The answer is AWS Application Discovery Service. This service is the correct choice because it is specifically built to gather detailed information about on-premises servers, including their specifications, utilization metrics like CPU and memory usage, and network dependencies between applications. For the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the migration planning phase, where discovery is the first step before any actual migration tool like AWS Server Migration Service or AWS Database Migration Service is used. A common trap is confusing Application Discovery Service with AWS Migration Hub; remember that Discovery Service is the data collector, while Migration Hub is the central tracking dashboard. To solidify this, use the memory tip: "Discover before you Migrate" — think of the service as a detective that profiles your current environment to build a business case, not as the mover itself.
CLF-C02 Cloud Concepts Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud concepts. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is assessing their on-premises environment before migrating to AWS. Which AWS service helps discover on-premises servers, profile their utilization, and create a business case for cloud migration?
Why wrong: Migration Hub provides a single location to track migration progress — Application Discovery Service is what collects the discovery data that Migration Hub uses.
B
AWS Application Discovery Service
Application Discovery Service discovers and profiles on-premises servers (configuration, utilization, dependencies) to help plan migration waves and create a business case for cloud adoption.
C
AWS Database Migration Service
Why wrong: DMS migrates databases — it doesn't discover and profile on-premises server inventories.
D
AWS Server Migration Service
Why wrong: SMS (now replaced by AWS MGN) migrated VMware VMs to AWS — it doesn't perform the discovery and profiling that Application Discovery Service provides.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Application Discovery Service
AWS Application Discovery Service is designed to gather information about on-premises data centers, including server specifications, utilization metrics, and network dependencies. It provides this data to help build a detailed business case for migration, including cost projections and migration planning. This directly matches the requirement to discover servers, profile utilization, and create a business case.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
AWS Migration Hub
Why it's wrong here
Migration Hub provides a single location to track migration progress — Application Discovery Service is what collects the discovery data that Migration Hub uses.
✓
AWS Application Discovery Service
Why this is correct
Application Discovery Service discovers and profiles on-premises servers (configuration, utilization, dependencies) to help plan migration waves and create a business case for cloud adoption.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
AWS Database Migration Service
Why it's wrong here
DMS migrates databases — it doesn't discover and profile on-premises server inventories.
✗
AWS Server Migration Service
Why it's wrong here
SMS (now replaced by AWS MGN) migrated VMware VMs to AWS — it doesn't perform the discovery and profiling that Application Discovery Service provides.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse AWS Migration Hub as the discovery tool, when in fact Migration Hub only aggregates and tracks data from other services like Application Discovery Service, but does not perform the discovery itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Application Discovery Service offers two modes: agentless discovery (using VMware vCenter APIs to collect VM metadata) and agent-based discovery (installing the AWS Discovery Agent on each server to capture detailed CPU, memory, disk, and network utilization). The collected data can be exported to AWS Migration Hub or Amazon Athena for further analysis, and it directly feeds into AWS Migration Evaluator (formerly TSO Logic) to generate a total cost of ownership (TCO) comparison and migration business case.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CLF-C02 question in full detail.
Cloud Concepts — This question tests Cloud Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Application Discovery Service — AWS Application Discovery Service is designed to gather information about on-premises data centers, including server specifications, utilization metrics, and network dependencies. It provides this data to help build a detailed business case for migration, including cost projections and migration planning. This directly matches the requirement to discover servers, profile utilization, and create a business case.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CLF-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.