SOA-C02 Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation Practice Question
An organization uses AWS OpsWorks for configuration management. The SysOps administrator notices that a stack's instances are not receiving the updated custom cookbooks after a new deployment. The cookbooks are stored in a private GitHub repository. What is the most likely cause?
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
✓
The SSH key for the Git repository is not configured in the stack.
AWS OpsWorks uses the SSH key configured in the stack to clone private Git repositories. Without a valid SSH key, the cookbook update fails silently. Option A is incorrect because cookbooks can be stored in S3 or Git; S3 is not required. Option B is incorrect because the OpsWorks agent must be running, but the symptom of a missing SSH key is specific to private repositories. Option C is incorrect while instances need internet access to reach GitHub, a missing SSH key is a more specific cause for private repos.
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 cookbooks are not stored in an S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS OpsWorks does not require cookbooks to be stored in an S3 bucket; it supports multiple cookbook sources including Git repositories, HTTP archives, and S3 buckets. The scenario specifically indicates a private GitHub repository, which is a valid source even without S3. Therefore, the absence of an S3 bucket is not the cause of the failure, as Git-based cookbook management is fully supported and the real issue lies in GitHub authentication.
- ✗
The OpsWorks agent is not running on the instances.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. While the OpsWorks agent must be running for stack operations, the agent status would affect all recipes, not specifically the cookbook update from a private repository. A missing SSH key is a more specific cause.
- ✗
The instances do not have internet access.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. While instances need internet access to reach GitHub, the issue could still occur with internet access if the SSH key is not configured. The question points to a private repository, making the missing SSH key the most likely cause.
- ✓
The SSH key for the Git repository is not configured in the stack.
Why this is correct
Correct. AWS OpsWorks uses the SSH key stored in the stack configuration to authenticate with private GitHub repositories. If the key is missing or invalid, the instances cannot download the updated cookbooks, causing the failure.
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 |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This SOA-C02 question is part of Courseiva's 247-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SOA-C02 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 SOA-C02 exam.