- A
Use Aurora Serverless v2 with data replication across regions using Database Migration Service (DMS).
Why wrong: Aurora Serverless v2 does not support cross-region replication natively; DMS adds complexity and latency.
- B
Deploy Aurora Multi-AZ in the primary region and use a secondary region as a warm standby.
Why wrong: Multi-AZ is within a single region; cross-region failover requires Aurora Global Database.
- C
Use Aurora Global Database with one primary region and one secondary region. Enable managed failover with a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 1 second.
Aurora Global Database provides cross-region replication with low RPO and managed failover.
- D
Configure Aurora Cross-Region Read Replicas and use Amazon Route 53 for DNS failover.
Why wrong: Cross-Region Read Replicas have higher RPO (minutes) and require manual promotion.
Quick Answer
The correct configuration is to use Aurora Global Database with one primary and one secondary region, enabling managed failover to achieve a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 1 second. This works because Aurora Global Database employs a storage-based replication layer that asynchronously replicates data from the primary to secondary regions at the storage node level, not the database engine level, which keeps replication latency extremely low—typically under one second. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cross-region disaster recovery trade-offs, where the key trap is confusing Aurora Global Database’s managed failover with manual promotion or with services like DynamoDB global tables. Remember that Aurora’s RPO of 1 second is a design target, not a hard guarantee, but it is the lowest data loss option for regional failover in the Aurora ecosystem. A useful memory tip: think “Global, Managed, One Second” to recall that managed failover in Aurora Global Database targets a 1-second RPO.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 new cloud-native application that will be deployed across multiple AWS Regions for high availability. The application uses Amazon Aurora Global Database for its primary data store. The company needs to ensure that in the event of a regional failure, the secondary region can be promoted to primary with minimal data loss. Which configuration should be used?
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 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 Aurora Global Database with one primary region and one secondary region. Enable managed failover with a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 1 second.
Option C is correct because Amazon Aurora Global Database is specifically designed for cross-region disaster recovery with a typical RPO of 1 second and RTO of less than 1 minute when managed failover is enabled. It uses a storage-based replication layer that replicates data from the primary to secondary regions with minimal latency, ensuring that in a regional failure, the secondary region can be promoted to primary with very little data loss.
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 Aurora Serverless v2 with data replication across regions using Database Migration Service (DMS).
Why it's wrong here
Aurora Serverless v2 does not support cross-region replication natively; DMS adds complexity and latency.
- ✗
Deploy Aurora Multi-AZ in the primary region and use a secondary region as a warm standby.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ is within a single region; cross-region failover requires Aurora Global Database.
- ✓
Use Aurora Global Database with one primary region and one secondary region. Enable managed failover with a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 1 second.
Why this is correct
Aurora Global Database provides cross-region replication with low RPO and managed failover.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure Aurora Cross-Region Read Replicas and use Amazon Route 53 for DNS failover.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-Region Read Replicas have higher RPO (minutes) and require manual promotion.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse cross-region read replicas (which have higher replication lag and require manual promotion) with Aurora Global Database's managed failover (which provides sub-second RPO and automated promotion), leading them to choose option D instead of C.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Aurora Global Database uses a dedicated storage-level replication channel that writes to the secondary region's cluster volume with a typical lag of under 1 second, leveraging the same distributed storage fabric as Aurora. The managed failover feature automates the promotion of the secondary region to primary, including updating the cluster endpoint, which reduces RTO to under 1 minute. In a real-world scenario, this configuration is ideal for applications requiring cross-region disaster recovery with strict RPO and RTO SLAs, such as financial services or global e-commerce platforms.
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 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
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 Aurora Global Database with one primary region and one secondary region. Enable managed failover with a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 1 second. — Option C is correct because Amazon Aurora Global Database is specifically designed for cross-region disaster recovery with a typical RPO of 1 second and RTO of less than 1 minute when managed failover is enabled. It uses a storage-based replication layer that replicates data from the primary to secondary regions with minimal latency, ensuring that in a regional failure, the secondary region can be promoted to primary with very little data loss.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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