Quick Answer
The correct answer is Amazon S3, used together with AWS Storage Gateway in File Gateway mode. This pairing directly addresses the hybrid cloud storage requirement for low-latency backup by caching frequently accessed data on-premises while asynchronously replicating the full dataset to S3 for durable, cost-effective backup. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to bridge on-premises file systems with AWS storage without sacrificing performance—a common trap is selecting a service like EBS or Direct Connect alone, which either lacks the backup target or the local cache. Remember that File Gateway acts as a local NFS/SMB mount point with a cache, while S3 serves as the immutable backup repository. A useful memory tip: think of File Gateway as the “fast front door” and S3 as the “safe back vault.”
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 new hybrid cloud architecture that extends on-premises storage to AWS. The solution must provide low-latency access to frequently accessed data and use AWS storage for backup. Which TWO services should be used together?
Amazon EFS
Why wrong: File storage, but not hybrid.
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway)
Provides low-latency access to S3 from on-premises.
AWS Snowball Edge
Why wrong: For large data transfer, not low-latency access.
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Network connection, not storage service.
Amazon S3
Used as backup target by Storage Gateway.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway)
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) provides a low-latency, on-premises cache for frequently accessed data while asynchronously uploading the underlying data to Amazon S3 for durable backup. This hybrid architecture allows applications to access data with local file-system performance while leveraging S3 as the backup target, meeting both the low-latency and backup requirements.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon EFS
Why it's wrong here
File storage, but not hybrid.
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway)
Why this is correct
Provides low-latency access to S3 from on-premises.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Snowball Edge
Why it's wrong here
For large data transfer, not low-latency access.
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Network connection, not storage service.
Amazon S3
Why this is correct
Used as backup target by Storage Gateway.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) with Amazon EFS, thinking EFS can serve as a hybrid cache, but EFS lacks the on-premises caching component required for low-latency hybrid access.
Detailed technical explanation
File Gateway uses a local VM or hardware appliance that caches recently accessed files on-premises, serving reads from the cache and writing data asynchronously to S3 as objects. The gateway supports NFS v3/v4.1 and SMB protocols, and can be configured with a cache size up to 64 TB per gateway. In a real-world scenario, a company with a large on-premises file share can use File Gateway to provide sub-millisecond access to hot data while automatically tiering cold data to S3 Glacier for cost-effective backup.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) — AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) provides a low-latency, on-premises cache for frequently accessed data while asynchronously uploading the underlying data to Amazon S3 for durable backup. This hybrid architecture allows applications to access data with local file-system performance while leveraging S3 as the backup target, meeting both the low-latency and backup requirements.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This SAP-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SAP-C02 exam.
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