examples
IaaS
OS, runtime, apps, data
Hardware, hypervisor, networking
EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine
PaaS
Apps and data
OS, runtime, middleware, hardware
Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service
SaaS
Data and settings only
Everything else
Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday
FaaS / Serverless
Function code only
Infra, scaling, runtime
Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run
CaaS
Containers and apps
Kubernetes, OS, hardware
EKS, AKS, GKE
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.
SDLC Automation — This question tests SDLC Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A concurrent stack update was initiated while a previous update was in progress. — When a stack update is in progress, AWS CloudFormation locks the stack to prevent concurrent operations. If a second update is initiated, CloudFormation cancels the first update and returns an error. The Lambda function update was cancelled because a concurrent stack update was started while the previous update was still running, which is a known limitation of CloudFormation's stack management.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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