The correct answer is to deploy EC2 instances in two Availability Zones behind an Application Load Balancer with cross-zone load balancing enabled. This architecture ensures high availability for the application tier during migration because the ALB distributes incoming HTTP traffic across healthy instances in both AZs, automatically rerouting requests if one AZ fails. Cross-zone load balancing is key here, as it allows the ALB to evenly distribute traffic across all instances regardless of zone, preventing resource imbalance. On the SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to maintain application uptime during a phased migration, where the database remains on-premises and only the compute layer moves to AWS. A common trap is choosing a single-AZ deployment for simplicity, which violates high availability requirements, or selecting a Network Load Balancer for an HTTP-based application. Remember the memory tip: “ALB for HTTP, two AZs for HA, cross-zone for balance.”
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. 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 migrating a critical application to AWS and needs to ensure high availability across two Availability Zones. The application runs on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The database is an on-premises SQL Server that will be migrated later. Which architecture provides high availability for the application tier during the migration?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Deploy EC2 instances in two AZs behind an ALB with cross-zone load balancing enabled.
Option A is correct because ALB distributes traffic to instances in two AZs. Option B is wrong because a single AZ is not highly available. Option C is wrong because a Network Load Balancer is for TCP/UDP, not HTTP. Option D is wrong because Route 53 alone does not provide load balancing.
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.
✓
Deploy EC2 instances in two AZs behind an ALB with cross-zone load balancing enabled.
Why this is correct
ALB with instances in two AZs provides high availability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Deploy EC2 instances in a single AZ with an Auto Scaling group.
Why it's wrong here
Single AZ offers no protection against AZ failure.
✗
Deploy EC2 instances in two AZs behind a Network Load Balancer (NLB).
Why it's wrong here
NLB is for TCP/UDP traffic; ALB is appropriate for HTTP applications.
✗
Use Amazon Route 53 weighted routing to distribute traffic to instances in two AZs.
Why it's wrong here
Route 53 provides DNS-level routing but not load balancing features.
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.
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — This question tests Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy EC2 instances in two AZs behind an ALB with cross-zone load balancing enabled. — Option A is correct because ALB distributes traffic to instances in two AZs. Option B is wrong because a single AZ is not highly available. Option C is wrong because a Network Load Balancer is for TCP/UDP, not HTTP. Option D is wrong because Route 53 alone does not provide load balancing.
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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