AWS Certified Database - Specialty Exam: CloudFormation Template and Database Updates

Deploying Application Stack: Ensuring Database Preservation with AWS CloudFormation

Question

A CloudFormation template is used to deploy an application stack that includes a backend database.

The development team would like to know if the existing database will be deleted or replaced before applying any template updates.

What service feature will enable this?

Answers

Explanations

Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer

A. B. C. D.

Answer: A.

Option A is CORRECT because CloudFormation Change sets enable the preview of proposed changes to a stack to assess the impact on existing resources.

This functionality allows the team to check if any existing databases will be deleted or replaced upon application of the updated CloudFormation template.

Option B is incorrect because CloudFormation rolling updates dictate how AWS CloudFormation handles deployment updates to AWS resources.

Option C is incorrect because CloudFormation StackSets is a CloudFormation feature that facilitates the deployment and management of CloudFormation templates across multiple AWS accounts.

Option D is incorrect because CloudFormation Registry provides a listing of available CloudFormation providers in an account that can be used in CloudFormation templates.

Reference:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/using-cfn-updating-stacks-changesets.html

The correct answer is A. CloudFormation Change Sets.

CloudFormation is an AWS service that enables the creation and management of AWS resources through infrastructure as code. It allows users to define and provision AWS infrastructure resources in a repeatable and automated way.

When updating an existing CloudFormation stack, it is important to know what changes will be applied and whether any resources will be deleted or replaced. CloudFormation Change Sets provide a way to preview the changes that will be made to the stack before applying them. This helps to prevent unexpected changes or downtime during updates.

CloudFormation Change Sets are a preview of changes to be applied to a CloudFormation stack. They provide information about the changes that will be made to the stack, such as which resources will be added, removed, or modified. Change Sets can be created using the AWS Management Console, the AWS CLI, or the CloudFormation API.

Before applying a Change Set, the development team can review the changes and make sure that they are acceptable. If any resources will be deleted or replaced, the team can take appropriate steps to ensure that data is backed up or migrated to a new resource. Once the team approves the Change Set, it can be applied to the stack.

CloudFormation Rolling Updates (answer B) are a feature that allows updates to be applied to a CloudFormation stack in a controlled and incremental way. This can help to minimize downtime and prevent disruptions to the application. However, Rolling Updates do not provide information about whether resources will be deleted or replaced.

CloudFormation StackSets (answer C) are a feature that allows users to deploy CloudFormation stacks across multiple accounts and regions. StackSets can be useful for managing infrastructure resources across multiple environments or for deploying resources to a large number of accounts at once. However, StackSets do not provide information about whether resources will be deleted or replaced.

CloudFormation Registry (answer D) is a feature that allows users to manage and distribute resource providers and extensions for CloudFormation. The Registry can be used to share custom resource types or to integrate third-party tools and services with CloudFormation. However, the Registry does not provide information about whether resources will be deleted or replaced.