Operations: AWS Systems Manager and OpsWorks

Question 1

Application running on EC2 needs login credentials
for a DB that are stored as secure strings in SSM
Parameter Store

Answer 1

Create an IAM role for the instance and grant

permission to read the parameters

Question 2

Linux instances are patched with Systems Manager
Patch Manager. Application slows down whilst
updates are happening

Answer 2

Change maintenance window to patch 10% of

instances in the patch group at a time

Question 3

Custom Linux AMI used with AWS Systems Manager.

Can’t find instances in Session Manager console

Answer 3

Need to add permissions to instance profile and

install the SSM agent on the instances

Question 4

Multiple environments require authentication
credentials for external service. Deployed using
CloudFormation

Answer 4

Store credentials in SSM Parameter Store and pass an
environment tag as a parameter in CloudFormation
template

Question 5

IAM access keys used to manage EC2 instances using
the CLI. Company policy mandates that access keys
are automatically disabled after 60 days

Answer 5

Use an AWS Config rule to identify noncompliant
keys. Create a custom AWS Systems Manager
Automation document for remediation