SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
A company is deploying a new web application on AWS. The application runs on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The company wants to ensure that the application can handle sudden spikes in traffic and maintain high availability across multiple Availability Zones. The solution must be cost-effective and require minimal manual intervention. Which solution should a solutions architect recommend?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that scheduled scaling or fixed capacity can handle unpredictable spikes, but only dynamic scaling policies like target tracking respond in real time to demand changes.
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
✓
Use an Auto Scaling group with a launch template that spans multiple Availability Zones, and configure a target tracking scaling policy based on average CPU utilization.
An Auto Scaling group spanning multiple Availability Zones with a target tracking policy based on CPU utilization automatically adjusts capacity to handle traffic spikes, ensures high availability, and is cost-effective by scaling in during low demand. It requires minimal manual intervention, making it the best choice.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use an Auto Scaling group with a scheduled scaling policy that scales out during business hours and scales in at night.
Why it's wrong here
Scheduled scaling is based on predictable patterns, not sudden spikes. If traffic spikes occur outside the scheduled times, the application may not have enough capacity. This approach requires manual prediction and does not automatically respond to real-time demand, so it may not maintain performance during unexpected spikes.
- ✓
Use an Auto Scaling group with a launch template that spans multiple Availability Zones, and configure a target tracking scaling policy based on average CPU utilization.
Why this is correct
An Auto Scaling group across multiple AZs provides high availability. A target tracking scaling policy automatically adjusts capacity based on CPU utilization, handling traffic spikes without manual intervention. This is cost-effective because instances scale in during low demand, and it meets the requirements with minimal effort.
- ✗
Use AWS Lambda functions behind an Application Load Balancer to handle the web traffic, with provisioned concurrency to reduce cold starts.
Why it's wrong here
While Lambda can scale automatically, using it behind an ALB for a traditional web application may require significant re-architecture. Provisioned concurrency adds cost and complexity. The scenario describes an application running on EC2 instances, so moving to Lambda is not the simplest or most cost-effective solution without refactoring.
- ✗
Use a fixed number of EC2 instances in two Availability Zones and configure an Application Load Balancer with sticky sessions.
Why it's wrong here
A fixed number of instances cannot handle sudden spikes in traffic; they would be overwhelmed. Sticky sessions can cause uneven load distribution. This approach does not provide automatic scaling and may lead to downtime or poor performance during peak times, and it is not cost-effective if over-provisioned.
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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