HashiCorp Terraform Associate 003 Exam Prep
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (Page 18 )

• State is stored remotely in Terraform Cloud/Enterprise, not as a local file.
• Terraform runs (plan/apply) can be executed on remote infrastructure, with results visible in the remote workspace UI.
• Supports workspace-based organization, state locking, and concurrency control.
• Useful for team collaboration, centralized governance, and auditable logs.

• In your configuration, you use a backend block like backend "remote" { ... }.
• You still run terraform init to configure/migrate to the remote backend.
• After setup, terraform plan/terraform apply may be executed remotely, and the outputs/logs appear in the Terraform Cloud/Enterprise UI rather than (only) in your local terminal.

• Other backends store state remotely but typically do not provide remote execution; with the remote backend you get remote runs and a collaborative UI, not just remote state storage.

• Answer: B (False)

• Explanation: The terraform.tfstate file is a snapshot Terraform uses to map your configuration to real resources. It does not always stay perfectly in sync with the live infrastructure. Drift can occur if resources are changed outside Terraform or manipulated directly. You can reconcile this with commands like terraform plan (to see what would change) and terraform refresh (to update the state). The state stored in a backend reflects the last known state, not a guaranteed real-time reflection of reality. See Terraform state documentation for details.

• Answer: False

• Why: The terraform.tfstate file is a snapshot of the resources as Terraform last applied or refreshed them. If someone or something changes infrastructure outside Terraform (drift), the state file may no longer match the real world until you refresh or re-apply. Terraform normally refreshes state during plan/apply, but it is not guaranteed to always be perfectly in sync without a refresh.

• Denial-of-service: Prevents users from accessing a service; it does not normally redirect them.
• Social engineering: Manipulates people into taking an action, such as clicking a malicious link, but does not directly alter DNS resolution.
• ARP spoofing: Associates the attacker’s MAC address with another device’s IP address on a local network. It can intercept traffic, but the described website redirection is most specifically DNS poisoning.

1. Yes — One account can manage multiple subscriptions

1. No — You cannot merge two subscriptions into one

1. Yes — A resource belongs to only one subscription

• Virtual introductions: Team members share their role, experience, location, and working preferences.
• Online icebreakers: Short, informal activities such as “two truths and a lie.”
• Virtual coffee chats: Pair team members for informal, non-project conversations.
• Collaborative problem-solving: The team works together on an online puzzle or scenario.
• Retrospectives: The team discusses what went well, what did not, and how to improve.
• Working-agreement sessions: The team agrees on response times, meeting etiquette, communication channels, and handoffs.
• Recognition sessions: Members acknowledge one another’s contributions.
• Remote workshops: Teams jointly create plans, diagrams, or schedules using collaboration tools.

• A is valid:

apex 
  for (Account theAccount : AccountList) { 
      // process theAccount 
  }

• D is conceptually valid, using an index:

apex 
  for (Integer i = 0; i < AccountList.size(); i++) { 
      Account theAccount = AccountList[i]; 
  }

• B is invalid because for(AccountList) is not valid loop syntax.
• C is invalid because each item is an Account, not a List.

• Instant messaging/chat: Can be abused to send malicious links or attachments, but P2P file sharing is the more direct high-risk source.
• E-mail: A common malware delivery method, but this question specifically emphasizes an application type associated with direct file exchange.
• End-to-end applications: This describes communication protection or architecture, not a specific application category known for malware distribution.

• The JSON files contain one billion items, so this is a big-data workload.
• PySpark uses Apache Spark’s distributed, parallel processing, allowing the data to be processed across multiple compute nodes.
• It can read and transform data directly from OneLake, helping minimize unnecessary data movement or duplication.
• A Fabric notebook can also support exploration and visualization, as well as Spark-based analytics and anomaly-detection workflows.

• Pandas is primarily in-memory and generally suited to smaller datasets. One billion records would be impractical on a typical single machine.
• A Power BI report with core visuals is appropriate for visualization and sharing, but it is not the best tool for large-scale transformation, parallel processing, or anomaly detection. It would normally consume prepared data rather than perform the entire workload.

• Incident and problem management
• Change management
• Service-level management
• Configuration management
• Continual improvement

• Kanban: A workflow and task-visualization method; useful within service teams but not a complete service-management framework.
• Lean Six Sigma: Focuses on reducing waste and process variation; broader process-improvement methodology.
• ITSM: The overall discipline of managing IT services, not a specific framework or process model.

• IaaS: você gerencia a VM e o sistema operacional.
• PaaS: o Azure gerencia a infraestrutura; você se concentra no aplicativo.

• Vulnerability scanner: Finds known technical weaknesses in systems or applications, but does not provide complete supply-chain visibility.
• Penetration test: Simulates attacks against defined targets; it is narrower than a full supply-chain analysis.
• SCAP: A set of standards and protocols for automated security configuration and vulnerability assessment, not a comprehensive supply-chain mapping tool.

• A script of cloud CLI commands: IaC because the commands can be saved, reviewed, versioned, and rerun consistently.
• Manually run curl commands: Not necessarily IaC; they are manual actions unless organized into an automated script.
• A sequence of REST requests passed to an API: Could represent automation, but the wording does not explicitly say they are stored and executed as reusable code.
• Commands entered into a cloud console: Manual operation, not IaC.

• Limiting the number of MAC addresses allowed on a switch port
• Restricting ports to specific known MAC addresses
• Taking an action—such as dropping frames or shutting down the port—when the limit is exceeded

• Load balancer: Distributes application traffic; it does not protect switch MAC tables.
• IPS: May detect some attack traffic, but is not the primary control for switch-port MAC limits.
• NGFW: Filters network traffic at the firewall, but does not directly control MAC addresses learned by a switch.

• Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed NoSQL database service. It stores and retrieves application data, but it does not provide the complete environment for building, testing, and deploying predictive analytics models.
• Azure Machine Learning is the appropriate service for this requirement. It supports creating experiments, training and testing models, and deploying them for predictions.
• Azure Machine Learning Studio provides the browser-based interface for these tasks.

• WPA3: Secures wireless traffic but does not normally verify whether someone has paid.
• PSK: A shared Wi-Fi password gives access to anyone who knows it; it cannot easily validate individual receipts.
• IEEE 802.1X: Provides user/device authentication, commonly through an authentication server, but is excessive and not designed specifically for a simple receipt-based guest-access workflow.

• Undefined or blank values
• Relationship matching problems
• Duplicate or conflicting keys
• Errors when querying the model

• Normalize all values to upper- or lowercase in the source query or Power Query.
• Add an index or surrogate key when values that differ only by case must remain distinct.

• Labels control access and protection, not blanket exclusion.
• If the user has permission to open a labeled file—especially if the label allows authenticated users to view it—Copilot can use that file in a summary.
• If the label applies encryption and the user lacks the required usage rights, Copilot should not use the file or reveal its contents.
• Copilot honors the user’s existing permissions, so it should not expose labeled content to an unauthorized user.

• When the MVP will be defined — the MVP should already be understood sufficiently when assessing the business case.
• What the MVP is — useful information, but not the key requirement tested here.
• That the MVP is the same as project viability — incorrect. The MVP helps test viability; it is not identical to viability itself.

• Virtual machines
• Virtual storage
• Virtual networking
• Compute resources

• Security as a Service: Provides security functions, not general VM infrastructure.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Provides a managed application-development platform, with less control over the underlying VMs.
• Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers complete applications to users rather than infrastructure for hosting VMs.

• Relationship cardinality:

• Filter direction:

• Active versus inactive relationships: only active relationships automatically propagate filters.
• Blank or unmatched values: a fact-table value without a matching dimension row can create the model’s blank/unknown member.
• Uniqueness: the “one” side must contain unique values; duplicate keys generally belong on the “many” side.

• Enable screensaver locks: After inactivity, the workstation locks and requires the user to authenticate again. This prevents someone nearby from using an unattended logged-in computer.

• Apply a BIOS password: A BIOS/UEFI password helps prevent unauthorized users from changing boot settings, booting from external media, or bypassing normal startup controls. It adds protection before the operating system loads.

• Defragment the hard drive: Improves drive organization/performance, not access control.
• Enable SSH: Provides remote command-line access and could introduce another access path; it does not restrict local workstation users.
• Disable iCloud integration: Not a general workstation access-control measure.
• Enable the firewall: Protects against network connections, but does not stop an unauthorized person who is physically using the workstation.

• How quickly the vendor must respond to incidents or requests
• Availability or uptime requirements
• Resolution time targets
• Performance expectations and penalties for failing to meet them

• SOW (Statement of Work): Describes the work, deliverables, scope, and schedule.
• MOA (Memorandum of Agreement): Documents an agreement in which parties commit to specific responsibilities.
• MOU (Memorandum of Understanding): Records a general intention to cooperate; it may not be legally binding.

• Deterrent control: The signs warning that people may be filmed can discourage unauthorized activity. They do not physically prevent the activity, but they may influence behavior.
• Detective control: CCTV detects or records activity so security personnel can identify incidents and investigate them later.

• Preventive: Stops an incident from occurring, such as a locked door.
• Corrective: Restores systems after an incident, such as backups.
• Directive: Instructs people what to do, such as security policies or warning instructions.
• Compensating: Provides an alternative control when the preferred control cannot be used.

• Employees can work from any location, including remote sites and offices worldwide.
• Login can be relatively seamless after the device is registered.
• It does not require distributing additional physical authentication equipment.

• Geotagging: Identifies location, but location alone is not a strong authentication method and may prevent legitimate remote access.
• Smart cards: Provide strong authentication but require card readers and physical cards, increasing equipment and management requirements.
• Time-based logins: Typically involve one-time codes that users must enter, making the experience less seamless and potentially requiring a token or authenticator app.

• File hashes
• Strings and metadata
• Binary or code structure
• Known malicious patterns
• Embedded indicators or signatures

• Sandbox: Executes the file in an isolated environment; useful for observing behavior, but usually slower.
• Network traffic analysis: Examines communications generated by a system or application, not the file itself.
• Package monitoring: Tracks software packages or installations and is not the primary method for examining malware signatures.

1. Deployment type: Standard

1. Version update policy: Opt out of automatic model version upgrades

Recommended process

1. Access each switch’s terminal.
2. Use help to identify available commands.
3. Use the MAC table command, such as:

text 
   show mac-address-table

1. Use VLAN information, such as:

text 
   show vlan

1. Use interface information, such as:

text 
   show ip interface brief

1. Record each device’s:

• The team should inspect its way of working during retrospectives.
• The team can identify root causes of delays and agree on process improvements.
• The leader facilitates the removal of impediments and provides support, but does not impose solutions.

• A: An impediment log can help track issues, but documentation alone does not resolve them.
• B: Directing the team toward solutions conflicts with agile empowerment and self-management.
• C: Adding impediments to the product backlog may incorrectly treat team problems as product features and delay resolution.

• Allow only approved MAC addresses
• Limit the number of learned addresses
• Shut down or restrict a port when a violation occurs

• Load balancer: Distributes application traffic; it does not protect switch MAC tables.
• IPS: May detect some attack traffic, but it is not the direct control for limiting MAC addresses on switch ports.
• NGFW: Filters routed network traffic, while this attack targets Layer 2 switch behavior.

• The vulnerability scan identifies a vulnerability.
• The administrator verifies that the vulnerability is not present.
• Therefore, the scan produced a false positive.

• True positive: A vulnerability is reported and genuinely exists.
• False negative: A vulnerability exists, but the scan fails to detect it.
• True negative: No vulnerability exists, and the scan correctly reports no issue.

• Scale out during the hours when customer traffic is high.
• Scale in during low-demand periods, reducing instance-hours and cost.
• Use scaling policies based on metrics such as CPU utilization or request count.

• Multiple Availability Zones: Improves availability and fault tolerance, but does not automatically reduce cost.
• Placement group: Helps with specialized performance or low-latency requirements, not cost optimization.
• Private subnets: Improve network security, but do not automatically adjust capacity or reduce EC2 usage costs.

• Packet capture: Collects and analyzes network traffic; it does not describe the scan type.
• Privilege escalation: Attempts to gain higher permissions after obtaining access.
• System enumeration: Identifies systems, services, or resources, but is not specifically defined by the lack of credentials.
• Passive scan: Observes traffic without actively probing systems. A vulnerability scan is generally an active assessment.

• B — Sales staff will tender for riskier contracts:

• C — Sales staff will encroach on other territories:

• D — Sales staff will look for new jobs:

• Un AG puede tener réplicas en Windows y Linux desde SQL Server 2017; por tanto, una réplica Windows y otra Linux es posible.
• Sin embargo, las réplicas de un AG deben utilizar normalmente la misma versión principal de SQL Server. Una instancia SQL Server 2017 no puede tener directamente una réplica secundaria SQL Server 2019 como configuración normal y permanente.
• En tu escenario, SQL Server 2017 en Windows y SQL Server 2019 en Linux no se pueden añadir directamente como réplicas equivalentes de AG1. Primero habría que realizar un proceso de actualización/migración compatible, por ejemplo mediante una actualización gradual o una tecnología de migración como log shipping o distributed availability groups, según el diseño.

• Tipo de clúster y mecanismo de quorum.
• Failover normalmente manual en configuraciones multiplataforma.
• Edición y características compatibles.
• Configuración de endpoints y permisos.
• Limitaciones específicas de SQL Server en Linux.

• Each Case must follow defined support steps.
• Each step must be completed within a specified time limit.

• Case Escalation Rules: Escalate Cases based mainly on age or criteria; they do not model a complete sequence of service steps.
• Process Builder with Scheduled Actions: Can automate time-based actions but is not the standard framework for Case service-level commitments.
• Omni-Channel Routing: Routes work to agents based on capacity and priority; it does not track Case lifecycle deadlines.

• Unrestricted data mining: Data mining is not automatically a privacy violation. It becomes an issue when personal data is collected or used improperly.
• Identity theft: This is a possible consequence of inadequate privacy protection, but it is not the central focus of privacy regulations.
• Human rights protection: Privacy can be considered a human right, but this option is broader than the specific regulatory focus.
• Identifiable personal data: Regulations such as HIPAA focus directly on controlling the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information.

• Authentication: Verifies who the user is.
• Authorization: Determines what the authenticated user is allowed to access.
• Accounting: Records activity such as login times and resource usage.

• CIA: Confidentiality, integrity, and availability—the three core security goals.
• ACL: Access Control List, which defines permitted or denied traffic or access.
• PEM: A certificate and key encoding format, not the primary function of RADIUS.

• transform() — modifies every element in an array
• filter() — keeps elements matching a condition
• exists() — checks whether any element matches
• aggregate() — reduces array elements to one result

sql 
SELECT transform(scores, x -> x * 2) 
FROM student_scores;

• A is incorrect because higher-order functions are mainly useful for nested or complex data.
• B is incorrect because they do not convert logic into Python.
• D is incorrect because their purpose is not to fix slow built-in functions, but to process arrays or maps with custom logic.

• Orders contains order-level information, such as the order date.
• Order Line Items contains the products, quantities, and line amounts associated with each order.
• Merging them on the order key, such as OrderID, places the order date alongside each line item. This allows you to calculate total order value and analyze it over time.
• Product attributes can remain in the Products table and be related to the resulting line-item table through ProductID.

• Merging line items with products addresses product attributes but does not first provide the order-level date and value needed for time analysis.
• DAX calculated columns or lists add unnecessary model complexity.
• Calculating order counts is not the first requirement and does not combine the required order and line-item data.

• Start the print spooler service: The Print Spooler manages print jobs and allows Windows to communicate with printers. Starting it restores printing immediately.
• Set the Print Spooler to Automatic: This makes Windows start the service during each boot, preventing the user from needing help every morning.

• No dependencies: Dependencies help determine which services start first; changing this does not solve the recurring issue.
• Recovery: Take no action: This would prevent Windows from responding appropriately if the service fails.
• Printer extensions and notifications: Not required for basic printing.
• Log on as the user: The spooler normally runs under a system service account; using the user’s account is unnecessary and potentially less secure.

• Floating IP must be enabled on the load-balancing rule.
• Session persistence should normally remain None.
• The health probe determines which replica should receive traffic.
• Client-IP persistence is unnecessary and can cause connections from the same client to remain associated with a backend replica longer than intended.

• Q9 — Client IP session persistence: No
• Q10 — Floating IP: Yes

• Lead investigator: Coordinates the investigation and directs the response.
• Information security representative: Provides security expertise and helps assess the incident.
• Technical representative: Preserves system evidence, takes forensic backups, and supports technical analysis.
• Legal representative: Advises on legal, regulatory, privacy, and evidence-handling requirements.

• IDS attack signatures: Primarily detects suspicious network activity; it is not the best control for scanning uploaded documents.
• Load balancer: Distributes traffic and can improve availability, but does not inspect files for malware.
• WAF: Helps block web attacks such as command injection and SQL injection, but it is not primarily a malware-scanning solution.

• The listener uses a virtual IP address shared by the availability-group replicas.
• Floating IP, also called Direct Server Return (DSR), allows the SQL Server nodes to respond using the listener’s IP address rather than their individual VM IP addresses.
• This is required for the availability-group listener to function correctly with an Azure internal load balancer.

• Deterrent control: The signs warning that people may be filmed can discourage unauthorized or malicious activity. They do not directly stop the action; they influence behavior.
• Detective control: CCTV records or monitors activity so security personnel can identify events or investigate them afterward.

• Preventive: Stops an incident from occurring, such as access control.
• Corrective: Restores systems after an incident.
• Directive: Instructs people to behave in a certain way, such as a security policy.
• Compensating: An alternative control used when the preferred control is not feasible.

• Firewalls and routers
• Servers and applications
• Endpoint devices
• Authentication systems
• Cloud services

• Centralized log collection
• Event correlation
• Dashboards and reporting
• Alerting
• Compliance support

• B: Não é preciso implantar o modelo em um endpoint do Amazon SageMaker, pois o Bedrock já oferece a infraestrutura de inferência.
• C: O SageMaker Model Registry é usado para gerenciar modelos no SageMaker, não é requisito para modelos customizados no Bedrock.
• D: Não existe uma etapa geral de “conceder acesso” ao modelo customizado como requisito principal de uso. O ponto essencial é adquirir o Provisioned Throughput.

• Use the grant-date fair value: $30
• Do not remeasure to the year-end value of $45
• Update the estimate of employees expected to vest

• Dr Share-based payment expense $450,000
• Cr Equity/share option reserve $450,000