DOP-C02 SDLC Automation Practice Question
Exhibit
arn:aws:cloudformation:us-west-2:123456789012:stack/MyStack/abc123
Refer to the exhibit. A DevOps engineer sees the following error when trying to update a CloudFormation stack: 'Stack [arn:aws:cloudformation:us-west-2:123456789012:stack/MyStack/abc123] is in ROLLBACK_COMPLETE state and can not be updated.' What should the engineer do to proceed?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse ROLLBACK_COMPLETE with ROLLBACK_IN_PROGRESS or UPDATE_ROLLBACK_FAILED, assuming they can resume or continue the rollback, but AWS explicitly prevents any operation on a stack in a terminal rollback state.
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
✓
Delete the stack and create a new one with the updated template.
When a CloudFormation stack reaches the ROLLBACK_COMPLETE state, it means the stack creation or update failed and the rollback has finished, leaving the stack in a terminal state. CloudFormation does not allow updates or rollback continuation on stacks in this state. The only supported action is to delete the stack and create a new one with the corrected template, as stated in the AWS documentation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run 'aws cloudformation continue-update-rollback' to finish the rollback and then update.
Why it's wrong here
The `continue-update-rollback` command is only valid for stacks stuck in `UPDATE_ROLLBACK_FAILED`, when a prior rollback could not complete because of resource dependencies or IAM permissions. Your stack is already in `ROLLBACK_COMPLETE`, a terminal state that indicates the rollback finished successfully, so this command would fail with a state-transition error. It cannot restart or resume the failed update.
- ✗
Modify the stack's template and try the update again.
Why it's wrong here
CloudFormation only accepts update requests for stacks in successful, non-terminal states such as `CREATE_COMPLETE` or `UPDATE_COMPLETE`. A `ROLLBACK_COMPLETE` stack has failed its operation, and AWS CloudFormation blocks update attempts because the stack is not in a stable state to apply a new template. Editing the template file locally has no effect until you initiate an update, and that update request will be rejected with an `InvalidOperation` exception due to the stack's status.
- ✗
Use the 'aws cloudformation resume-update' command to resume the update.
Why it's wrong here
The AWS CLI does not include a `resume-update` command in the CloudFormation namespace. Valid lifecycle commands include `update-stack`, `cancel-update-stack`, and `continue-update-rollback`, but there is no mechanism to resume or retry a completed rollback as if it were an interrupted process. Attempting to run this nonexistent command produces an unrecognized argument error, so it cannot be the correct recovery action.
- ✓
Delete the stack and create a new one with the updated template.
Why this is correct
The `ROLLBACK_COMPLETE` state is terminal: the stack still exists in CloudFormation, but the failed create or update operation has rolled back, leaving no functional infrastructure from that attempt. CloudFormation will not accept `update-stack` or change-set execution from this state, so the only supported recovery path is to delete the stack and create a new one using the updated template. Recreating the stack provides a clean, deterministic provisioning pass and avoids inconsistent resource states.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.