- A
Use a parallel action group for the migration step so other steps continue.
Why wrong: Parallel actions allow multiple actions to run concurrently; if one fails, others may still proceed or the group may fail depending on configuration. This does not stop the entire pipeline as requested.
- B
Configure the migration step as a sequential action and set the OnFailure to ABORT.
ABORT stops the pipeline immediately upon stage failure, preventing any further actions. The previous deployment remains intact because no subsequent deploy stages are triggered.
- C
Configure the migration step as a sequential action and set the OnFailure to ROLLBACK.
Why wrong: ROLLBACK attempts to revert the pipeline to the last known good state. This could trigger additional actions and might not leave the previous version of the application simply in place; it may attempt to undo changes, which is not the stated requirement.
- D
Use a manual approval step after the migration to verify success.
Why wrong: A manual approval step halts the pipeline for human intervention, but it does not automatically handle failure. If the migration fails before the approval step, the pipeline would still transition to the approval stage unless failure handling is configured separately.
SOA-C02 Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment, provisioning, and automation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: codePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings.. 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 CodePipeline to deploy a web application. The pipeline includes a stage that runs a database migration script. The SysOps administrator wants to ensure that if the migration script fails, the entire pipeline stops and the previous version of the application remains deployed. Which pipeline stage configuration should be used to achieve this behavior?
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
Configure the migration step as a sequential action and set the OnFailure to ABORT.
Option B is correct because setting the migration step as a sequential action with OnFailure set to ABORT ensures that if the migration script fails, the pipeline immediately stops and does not proceed to any subsequent stages. This prevents the deployment of a new application version that depends on a failed database migration, thereby keeping the previous version deployed.
Key principle: CodePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings.
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 a parallel action group for the migration step so other steps continue.
Why it's wrong here
Parallel actions allow multiple actions to run concurrently; if one fails, others may still proceed or the group may fail depending on configuration. This does not stop the entire pipeline as requested.
- ✓
Configure the migration step as a sequential action and set the OnFailure to ABORT.
Why this is correct
ABORT stops the pipeline immediately upon stage failure, preventing any further actions. The previous deployment remains intact because no subsequent deploy stages are triggered.
Related concept
CodePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings.
- ✗
Configure the migration step as a sequential action and set the OnFailure to ROLLBACK.
Why it's wrong here
ROLLBACK attempts to revert the pipeline to the last known good state. This could trigger additional actions and might not leave the previous version of the application simply in place; it may attempt to undo changes, which is not the stated requirement.
- ✗
Use a manual approval step after the migration to verify success.
Why it's wrong here
A manual approval step halts the pipeline for human intervention, but it does not automatically handle failure. If the migration fails before the approval step, the pipeline would still transition to the approval stage unless failure handling is configured separately.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the OnFailure ROLLBACK option with a full infrastructure rollback (like AWS CloudFormation stack rollback), not realizing that CodePipeline's ROLLBACK only affects the pipeline execution state and does not automatically revert the deployed application or database changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In AWS CodePipeline, the OnFailure configuration for a stage action can be set to ABORT, which immediately fails the pipeline execution and prevents any further stages from running. This is distinct from ROLLBACK, which in CodePipeline does not revert deployed infrastructure or application versions but instead marks the stage as failed and optionally retries the action. For database migrations, using ABORT is critical because a failed migration often leaves the database in an inconsistent state, and continuing to deploy a new application version could cause data corruption or application errors.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CodePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings.
- `ABORT` stops the entire pipeline execution immediately upon action failure.
- `ABORT` prevents subsequent stages, like deployment, from being triggered.
- `ROLLBACK` attempts to revert the pipeline to a previous successful state.
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
CodePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. CodePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review codePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation — This question tests Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation — CodePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the migration step as a sequential action and set the OnFailure to ABORT. — Option B is correct because setting the migration step as a sequential action with OnFailure set to ABORT ensures that if the migration script fails, the pipeline immediately stops and does not proceed to any subsequent stages. This prevents the deployment of a new application version that depends on a failed database migration, thereby keeping the previous version deployed.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review codePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CodePipeline actions can be configured with `OnFailure` settings.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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