- A
Use a CloudFormation stack update with a 'ReplaceOnDelete' deletion policy on the DB instance.
Why wrong: ReplaceOnDelete is not a valid property for updates.
- B
Create a new DB instance with the new class, update the application to point to the new endpoint, and delete the old instance.
Why wrong: This is a manual process with potential data loss.
- C
Update the DBInstanceClass property in the CloudFormation template and set 'ApplyImmediately: true'.
Why wrong: This will cause a reboot and downtime.
- D
Modify the DB instance class using an RDS blue/green deployment, then update the CloudFormation stack to match the new class.
RDS blue/green deployments allow changing instance class without downtime.
Question 122 of 1,750
DOP-C02 Configuration Management and IaC Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of configuration management and iac. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 CloudFormation to deploy a multi-tier application. The template includes an Amazon RDS DB instance. The DevOps team wants to update the DB instance class without downtime. 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
✓
Modify the DB instance class using an RDS blue/green deployment, then update the CloudFormation stack to match the new class.
Option D is correct because RDS blue/green deployments allow you to make changes (such as modifying the DB instance class) with minimal downtime by creating a staging environment that mirrors the production environment. After the change is applied and verified, the blue/green deployment switches traffic to the new environment, ensuring zero or near-zero downtime. Subsequently, updating the CloudFormation stack to match the new class keeps the infrastructure code in sync with the actual deployed resources.
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 a CloudFormation stack update with a 'ReplaceOnDelete' deletion policy on the DB instance.
Why it's wrong here
ReplaceOnDelete is not a valid property for updates.
- ✗
Create a new DB instance with the new class, update the application to point to the new endpoint, and delete the old instance.
Why it's wrong here
This is a manual process with potential data loss.
- ✗
Update the DBInstanceClass property in the CloudFormation template and set 'ApplyImmediately: true'.
Why it's wrong here
This will cause a reboot and downtime.
- ✓
Modify the DB instance class using an RDS blue/green deployment, then update the CloudFormation stack to match the new class.
Why this is correct
RDS blue/green deployments allow changing instance class without downtime.
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 often assume 'ApplyImmediately: true' is a valid zero-downtime solution, but in reality it triggers an immediate reboot for instance class changes, causing downtime, whereas blue/green deployments are the correct AWS-native method for minimizing downtime during such modifications.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RDS blue/green deployments work by creating a logical replica of the production environment (green) that stays in sync via replication. When the modification (e.g., instance class change) is applied to the green environment, the cutover can be scheduled with a switchover time, often completing in under a minute, and the original environment (blue) remains available until the cutover completes. This approach is particularly useful for critical production databases where even seconds of downtime are unacceptable, and it avoids the complexity of manual DNS changes or application-level retry logic.
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 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 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: Modify the DB instance class using an RDS blue/green deployment, then update the CloudFormation stack to match the new class. — Option D is correct because RDS blue/green deployments allow you to make changes (such as modifying the DB instance class) with minimal downtime by creating a staging environment that mirrors the production environment. After the change is applied and verified, the blue/green deployment switches traffic to the new environment, ensuring zero or near-zero downtime. Subsequently, updating the CloudFormation stack to match the new class keeps the infrastructure code in sync with the actual deployed resources.
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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