The answer is to configure an RDS Multi-AZ DB cluster with a standby instance in another Region. This solution is correct because a Multi-AZ DB cluster uses synchronous replication across Availability Zones, and when extended to a cross-Region standby, it maintains that synchronous replication to achieve a recovery point objective (RPO) of 5 seconds, while the automatic failover mechanism keeps the recovery time objective (RTO) under 15 minutes. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the critical distinction between synchronous Multi-AZ replication and asynchronous cross-Region Read Replicas, which would introduce replication lag and fail the strict RPO requirement. A common trap is choosing cross-Region Read Replicas, but remember they are asynchronous and cannot guarantee sub-second data loss. The memory tip: "Sync for RPO, async for read load" — only synchronous replication can deliver a 5-second RPO across Regions.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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 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 company wants to achieve a recovery point objective (RPO) of 5 seconds and a recovery time objective (RTO) of 15 minutes. Which solution should the company use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure an RDS Multi-AZ DB cluster with a standby instance in another Region.
Option D is correct because a Multi-AZ DB cluster with standby in another Region provides synchronous replication and fast failover, achieving low RPO/RTO. Option A is wrong because RDS Read Replicas are asynchronous and cross-Region replication has higher RPO. Option B is wrong because restoring from snapshots takes longer than 15 minutes. Option C is wrong because EC2 Auto Scaling groups do not handle database replication.
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.
✓
Configure an RDS Multi-AZ DB cluster with a standby instance in another Region.
Why this is correct
Multi-AZ DB cluster with synchronous replication provides low RPO and automatic failover within minutes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use EC2 Auto Scaling to launch new instances in another Region and use an Application Load Balancer.
Why it's wrong here
Auto Scaling does not address database replication.
✗
Take automated snapshots of the RDS instance every 5 seconds and copy them to another Region.
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots cannot be taken every 5 seconds and restoring snapshot takes longer than 15 minutes.
✗
Deploy RDS Read Replicas in another Region and promote them during a disaster.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-Region Read Replicas have asynchronous replication, resulting in an RPO of seconds to minutes, not 5 seconds.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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: Configure an RDS Multi-AZ DB cluster with a standby instance in another Region. — Option D is correct because a Multi-AZ DB cluster with standby in another Region provides synchronous replication and fast failover, achieving low RPO/RTO. Option A is wrong because RDS Read Replicas are asynchronous and cross-Region replication has higher RPO. Option B is wrong because restoring from snapshots takes longer than 15 minutes. Option C is wrong because EC2 Auto Scaling groups do not handle database replication.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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