Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon ECS with the Fargate launch type. This is correct because AWS Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers that automatically manages the underlying infrastructure, allowing each microservice to scale independently without provisioning or patching EC2 instances. For the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between serverless containers and managed infrastructure options—a common trap is choosing ECS with EC2 or EKS with managed node groups, both of which still require you to manage instance fleets. The key distinction is that Fargate removes all infrastructure management, making it ideal for minimizing operational overhead in microservices architectures. Remember the memory tip: “Fargate = Forget the gate (infrastructure gatekeeping),” so when the scenario emphasizes zero infrastructure management, always pick Fargate over any option that mentions nodes, instances, or node groups.
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 microservices architecture on AWS. Each microservice is deployed as a containerized application and must be able to scale independently. The company wants to minimize operational overhead for managing the containers and the underlying infrastructure. Which solution should the architect recommend?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Amazon EKS with managed node groups
Why wrong: Still requires managing node groups, though less than unmanaged.
Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type
Fargate is serverless, no infrastructure management.
Amazon ECS with EC2 launch type and Auto Scaling groups
Why wrong: Requires managing EC2 instances and Auto Scaling groups.
Amazon Lightsail containers
Why wrong: Lightsail is for simpler applications, not complex microservices.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type
Option D is correct because AWS Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers that eliminates the need to manage underlying instances. Option A is wrong because ECS with EC2 requires managing EC2 instances. Option B is wrong because EKS with managed node groups still requires managing node groups. Option C is wrong because Lightsail is for simple applications, not microservices.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon EKS with managed node groups
Why it's wrong here
Still requires managing node groups, though less than unmanaged.
Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type
Why this is correct
Fargate is serverless, no infrastructure management.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Amazon ECS with EC2 launch type and Auto Scaling groups
Why it's wrong here
Requires managing EC2 instances and Auto Scaling groups.
Amazon Lightsail containers
Why it's wrong here
Lightsail is for simpler applications, not complex microservices.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type — Option D is correct because AWS Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers that eliminates the need to manage underlying instances. Option A is wrong because ECS with EC2 requires managing EC2 instances. Option B is wrong because EKS with managed node groups still requires managing node groups. Option C is wrong because Lightsail is for simple applications, not microservices.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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