Stack drift detection in AWS - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

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What is stack drift in AWS CloudFormation?

Stack drift happens when the actual resources in your cloud environment change from what your CloudFormation template says they should be.

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How does AWS CloudFormation detect stack drift?

It compares the current state of your resources with the expected state defined in your CloudFormation stack to find differences.

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What types of changes can cause stack drift?

Manual changes outside CloudFormation, like updating a server or changing a security group directly in the AWS console, cause stack drift.

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What is the benefit of detecting stack drift?

Detecting drift helps keep your cloud resources consistent with your templates, avoiding unexpected problems and making management easier.

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Can AWS CloudFormation fix stack drift automatically?

No, CloudFormation only detects drift. You must update the stack or fix resources manually to correct the drift.

What does stack drift detection compare?

A User access logs

B Two different CloudFormation templates

C AWS billing reports

D Current resource state vs. CloudFormation template

Stack drift detection compares the actual state of resources with the expected state defined in the CloudFormation template.

Which action can cause stack drift?

A Updating resources manually outside CloudFormation

B Deploying a new CloudFormation stack

C Deleting a CloudFormation stack

D Creating a CloudFormation change set

Manual changes outside CloudFormation cause drift because they are not tracked by the template.

What should you do after detecting stack drift?

A Ignore the drift

B Delete the stack immediately

C Update the stack or fix resources manually

D Restart AWS services

After detecting drift, you must fix the resources or update the stack to match the desired state.

Does AWS CloudFormation automatically fix drift?

A Only if drift is minor

B No, it only detects drift

C Only for EC2 instances

D Yes, it fixes drift automatically

CloudFormation detects drift but does not fix it automatically.

Why is stack drift detection important?

A To keep resources consistent with templates

B To increase AWS billing

C To speed up deployments

D To backup data

Detecting drift helps maintain consistency and avoid unexpected issues.

Explain what stack drift is and how AWS CloudFormation detects it.

Think about how changes outside the template affect your stack.

Describe the steps you would take after detecting stack drift in your AWS environment.

Consider what actions keep your cloud environment healthy.