The answer is that the IAM policy’s source IP condition is too restrictive, blocking the EC2 instance’s uploads to S3. The policy uses the `aws:SourceIp` condition key to allow traffic only from the 203.0.113.0/24 range, but an EC2 instance’s public IP—which is what `aws:SourceIp` evaluates—is typically dynamic and unlikely to fall within that fixed CIDR block unless an Elastic IP is explicitly assigned and matched. This scenario tests your understanding of how IAM policy conditions interact with EC2 networking, a common trap on the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam: candidates often forget that `aws:SourceIp` checks the public IP of the request, not the private IP of the instance, and that an EC2 instance without an Elastic IP gets a new public IP on each stop/start. The exam frequently pairs this with S3 access denied errors to force you to distinguish between IAM policy conditions, bucket policies, and resource ARN mismatches. Memory tip: “Source IP checks the public IP—if your EC2 doesn’t have an Elastic IP, your policy will slip.”
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. 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. A company is migrating an application to AWS and has attached the IAM policy shown to an IAM role. The application runs on an EC2 instance and needs to upload files to an S3 bucket. However, the uploads are failing with an access denied error. 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 IAM policy restricts access based on source IP, but the EC2 instance's public IP is not in the allowed range
The policy restricts the source IP to 203.0.113.0/24, but EC2 instances have dynamic private IPs (unless using Elastic IP). The condition aws:SourceIp checks the public IP, which for an EC2 instance is the public IP of the instance or NATgateway. The instance's private IP is not the source IP. The condition is too restrictive. Option A is incorrect because the bucket policy is not shown. Option B is incorrect because the action is allowed. Option D is incorrect because the resource ARN is correct.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 IAM policy does not allow the s3:PutObject action
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The policy allows s3:PutObject.
✗
The IAM policy uses an incorrect resource ARN
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The resource ARN is correct for the bucket.
✓
The IAM policy restricts access based on source IP, but the EC2 instance's public IP is not in the allowed range
Why this is correct
Correct: The IP condition is likely blocking the instance.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
The S3 bucket policy denies access from the instance
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The exhibit shows an IAM policy, not a bucket policy.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Incorrect: The exhibit shows an IAM policy, not a bucket policy.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — This question tests Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The IAM policy restricts access based on source IP, but the EC2 instance's public IP is not in the allowed range — The policy restricts the source IP to 203.0.113.0/24, but EC2 instances have dynamic private IPs (unless using Elastic IP). The condition aws:SourceIp checks the public IP, which for an EC2 instance is the public IP of the instance or NAT gateway. The instance's private IP is not the source IP. The condition is too restrictive. Option A is incorrect because the bucket policy is not shown. Option B is incorrect because the action is allowed. Option D is incorrect because the resource ARN is correct.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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