The answer is that the deployment configuration specifies 'Reroute traffic to new instances and keep old instances running' with no termination. This is the most likely cause because CodeDeploy blue/green deployments require an explicit setting to define how long old instances should remain active after traffic is rerouted; if you choose to keep them running indefinitely without a termination wait time, they will never be automatically terminated. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of CodeDeploy’s lifecycle hooks and deployment configuration options, specifically the difference between terminating old instances immediately, after a set period, or not at all. A common trap is assuming CodeDeploy always terminates old instances by default, but in reality, the user must configure the termination behavior. Remember the memory tip: “If you don’t set a timer, the old server stays a survivor.”
SOA-C02 Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment, provisioning, and automation. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An organization is using AWS CodeDeploy with a blue/green deployment configuration for an EC2/On-Premises compute platform. During a deployment, the new instances pass all health checks, but the old instances are not terminated after the deployment completes. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The deployment configuration specifies 'Reroute traffic to new instances and keep old instances running' with no termination.
The correct answer is A because in blue/green deployments, the user must specify how long to wait before terminating old instances. Option B is incorrect because CodeDeploy does not enforce a cooldown. Option C is incorrect because the new instances passed health checks. Option D is incorrect because the deployment succeeded, so no rollback.
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.
✗
The Auto Scaling group has a cooldown period that prevents termination.
Why it's wrong here
Cooldown affects scaling, not CodeDeploy termination.
✗
The new instances failed the initial health check.
Why it's wrong here
The question states they passed health checks.
✓
The deployment configuration specifies 'Reroute traffic to new instances and keep old instances running' with no termination.
Why this is correct
Blue/green deployments can be configured to not terminate old instances automatically.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
The deployment was rolled back automatically.
Why it's wrong here
Rollback would revert to old instances, but they would still be running.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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 SOA-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation — This question tests Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The deployment configuration specifies 'Reroute traffic to new instances and keep old instances running' with no termination. — The correct answer is A because in blue/green deployments, the user must specify how long to wait before terminating old instances. Option B is incorrect because CodeDeploy does not enforce a cooldown. Option C is incorrect because the new instances passed health checks. Option D is incorrect because the deployment succeeded, so no rollback.
What should I do if I get this SOA-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 SOA-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO options are best practices for automating deployments using AWS CodeDeploy? (Choose two.)
easy
A.Use a single deployment group for all environments
✓ B.Use a blue/green deployment strategy
C.Deploy to all instances simultaneously
✓ D.Configure automatic rollback in case of deployment failure
E.Require manual approval for every deployment
Why B: Options B and C are correct. Option A is incorrect because automated rollback is better. Option D is incorrect because large batch size increases risk. Option E is incorrect because manual approval is not a best practice for automation.
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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.
Question Discussion
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