The answer is to configure an Auto Scaling group for the application tier to scale based on CPU utilization, alongside implementing Amazon CloudFront to cache static content and offload requests from the web tier. This combination directly addresses the high CPU on the application tier after migration because the CloudFront distribution reduces the volume of dynamic requests hitting the application servers, while Auto Scaling ensures additional instances spin up during CPU spikes caused by intermittent slow page loads. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between reactive scaling (Auto Scaling) and proactive load reduction (caching) when troubleshooting post-migration performance issues. A common trap is to focus only on scaling the database or resizing instances, but the real bottleneck is often unnecessary processing of repeated static assets. Memory tip: think “Cache first, scale second” — reduce the load before adding more resources.
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 large e-commerce platform to AWS using a lift-and-shift approach. The application consists of a web tier, application tier, and a MySQL database. After migration, users report intermittent slow page loads. The operations team notices high CPU utilization on the application tier instances. Which THREE steps should the team take to address the performance issues?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implement Amazon CloudFront to cache static content and reduce load on the web tier.
Option A is correct because implementing Amazon CloudFront to cache static content offloads requests from the web tier, reducing the number of dynamic requests that reach the application tier. This directly lowers CPU utilization on the application instances by minimizing the processing overhead for repeated static asset deliveries.
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.
✓
Implement Amazon CloudFront to cache static content and reduce load on the web tier.
Why this is correct
Reduces requests to the origin servers.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Create an Amazon RDS read replica for the MySQL database and route read queries to it.
Why this is correct
Offloads read traffic from the primary database.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Replace the current application tier instances with larger instance types.
Why it's wrong here
Vertical scaling is less flexible and may not be cost-effective.
✗
Move the MySQL database to Amazon RDS for MySQL and enable Multi-AZ deployment.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ improves availability, not CPU performance on app tier.
✓
Configure an Auto Scaling group for the application tier to scale based on CPU utilization.
Why this is correct
Automatically adds instances during high CPU.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse database-level solutions (like Multi-AZ or read replicas) with application-tier CPU issues, or they default to vertical scaling (larger instances) instead of recognizing the need for horizontal scaling and content caching.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudFront edge caching reduces origin load by serving cached objects from over 600 points of presence globally, leveraging HTTP cache-control headers and TTL settings. Auto Scaling groups with CPU utilization-based policies dynamically adjust the number of application instances, using Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling lifecycle hooks and CloudWatch alarms to maintain optimal performance during variable traffic patterns. RDS read replicas offload SELECT queries from the primary database, but the question's symptom is high CPU on application instances, not database bottlenecks.
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.
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: Implement Amazon CloudFront to cache static content and reduce load on the web tier. — Option A is correct because implementing Amazon CloudFront to cache static content offloads requests from the web tier, reducing the number of dynamic requests that reach the application tier. This directly lowers CPU utilization on the application instances by minimizing the processing overhead for repeated static asset deliveries.
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.
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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