The correct answer is to create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not allowed, and attach it to the root organizational unit. This works because SCPs act as a centralized permission guardrail across all accounts in an AWS Organization, allowing you to restrict instance types by using a condition key like ec2:InstanceType within a Deny effect, which overrides any permissive IAM policies in member accounts. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the difference between preventive controls (SCPs) and detective controls (AWS Config), with a common trap being to choose IAM policies—which are account-specific and cannot enforce cross-account restrictions. Remember the memory tip: SCPs are the "bouncer at the door" for the entire organization, while IAM is the "keycard" inside each room.
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.
A company uses AWS Organizations with a multi-account strategy. The security team wants to restrict the use of specific instance types across all accounts. What is the MOST effective way to enforce this policy?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not allowed, and attach it to the root organizational unit.
Option A is correct because SCPs can deny EC2 RunInstances actions with conditions on instance type across all accounts in the organization. Option B is wrong because IAM policies are account-specific and cannot be applied across accounts. Option C is wrong because Config rules only detect non-compliance, they do not enforce. Option D is wrong because Service Control Policies cannot be applied to individual IAM users.
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.
✗
Create an IAM policy in each account that denies launching non-approved instance types.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies are not centralized.
✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect non-compliant instances and trigger an AWS Lambda function to terminate them.
Why it's wrong here
Config is detective, not preventive.
✗
Create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances for all users and then attach it to the root OU.
Why it's wrong here
SCP applies to all principals in the account, not just users.
✓
Create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not allowed, and attach it to the root organizational unit.
Why this is correct
SCPs apply to all accounts in the OU.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not allowed, and attach it to the root organizational unit. — Option A is correct because SCPs can deny EC2 RunInstances actions with conditions on instance type across all accounts in the organization. Option B is wrong because IAM policies are account-specific and cannot be applied across accounts. Option C is wrong because Config rules only detect non-compliance, they do not enforce. Option D is wrong because Service Control Policies cannot be applied to individual IAM users.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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