The correct answer is to replicate data in real time to an EBS volume and take periodic snapshots, as this is the most resilient solution for instance store volumes data persistence and disaster recovery. Instance store volumes provide the low-latency, local block storage required by the stateful application, but they are ephemeral—any instance failure or stop action erases all data. By continuously replicating data to a durable EBS volume, you decouple the performance benefit of the instance store from the risk of data loss, and periodic EBS snapshots add a recoverable, off-instance backup layer for full disaster recovery. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that instance store volumes are not persistent by design, and that the trap is assuming an AMI or resizing the instance can preserve that data—neither captures instance store content. Memory tip: think of the instance store as a fast scratchpad; always copy your work to a durable notebook (EBS) and photograph the pages (snapshots) to survive any desk fire.
DOP-C02 Resilient Cloud Solutions Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of resilient cloud solutions. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 company runs a stateful application on EC2 instances with instance store volumes. The application requires low-latency access to data. The operations team needs to ensure that instance failure does not result in data loss. Which solution is MOST resilient?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Replicate data in real time to an EBS volume and take periodic snapshots.
Option D is correct because replicating data to EBS and taking snapshots provides persistent storage and disaster recovery. Option A is wrong because instance store volumes are ephemeral. Option B is wrong because increasing instance size does not prevent data loss. Option C is wrong because an AMI does not capture data from instance store volumes.
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.
✗
Use instance store volumes with RAID 1 across multiple instances.
Why it's wrong here
Instance store data is ephemeral and lost on instance failure.
✓
Replicate data in real time to an EBS volume and take periodic snapshots.
Why this is correct
EBS provides persistent storage and snapshots enable recovery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use larger instance types with more instance store capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Size does not affect persistence.
✗
Create an AMI of the instance periodically to capture the data.
Why it's wrong here
AMIs do not capture instance store data.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Resilient Cloud Solutions — This question tests Resilient Cloud Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Replicate data in real time to an EBS volume and take periodic snapshots. — Option D is correct because replicating data to EBS and taking snapshots provides persistent storage and disaster recovery. Option A is wrong because instance store volumes are ephemeral. Option B is wrong because increasing instance size does not prevent data loss. Option C is wrong because an AMI does not capture data from instance store volumes.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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