- A
Set a custom chef recipe with a cron schedule
OpsWorks allows you to run recipes on a schedule using cron.
- B
Add the recipe to the 'Setup' lifecycle event
Why wrong: Setup runs only once at instance boot.
- C
Add the recipe to the 'Deploy' lifecycle event
Why wrong: Deploy runs when you deploy an application.
- D
Add the recipe to the 'Configure' lifecycle event
Why wrong: Configure runs when the stack topology changes.
Question 692 of 1,750
Scheduling a Chef Recipe with Cron in OpsWorks
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.
A company uses AWS OpsWorks for configuration management. They want to ensure that a custom recipe runs on all instances in a layer every 30 minutes. What should they do?
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
✓
Set a custom chef recipe with a cron schedule
Option A is correct because OpsWorks allows you to define custom Chef recipes and associate them with a cron-based schedule using the 'cron' attribute in the layer's custom recipes configuration. This ensures the recipe runs automatically every 30 minutes on all instances in the layer, independent of lifecycle events.
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.
- ✓
Set a custom chef recipe with a cron schedule
Why this is correct
OpsWorks allows you to run recipes on a schedule using cron.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Add the recipe to the 'Setup' lifecycle event
Why it's wrong here
Setup runs only once at instance boot.
- ✗
Add the recipe to the 'Deploy' lifecycle event
Why it's wrong here
Deploy runs when you deploy an application.
- ✗
Add the recipe to the 'Configure' lifecycle event
Why it's wrong here
Configure runs when the stack topology changes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse lifecycle events (Setup, Deploy, Configure) with recurring scheduled tasks, assuming one of them runs periodically, when in fact they are triggered only by specific state changes or manual actions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, OpsWorks uses Chef Solo (or Chef Client) to execute recipes. Custom cron jobs are implemented by adding a recipe that creates a cron resource in Chef, specifying the minute, hour, and command attributes. This approach decouples the recurring task from OpsWorks lifecycle events, which are triggered only by specific state changes (e.g., instance start, deploy, or stack configuration updates).
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Configuration Management and IaC — study guide chapter
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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: Set a custom chef recipe with a cron schedule — Option A is correct because OpsWorks allows you to define custom Chef recipes and associate them with a cron-based schedule using the 'cron' attribute in the layer's custom recipes configuration. This ensures the recipe runs automatically every 30 minutes on all instances in the layer, independent of lifecycle events.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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