- A
Replace the instance store volume with an Amazon EBS volume, create an AMI, and use Auto Scaling with an Application Load Balancer.
EBS provides persistent storage, and Auto Scaling with ALB improves availability and disaster recovery.
- B
Attach an Amazon EBS volume and configure the application to write to it, then take periodic EBS snapshots.
Why wrong: This requires architectural changes but does not provide automatic failover.
- C
Use AWS Backup to schedule backups of the instance and restore to a new instance if needed.
Why wrong: AWS Backup does not support instance store volumes.
- D
Create an AMI from the instance and launch a second instance in a different Availability Zone behind an Application Load Balancer.
Why wrong: Instance store data is ephemeral; the AMI will not preserve data.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to replace the instance store volume with an Amazon EBS volume, create an AMI, and use Auto Scaling with an Application Load Balancer. This solution directly addresses the core problem: instance store volumes are ephemeral and any data written to them is lost if the instance stops, terminates, or fails, making them unsuitable for disaster recovery. By migrating to persistent EBS storage, you enable automated backups via snapshots and can launch replacement instances from a custom AMI, while Auto Scaling and the ALB distribute traffic across healthy instances to improve availability. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the fundamental difference between instance store and EBS, and the trade-offs between cost, minimal architectural changes, and durability. A common trap is assuming that simply creating an AMI from an instance store-backed instance preserves the data—it does not, because AMIs only capture the root volume, not the ephemeral storage. Remember the mnemonic: “EBS for persistence, instance store for speed—if data must survive, EBS is what you need.”
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 has a monolithic application running on a single Amazon EC2 instance. The application stores data on an instance store volume. The company wants to improve availability and disaster recovery with minimal architectural changes. What is the MOST cost-effective solution?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Replace the instance store volume with an Amazon EBS volume, create an AMI, and use Auto Scaling with an Application Load Balancer.
Option C is correct because using EBS snapshots provides backup and recovery for instance store data? Actually instance store is ephemeral; EBS snapshots cannot back up instance store. So Option A is correct: Create an AMI from the instance and use Auto Scaling with an Application Load Balancer. This provides high availability without changing the storage to EBS? Wait, instance store data is lost on stop/terminate. So the best solution is to migrate data to EBS and then use AMI/Auto Scaling. But the question says minimal architectural changes. Option D is correct: Replace instance store with EBS and use AMI/Auto Scaling. Option A uses instance store which is not persistent. Option B adds cost without solving availability. Option C is wrong because EBS snapshots cannot back up instance store. So the correct answer is D.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Replace the instance store volume with an Amazon EBS volume, create an AMI, and use Auto Scaling with an Application Load Balancer.
Why this is correct
EBS provides persistent storage, and Auto Scaling with ALB improves availability and disaster recovery.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Attach an Amazon EBS volume and configure the application to write to it, then take periodic EBS snapshots.
Why it's wrong here
This requires architectural changes but does not provide automatic failover.
- ✗
Use AWS Backup to schedule backups of the instance and restore to a new instance if needed.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Backup does not support instance store volumes.
- ✗
Create an AMI from the instance and launch a second instance in a different Availability Zone behind an Application Load Balancer.
Why it's wrong here
Instance store data is ephemeral; the AMI will not preserve data.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Replace the instance store volume with an Amazon EBS volume, create an AMI, and use Auto Scaling with an Application Load Balancer. — Option C is correct because using EBS snapshots provides backup and recovery for instance store data? Actually instance store is ephemeral; EBS snapshots cannot back up instance store. So Option A is correct: Create an AMI from the instance and use Auto Scaling with an Application Load Balancer. This provides high availability without changing the storage to EBS? Wait, instance store data is lost on stop/terminate. So the best solution is to migrate data to EBS and then use AMI/Auto Scaling. But the question says minimal architectural changes. Option D is correct: Replace instance store with EBS and use AMI/Auto Scaling. Option A uses instance store which is not persistent. Option B adds cost without solving availability. Option C is wrong because EBS snapshots cannot back up instance store. So the correct answer is D.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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