The correct choice is a cross-region read replica in us-west-2 with MySQL asynchronous replication, as it meets both the 15-minute RTO and 1-hour RPO at the lowest cost. This solution works because cross-region read replicas use MySQL’s native asynchronous replication to continuously copy data to the secondary region with an RPO typically measured in seconds to minutes, and they can be promoted to a standalone primary instance in minutes, satisfying the RTO without expensive infrastructure. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between disaster recovery mechanisms: Multi-AZ is for high availability within a single region, not cross-region DR, while automated backups and DMS lack the real-time replication speed needed for a low RPO. A common trap is assuming Multi-AZ works across regions or that DMS provides sub-minute replication. Memory tip: think “Read Replica for Rapid Recovery” — cross-region read replicas give you the fastest promotion and lowest cost for cross-region DR with MySQL.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 designing a disaster recovery solution for a critical application running on Amazon EC2. The application uses an Amazon RDS for MySQL database. The recovery time objective (RTO) is 15 minutes, and the recovery point objective (RPO) is 1 hour. The primary region is us-east-1, and the secondary region is us-west-2. Which solution meets the requirements with the LOWEST cost?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use a cross-region read replica in us-west-2 with MySQL asynchronous replication
Option A is correct because a cross-region read replica with MySQL asynchronous replication provides an RPO of seconds to minutes and can be promoted quickly, meeting RTO and RPO at low cost. Option B is incorrect because Database Migration Service is not designed for real-time replication. Option C is incorrect because Multi-AZ is for high availability within a region, not cross-region DR. Option D is incorrect because automated backups have a restore time longer than 15 minutes typically.
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.
✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) for continuous replication to us-west-2
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for migration, not DR, and adds cost.
✓
Use a cross-region read replica in us-west-2 with MySQL asynchronous replication
Why this is correct
Read replica provides near real-time replication and fast promotion.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use automated backups and restore to us-west-2 when needed
Why it's wrong here
Restore from backup takes longer than 15 minutes.
✗
Use a Multi-AZ deployment in us-east-1 and failover to a standby instance
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ is within region, not cross-region DR.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a cross-region read replica in us-west-2 with MySQL asynchronous replication — Option A is correct because a cross-region read replica with MySQL asynchronous replication provides an RPO of seconds to minutes and can be promoted quickly, meeting RTO and RPO at low cost. Option B is incorrect because Database Migration Service is not designed for real-time replication. Option C is incorrect because Multi-AZ is for high availability within a region, not cross-region DR. Option D is incorrect because automated backups have a restore time longer than 15 minutes typically.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is designing a disaster recovery (DR) solution for a critical application running on Amazon EC2 instances in a single AWS Region. The DR site will be in a different Region. The application data is stored in an Amazon RDS for MySQL DB instance with Multi-AZ enabled. The Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is 15 minutes, and the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is 2 hours. Which strategy meets these requirements MOST cost-effectively?
hard
A.Take daily automated snapshots of the RDS DB instance and copy them to the DR Region. In the DR Region, restore the DB instance from the latest snapshot.
B.Use Amazon Aurora Global Database to replicate data across Regions.
C.Use AWS Backup to copy backups to the DR Region and set up EC2 Image Builder for application recovery.
✓ D.Configure a cross-Region read replica for the RDS MySQL DB instance. In the DR event, promote the read replica to a standalone instance.
Why D: Option C is correct because a read replica in another Region provides an RPO of seconds and an RTO of minutes when promoted, and it is low cost. Option A is wrong because cross-Region snapshots have longer RPO (daily) and RTO (hours). Option B is wrong because Aurora Global Database is more expensive and not MySQL-compatible. Option D is wrong because EC2 Image Builder does not address database replication.
Variation 2. A company is designing a disaster recovery solution for a critical application that runs on Amazon EC2 instances in a single AWS Region. The application uses an Amazon RDS for MySQL database. The recovery time objective (RTO) is 1 hour and the recovery point objective (RPO) is 15 minutes. Which combination of steps should the company take to meet these requirements? (Choose THREE.)
medium
✓ A.Use Amazon Route 53 health checks to monitor the primary application and configure DNS failover to the secondary Region.
B.Configure a Multi-AZ deployment for the RDS database in the primary Region.
C.Deploy the application on Amazon Aurora Global Database.
✓ D.Create an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) of the EC2 instances and copy it to the secondary Region. Use an Auto Scaling group to launch instances from the AMI.
✓ E.Create a cross-Region read replica of the RDS MySQL database in the secondary Region.
Why A: Option A is correct because Route 53 health checks can monitor the primary application's endpoint, and DNS failover to a secondary Region enables automatic traffic redirection within minutes, aligning with the 1-hour RTO. This approach provides a simple, stateless failover mechanism without requiring complex routing changes.
Variation 3. A company is designing a new disaster recovery solution for a critical application that runs on Amazon EC2 with an Amazon RDS for MySQL database. The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is 15 minutes and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is 1 hour. Which TWO strategies meet these requirements? (Choose TWO.)
hard
✓ A.Use Amazon Aurora Global Database for the database tier.
✓ B.Use a cross-region read replica for RDS and promote it during disaster.
C.Use EC2 AMI copy to another region and launch instances from the AMI.
D.Use RDS cross-region snapshots and restore in the DR region.
E.Configure RDS Multi-AZ in the primary region.
Why A: Aurora Global Database (option D) provides RPO of seconds and RTO of minutes. Multi-AZ (option C) provides HA but not cross-region DR. Option A (RDS cross-region) meets RPO but RTO may be >15 min. Option B (EC2 AMI copy) is slow. Option D is correct. Option E (read replica) can be promoted quickly.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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