The correct answer is that the EBS volume remains attached to the instance and the data persists. This is because stopping an EC2 instance only halts the operating system and releases the underlying hardware, but it does not affect the attachment or lifecycle of any EBS volumes—they stay connected and retain all data. The DeleteOnTermination attribute is a critical distinction here: it only triggers volume deletion when the instance is terminated, not when it is stopped. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of the fundamental difference between stop and terminate actions, often appearing as a trap where candidates confuse the two states. A common memory tip is to think of “stop” as a pause button that keeps everything in place, while “terminate” is the delete button that triggers the attribute. Remember: Stop = Stay attached; Terminate = Trigger attribute.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new 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.
Network Topology
A developer ran the AWS CLI command shown in the exhibit. The instance has an attached EBS volume with 'DeleteOnTermination' set to false. The instance will be started again soon. What will happen to the EBS volume when the instance is stopped?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The EBS volume remains attached to the instance and the data persists.
Option D is correct because stopping an EC2 instance does not affect the attached EBS volumes; they remain attached and their data persists. The 'DeleteOnTermination' attribute only controls behavior when the instance is terminated, not stopped. Since the instance will be started again soon, the volume stays attached with its data intact.
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.
✗
The EBS volume is detached but the data is preserved.
Why it's wrong here
The volume remains attached during stop.
✗
The EBS volume is deleted.
Why it's wrong here
Deletion occurs only if DeleteOnTermination is true and the instance is terminated, not stopped.
✗
The EBS volume is deleted because the instance is stopped.
Why it's wrong here
Stop does not trigger deletion.
✓
The EBS volume remains attached to the instance and the data persists.
Why this is correct
Stopping an instance does not affect attached EBS volumes; data is preserved.
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 confuse the 'stop' and 'terminate' actions, incorrectly assuming that 'DeleteOnTermination' applies to both, when in fact it only applies to termination.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When an EC2 instance is stopped, the underlying hypervisor preserves the attachment of EBS volumes, and the volume's data remains in the same availability zone. The 'DeleteOnTermination' flag is evaluated only during the 'TerminateInstances' API call, not during 'StopInstances'. This behavior is critical for cost optimization, as you can stop instances to save compute costs while retaining data on EBS volumes for later use.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The EBS volume remains attached to the instance and the data persists. — Option D is correct because stopping an EC2 instance does not affect the attached EBS volumes; they remain attached and their data persists. The 'DeleteOnTermination' attribute only controls behavior when the instance is terminated, not stopped. Since the instance will be started again soon, the volume stays attached with its data intact.
What should I do if I get this SAP-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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Question Discussion
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