SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
A company uses AWS CloudFormation to deploy infrastructure. A Solutions Architect needs to update a stack that includes an RDS DB instance. The update requires modifying the DB instance's storage type from gp2 to io1. What change should be made to the CloudFormation template to minimize downtime?
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 StorageType property in the CloudFormation template and perform a stack update.
Modifying the StorageType property of an RDS DB instance (e.g., from gp2 to io1) can be done without replacing the resource. When the CloudFormation stack is updated with this change, AWS performs an in-place modification that typically causes only a brief downtime (a few minutes). This is the standard approach to minimize downtime. Option B is incorrect because UpdateReplacePolicy is not a valid CloudFormation attribute; the correct attribute is UpdatePolicy, but it does not apply to RDS storage type changes. Option C is incorrect because creating a new stack and migrating data would cause significantly more downtime and effort. Option D is incorrect because DeletionPolicy controls what happens when a resource is deleted from the stack, not during an update.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Modify the StorageType property in the CloudFormation template and perform a stack update.
Why this is correct
Changing StorageType from gp2 to io1 is a supported modification that can be done without replacement, minimizing downtime.
- ✗
Add an UpdateReplacePolicy attribute to the RDS resource.
Why it's wrong here
UpdateReplacePolicy is not a valid CloudFormation attribute; the correct attribute is DeletionPolicy.
- ✗
Create a new stack with the updated storage type and migrate data.
Why it's wrong here
This incurs more downtime and complexity than an in-place update.
- ✗
Set the DeletionPolicy to Retain for the RDS resource.
Why it's wrong here
DeletionPolicy controls what happens when the stack is deleted, not during updates.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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