Quick Answer
The answer is enabling EMRFS consistent view on the EMR cluster. This feature provides strongly consistent listing and read-after-write semantics for Amazon S3, which is critical when using transient clusters because S3 becomes the primary data store rather than HDFS. Without consistent view, eventual consistency in S3 can cause data corruption or job failures during concurrent writes and reads, directly degrading performance. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of storage optimization for ephemeral EMR workloads, often appearing as a distractor against options like EBS-optimized instances (which improve network throughput, not S3 consistency) or Auto Scaling (which adjusts compute capacity). A common trap is confusing storage performance with compute scaling; remember that S3DistCp also pairs with EMRFS to accelerate data transfer. Memory tip: “Consistent view for consistent S3—without it, your transient cluster will be inconsistent too.”
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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-scale Hadoop cluster to Amazon EMR. They want to optimize costs by using transient clusters and storing data in Amazon S3. Which feature should they enable on the EMR cluster to improve performance?
Auto Scaling
Why wrong: Auto Scaling adjusts capacity, not storage performance.
Kerberos authentication
Why wrong: Kerberos is for security, not performance.
EMRFS consistent view
EMRFS provides consistent view and performance tuning for S3.
EBS-optimized instances
Why wrong: EBS-optimized improves EBS performance, not S3.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
EMRFS consistent view
Amazon EMRFS with consistent view and S3DistCp improves performance by using S3 as storage. Option A is wrong because EBS-optimized is for network performance. Option B is wrong because Kerberos is for security. Option D is wrong because Auto Scaling is for compute, not storage performance.
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.
Auto Scaling
Why it's wrong here
Auto Scaling adjusts capacity, not storage performance.
Kerberos authentication
Why it's wrong here
Kerberos is for security, not performance.
EMRFS consistent view
Why this is correct
EMRFS provides consistent view and performance tuning for S3.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
EBS-optimized instances
Why it's wrong here
EBS-optimized improves EBS performance, not S3.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
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 — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — This question tests Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: EMRFS consistent view — Amazon EMRFS with consistent view and S3DistCp improves performance by using S3 as storage. Option A is wrong because EBS-optimized is for network performance. Option B is wrong because Kerberos is for security. Option D is wrong because Auto Scaling is for compute, not storage performance.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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