Question 1,308 of 1,546
Deployment, Provisioning, and AutomationmediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SOA-C02 Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation Practice Question

This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment, provisioning, and automation. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 CloudFormation to manage infrastructure. A developer accidentally deletes a resource from the stack template, and the next stack update attempts to delete the resource. The SysOps administrator wants to prevent accidental deletion of critical resources. Which CloudFormation feature should be used?

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

Set a DeletionPolicy attribute to 'Retain' on the resource.

The correct answer is C because setting the DeletionPolicy attribute to 'Retain' on a resource instructs CloudFormation to keep that resource when the resource is removed from the stack template or the stack itself is deleted. Option A is incorrect because termination protection is a feature for EC2 instances to prevent accidental termination, not for CloudFormation stacks. Option B is incorrect because a stack policy controls which stack resources can be updated or deleted, but it applies during stack operations; however, the question specifically asks for a feature that prevents deletion when the resource is removed from the template, which is best achieved with DeletionPolicy. Option D is incorrect because an IAM policy denying cloudformation:DeleteStack would block entire stack deletion, but it does not protect individual resources from being deleted during a stack update when the resource is removed from the template.

Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • Enable termination protection on the stack.

    Why it's wrong here

    Termination protection prevents stack deletion, not resource deletion within the stack.

  • Stack policy to deny delete actions.

    Why it's wrong here

    Stack policy controls update permissions, not resource deletion.

  • Set a DeletionPolicy attribute to 'Retain' on the resource.

    Why this is correct

    DeletionPolicy: Retain retains the resource when it's removed from the template.

    Related concept

    Standard ACLs match source addresses.

  • Attach an IAM policy that denies cloudformation:DeleteStack.

    Why it's wrong here

    This prevents stack deletion, not resource deletion during update.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match

ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Standard ACLs match source addresses.
  • Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
  • The first matching ACL entry is used.
  • There is usually an implicit deny at the end.

TExam Day Tips

  • Check inbound versus outbound direction.
  • Read the ACL from top to bottom.
  • Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.

Key takeaway

ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.

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 ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SOA-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.

Related practice questions

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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 — Standard ACLs match source addresses..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Set a DeletionPolicy attribute to 'Retain' on the resource. — The correct answer is C because setting the DeletionPolicy attribute to 'Retain' on a resource instructs CloudFormation to keep that resource when the resource is removed from the stack template or the stack itself is deleted. Option A is incorrect because termination protection is a feature for EC2 instances to prevent accidental termination, not for CloudFormation stacks. Option B is incorrect because a stack policy controls which stack resources can be updated or deleted, but it applies during stack operations; however, the question specifically asks for a feature that prevents deletion when the resource is removed from the template, which is best achieved with DeletionPolicy. Option D is incorrect because an IAM policy denying cloudformation:DeleteStack would block entire stack deletion, but it does not protect individual resources from being deleted during a stack update when the resource is removed from the template.

What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?

Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SOA-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Standard ACLs match source addresses.

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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026

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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.