Jeff’s Note #
Unlike generic exam dumps, ADH analyzes this scenario through the lens of a Real-World Lead Developer.
For AWS DVA-C02 candidates, the confusion often lies in choosing the right CI/CD and hosting service that balances automation with minimal operational overhead. In production, this is about knowing exactly which AWS service natively supports branch-based deployments integrated with multiple source repositories and HTTPS by default, without managing servers. Let’s drill down.
The Certification Drill (Simulated Question) #
Scenario #
InnovateLeap is a digital agency that manages multiple client websites. Each static website’s source code is stored in different version control systems such as AWS CodeCommit, GitHub, and Bitbucket. The agency requires fully automated phased releases, including development, staging, user acceptance testing, and production environments, all deployed within AWS. Each deployment must be triggered automatically by code merges to the corresponding Git branches. Furthermore, all site traffic must be encrypted using HTTPS, and the solution must eliminate the need to manage any running servers continuously. InnovateLeap’s engineering team wants the solution with the least operational overhead.
The Requirement: #
Deploy fully automated, branch-based static website hosting environments on AWS, integrating multiple Git repositories, enabling phased releases, HTTPS support, and requiring no constantly running servers.
The Options #
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A) Host each website using AWS Amplify with a serverless backend. Connect each relevant Git repository branch to an Amplify app, starting deployment automatically upon merging code to branches.
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B) Host each website on AWS Elastic Beanstalk with dedicated environments for dev, staging, UAT, and prod. Use the EB CLI to link repository branches and automate deployments through AWS CodePipeline.
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C) Host websites in separate Amazon S3 buckets per environment. Use AWS CodePipeline to synchronize source code from multiple version control systems, triggering AWS CodeBuild jobs to prepare and copy the static assets to the S3 buckets.
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D) Host each website on individual Amazon EC2 instances. Create custom deployment scripts that bundle static assets, transfer them to the instances on code merges, and run periodic workflows to deploy updates.
Google adsense #
leave a comment:
Correct Answer #
A
Quick Insight: The Developer Imperative #
For AWS DVA-C02, the core insight is leveraging fully managed CI/CD with direct Git branch integration and native HTTPS support. Amplify enables this with minimal setup and no server management, unlike EC2 or Elastic Beanstalk which require more operational overhead. CodePipeline with S3 is valid but adds complexity with build steps and manual pipeline configuration.
Content Locked: The Expert Analysis #
You’ve identified the answer. But do you know the implementation details that separate a Junior from a Senior?
The Expert’s Analysis #
Correct Answer #
Option A
The Winning Logic #
- AWS Amplify is specifically designed to host static web apps with native integration to multiple Git providers (CodeCommit, GitHub, Bitbucket).
- It supports branch-based deployment workflows out-of-the-box, automating build and deploy pipelines triggered by merges.
- Amplify serves content over HTTPS automatically, eliminating manual SSL certificate configuration.
- It is fully serverless and requires zero infrastructure management, drastically reducing operational overhead compared to Elastic Beanstalk or self-managed EC2.
- The automatic preview URLs and environment segregation for dev, staging, UAT and prod are built-in Amplify features.
The Trap (Distractor Analysis) #
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Why not B? Elastic Beanstalk supports multiple environments but is designed primarily for running backend applications on managed EC2 instances. It introduces more management complexity and doesn’t natively integrate multiple Git repos and branches for static site hosting without custom scripting.
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Why not C? Using S3 buckets with CodePipeline and CodeBuild is a common pattern but requires manual pipeline setup, buildspec files, and management of bucket policies. HTTPS requires CloudFront with ACM certificates, adding complexity and potential points of failure.
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Why not D? Hosting each site on EC2 instances is inefficient for static sites, incurs higher costs, requires patching, instance management, and is explicitly against the no-servers-running criterion.
The Technical Blueprint #
# Example: Connect GitHub repo & branch to Amplify, triggering automatic deployments
aws amplify create-app --name InnovateLeapSite \
--repository https://github.com/InnovateLeap/site.git \
--oauth-token <GitHubOAuthToken> \
--platform WEB
# Add branch mappings for dev, staging, prod
aws amplify create-branch --app-id <app-id> --branch-name dev
aws amplify create-branch --app-id <app-id> --branch-name staging
aws amplify create-branch --app-id <app-id> --branch-name prod
The Comparative Analysis (Developer Focus) #
| Option | API Complexity | Performance | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Low - Built-in Amplify APIs | High - CDN accelerated | Ideal for static sites with branch-based deploys, minimal ops |
| B | Medium - EB CLI + CodePipeline | Moderate | Suited for dynamic web apps needing multiple envs on EB |
| C | High - CodePipeline + CodeBuild | High | Useful if fine-grained pipeline control needed |
| D | Very High - Custom scripts + EC2 | Low/Variable | Legacy or complex static/dynamic mix requiring full control |
Real-World Application (Practitioner Insight) #
Exam Rule #
“For the exam, always pick AWS Amplify when you see ‘serverless static website’ with multi-branch Git integrations.”
Real World #
“In production, some teams use S3 + CloudFront pipelines for additional customization, but this increases the deployment complexity and maintenance cost.”
(CTA) Stop Guessing, Start Mastering #
Disclaimer
This is a study note based on simulated scenarios for the AWS DVA-C02 exam.