- A
Manually create VPC flow logs in each account and point to the central S3 bucket
Why wrong: Manual configuration is error-prone and not scalable for 50 accounts.
- B
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy a stack that creates VPC flow logs with the required configuration in all accounts
StackSets can deploy the same template across multiple accounts and regions, ensuring consistent configuration.
- C
Use AWS Config rules to enforce flow log creation across accounts
Why wrong: Config rules can detect non-compliance but cannot create flow logs automatically.
- D
Use AWS Systems Manager Automation to create flow logs in each account
Why wrong: SSM Automation can run in each account but requires a role and is less efficient than StackSets.
Question 1,352 of 1,746
Deploying VPC Flow Logs Across Multiple Accounts Using StackSets
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 Organizations with 50 accounts. The network team wants to centrally manage VPC flow logs for all accounts, storing them in a central S3 bucket in the security account. The flow logs must be encrypted with a KMS key managed by the security account. What is the MOST efficient way to configure this?
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
✓
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy a stack that creates VPC flow logs with the required configuration in all accounts
AWS CloudFormation StackSets allows you to deploy a single CloudFormation template across multiple accounts and regions in an AWS Organization. By defining the VPC flow log resource with the central S3 bucket ARN and the KMS key from the security account (using a cross-account KMS key policy), StackSets can automatically create flow logs in all member accounts with the required encryption, making it the most efficient and centralized approach.
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.
- ✗
Manually create VPC flow logs in each account and point to the central S3 bucket
Why it's wrong here
Manual configuration is error-prone and not scalable for 50 accounts.
- ✓
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy a stack that creates VPC flow logs with the required configuration in all accounts
Why this is correct
StackSets can deploy the same template across multiple accounts and regions, ensuring consistent configuration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS Config rules to enforce flow log creation across accounts
Why it's wrong here
Config rules can detect non-compliance but cannot create flow logs automatically.
- ✗
Use AWS Systems Manager Automation to create flow logs in each account
Why it's wrong here
SSM Automation can run in each account but requires a role and is less efficient than StackSets.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose AWS Config rules (Option C) thinking they can enforce resource creation, but Config is a detective control, not a provisioning tool, and cannot directly create flow logs without additional automation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
StackSets uses a self-managed or service-managed permission model; for Organizations, service-managed is preferred as it automatically deploys to accounts based on organizational units (OUs) and handles account additions/removals. The KMS key in the security account must have a key policy that grants the CloudFormation service role in each member account the kms:Encrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey permissions, and the S3 bucket policy must allow the member accounts to write objects (e.g., using a bucket policy with a condition for aws:SourceAccount). A common real-world scenario is when flow logs must be enabled for all existing and future VPCs, which StackSets can handle by using a stack that creates a flow log for each VPC in the account.
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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy a stack that creates VPC flow logs with the required configuration in all accounts — AWS CloudFormation StackSets allows you to deploy a single CloudFormation template across multiple accounts and regions in an AWS Organization. By defining the VPC flow log resource with the central S3 bucket ARN and the KMS key from the security account (using a cross-account KMS key policy), StackSets can automatically create flow logs in all member accounts with the required encryption, making it the most efficient and centralized approach.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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