You are trying to use the AWS Systems Manager run command on a set of Instances. The run command on a set of Instances. What can you do to diagnose the issue? Choose 2 answers from the options given

Question

Options

• AEnsure that the SSM agent is running on the target machine
• BCheck the /var/log/amazon/ssm/errors.log file
• CEnsure the right AMI is used for the Instance
• DEnsure the security groups allow outbound communication for the instance

• A
  93% (39)
• C
  2% (1)
• D
  5% (2)

Explanation

When the SSM Run Command fails to reach instances, the first diagnostic step is verifying the SSM Agent is running (A) - if the agent is stopped or crashed, the instance cannot receive or execute commands. The SSM agent error log at /var/log/amazon/ssm/errors.log (B) contains detailed diagnostics about agent failures, connectivity issues, and command execution errors, making it the go-to log file for troubleshooting.

C is wrong because the AMI type doesn't directly affect Run Command functionality - what matters is whether the SSM Agent is installed and running, not which base image was used. D is wrong because SSM Run Command uses outbound HTTPS (port 443) from the instance to the SSM endpoint, but the more precise requirement is that the instance needs either internet access or a VPC endpoint for SSM - the question is vague on direction, and security groups are not the primary diagnostic tool here; the agent log would reveal connectivity failures regardless.

Memory tip: Think "Agent + Logs" - SSM problems always start with checking if the agent is alive (A) and reading what it says about itself (B). If the agent can't talk, the log will tell you why.

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