PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
Solutions Architect needs to automate the patching of Amazon EC2 instances running Amazon Linux 2. The instances are in an Auto Scaling group and must be patched without downtime. Which approach is BEST?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often think Amazon Inspector can automatically patch instances (option A) because it integrates with Systems Manager, but Inspector only scans and reports vulnerabilities, not applying patches directly.
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 Systems Manager Patch Manager with a maintenance window and update the Auto Scaling group launch configuration to use a patched AMI for new instances.
AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager automates patching of existing EC2 instances without downtime by using a maintenance window to schedule patch installation, and updating the Auto Scaling group launch configuration ensures new instances launched by the group use a patched AMI, maintaining consistency. This approach avoids terminating all instances at once (which would cause downtime) and leverages AWS-native automation for ongoing compliance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use Amazon Inspector to scan for vulnerabilities and automatically apply patches.
Why it's wrong here
Inspector only scans, it does not patch.
- ✗
Terminate all instances and let the Auto Scaling group launch new instances from a patched AMI.
Why it's wrong here
Causes downtime.
- ✓
Use AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager with a maintenance window and update the Auto Scaling group launch configuration to use a patched AMI for new instances.
Why this is correct
Patch Manager applies patches and rolling updates minimize downtime.
- ✗
Create a custom AMI with latest patches and update the Auto Scaling group manually during a maintenance window.
Why it's wrong here
Manual and not automated.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PAS-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PAS-C01 exam.