Quick Answer
The correct answer is that the instance is running but has a system impairment. This is determined by the EC2 status checks output, where the system status check shows “impaired reachability” while the instance state remains “running.” In AWS, system status checks monitor the underlying physical host for issues like loss of network connectivity or power failure, whereas instance status checks monitor the guest OS and application-level problems such as memory pressure or file system corruption. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this distinction is a frequent trap: many candidates confuse a system impairment with the instance being stopped or terminated, but the instance state column clearly shows it is still running. The key takeaway is that a system impairment means the instance is alive but unreachable due to host-level failure, not a guest-level issue. A helpful memory tip is “System = Surroundings, Instance = Inside”—if the host is broken, the instance can’t be reached even if it’s running.
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A SysOps administrator ran the commands shown. What is the state of the EC2 instance?
The instance is running and healthy.
Why wrong: The system status is impaired, so it is not healthy.
The instance is terminated.
Why wrong: The instance state is running, not terminated.
The instance is running but has a system impairment.
System status shows impaired, indicating an underlying system issue.
The instance is stopped.
Why wrong: The instance state is running, not stopped.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The instance is running but has a system impairment.
Option C is correct because the system status check indicates impaired reachability, which means the instance is running but not reachable. The instance state shows running, so it is not stopped or terminated. The impairment is due to a system issue, not an instance-specific issue like memory pressure (which would be instance status check).
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
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The instance is running and healthy.
Why it's wrong here
The system status is impaired, so it is not healthy.
The instance is terminated.
Why it's wrong here
The instance state is running, not terminated.
The instance is running but has a system impairment.
Why this is correct
System status shows impaired, indicating an underlying system issue.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
The instance is stopped.
Why it's wrong here
The instance state is running, not stopped.
Common exam traps
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
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.
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
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. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. 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
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.
Reliability and Business Continuity — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Reliability and Business Continuity — This question tests Reliability and Business Continuity — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: The instance is running but has a system impairment. — Option C is correct because the system status check indicates impaired reachability, which means the instance is running but not reachable. The instance state shows running, so it is not stopped or terminated. The impairment is due to a system issue, not an instance-specific issue like memory pressure (which would be instance status check).
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.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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