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SOA-C02 Practice Question: CloudFormation drift detection to identify…
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloudformation drift detection to identify…. 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. A key principle to apply: cloudFormation drift detection. 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.
Operators have been making direct changes to AWS resources (security group rules, IAM policy modifications) that were originally created by CloudFormation stacks. The team wants to identify which stacks and specific resources have drifted from their template definitions. What is the correct tool and operation sequence?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
Run drift detection on each CloudFormation stack; review the results in the Drift status panel to see which resources have MODIFIED or DELETED status
Drift detection calls AWS APIs to read the current configuration of each resource and compares it to the template. Resources with live configurations differing from the template are marked MODIFIED. Deleted resources outside the stack are marked DELETED. The results show the exact property-level differences, enabling targeted remediation.
B
Distractor review
Enable AWS Config conformance packs that check CloudFormation stack compliance against desired template states
Config conformance packs check resources against config rules (e.g., security group open ports, IAM policy conditions). They do not compare resource attributes against a CloudFormation template definition. Drift detection is purpose-built for the template-vs-live comparison.
C
Distractor review
Re-deploy all stacks with the original templates using CloudFormation update-stack to overwrite any manual changes
Running update-stack with an unchanged template may overwrite manual changes, but only for properties the template specifies. It is a remediation action, not a detection action. The team needs to know which resources drifted before deciding whether to remediate. Drift detection provides the discovery step.
D
Distractor review
Use AWS Trusted Advisor to identify resources that have been modified outside of their originating CloudFormation stacks
Trusted Advisor provides cost optimization, performance, security, and fault tolerance checks. It does not compare live resource configurations against CloudFormation template definitions. Drift detection is the correct service for this.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CloudFormation drift detection
- resource configuration drift
- DetectStackDrift
- drift status
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
CloudFormation drift detection
Related practice questions
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Question 1
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Question 2
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Question 3
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Question 4
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Question 5
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Question 6
A company has a VPC with public and private subnets. The private subnets host application servers that need to make outbound HTTPS connections to the internet. The SysOps administrator must implement a solution that provides outbound internet connectivity while preventing inbound connections from the internet. Additionally, the solution must allow the company to control which domains the application servers can access. Which solution should the administrator implement?
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
CloudFormation drift detection
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Run drift detection on each CloudFormation stack; review the results in the Drift status panel to see which resources have MODIFIED or DELETED status — CloudFormation drift detection compares each stack resource's current live configuration against the properties defined in the deployed template. Initiating drift detection for a stack calls DetectStackDrift, which is asynchronous. The DescribeStackDriftDetectionStatus operation polls for completion. Once complete, DescribeStackResourceDrifts lists each drifted resource with the expected and actual property values. Only supported resource types (most core services) can be checked — unsupported types are skipped. Drift detection is read-only and does not remediate.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review cloudFormation drift detection, then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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