The answer is to add a validation step in CodePipeline that runs a task definition dry-run. This action directly prevents an ECS deployment failure due to a missing ECR image by simulating the task definition registration against Amazon ECS, which checks whether the referenced container image URI actually exists in the repository before the real deployment proceeds. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of integrating validation gates into CI/CD pipelines to enforce pre-deployment checks, a common trap being to confuse image existence validation with image scanning or lifecycle policies. Remember that a dry-run is a no-op API call that validates resource dependencies without creating or modifying anything, making it the ideal safeguard against referencing non-existent images. Memory tip: “Dry-run before you fly—validate the image, don’t just scan or log.”
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. 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 CodePipeline to deploy a microservices application to Amazon ECS. Recently, a deployment failed because the new task definition referenced an ECR image that did not exist. The team wants to prevent this type of failure in the future. Which action should be taken?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add a validation step in CodePipeline to run a task definition dry-run.
Option D is correct because running a task definition dry-run in CodePipeline can validate the image existence before deployment. Option A is wrong because ECR lifecycle policies manage images, not validate deployment. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail logs events but does not prevent failures. Option C is wrong because ECR scan on push only scans for vulnerabilities, not image existence.
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.
✗
Configure ECR scan on push to verify image integrity.
Why it's wrong here
Scan on push checks for vulnerabilities, not image existence.
✗
Add an ECR lifecycle policy to expire old images.
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle policies manage image retention, not deployment validation.
✓
Add a validation step in CodePipeline to run a task definition dry-run.
Why this is correct
Dry-run validates that the image exists and the task definition is valid before deployment.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log ECR API calls.
Why it's wrong here
Logging does not prevent deployment failures.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SAP-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.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add a validation step in CodePipeline to run a task definition dry-run. — Option D is correct because running a task definition dry-run in CodePipeline can validate the image existence before deployment. Option A is wrong because ECR lifecycle policies manage images, not validate deployment. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail logs events but does not prevent failures. Option C is wrong because ECR scan on push only scans for vulnerabilities, not image existence.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-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.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company has a CI/CD pipeline that builds and deploys a containerized application to Amazon ECS Fargate. The pipeline uses AWS CodeBuild to run tests and build Docker images. Recently, the pipeline has been failing intermittently with the error 'CannotPullContainerError: Error response from daemon: manifest for <image> not found'. The image is stored in Amazon ECR. The team suspects the issue is related to image tag inconsistency. The pipeline tags images with the commit hash. Which change will prevent this error?
medium
A.Store the Docker image in Amazon S3 instead of ECR.
✓ B.Ensure the pipeline builds and pushes the image with a unique tag, such as the commit hash, and uses that tag in the ECS task definition.
C.Use the 'latest' tag for all images.
D.Retry the failed pipeline step after a delay.
Why B: Ensuring that the image tag is unique and not reused prevents stale image references. Using the commit hash ensures uniqueness.
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This SAP-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 SAP-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
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