AWS DevOps Engineer Professional Practice Test

Can you modify instance types associated with existing launch configurations?

1. Yes, directly in the AWS Management Console

2. No, you must copy the launch configuration

3. Yes, by using the AWS CLI

4. No, but you can manually recreate them

The correct answer is: No, you must copy the launch configuration

The correct response highlights that you cannot modify instance types in existing launch configurations directly. Instead, you need to create a new launch configuration that specifies the new instance type you require. This limitation is by design in AWS—launch configurations are immutable, meaning they cannot be altered after they are created. When you need to change parameters such as the instance type, the AWS best practice is to either copy the existing launch configuration and make the necessary changes or to manually recreate it with the desired settings. This approach ensures that you maintain version control and can keep track of changes over time, which is essential in a DevOps environment for efficiency and reproducibility. Other options misleadingly suggest ways to directly change the instance type, which is not possible. The AWS Management Console and AWS CLI do not offer a method to alter an existing launch configuration's instance type, thus reinforcing the need to create a new configuration for these changes.