The correct principal for CloudTrail cross-account log delivery is the CloudTrail service principal, not the root account of the logging account. This is because CloudTrail operates as an AWS service and must assume its own identity—cloudtrail.amazonaws.com—when writing logs to a bucket in another account; specifying the root user of account 111111111111 as the principal breaks the trust chain, as the source account 222222222222’s CloudTrail cannot authenticate as a user in the destination account. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of service principals versus IAM principals in cross-account resource-based policies, and it’s a common trap to mistakenly use the logging account’s root or a specific IAM role. A reliable memory tip: CloudTrail is a service, so it needs a service principal—think “CloudTrail uses cloudtrail.amazonaws.com, not a human or root account.”
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. This bucket policy is applied to a central logging bucket in account 111111111111. Account 222222222222 wants to deliver CloudTrail logs to this bucket. However, log delivery fails. What is the MOST likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The principal should be the CloudTrail service principal, not the root account of 111111111111.
Option D is correct because CloudTrail uses a service principal, not the root account. Option A is wrong because the policy allows PutObject. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail delivers logs with bucket-owner-full-control. Option C is wrong because the resource is correct.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 resource ARN is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
The ARN is correct for logs from any account.
✓
The principal should be the CloudTrail service principal, not the root account of 111111111111.
Why this is correct
CloudTrail uses a service principal to write logs across accounts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The bucket policy requires the x-amz-acl header, which CloudTrail does not set.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail does set bucket-owner-full-control.
✗
The bucket policy does not allow s3:PutObject for the account 222222222222.
Why it's wrong here
It allows the root account of 111111111111, not the delivering account.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The principal should be the CloudTrail service principal, not the root account of 111111111111. — Option D is correct because CloudTrail uses a service principal, not the root account. Option A is wrong because the policy allows PutObject. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail delivers logs with bucket-owner-full-control. Option C is wrong because the resource is correct.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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