- A
Enable Multi-AZ deployment for the RDS instance to automatically failover.
Why wrong: Multi-AZ is a best practice but does not directly address hard-coded IPs.
- B
Use Amazon RDS read replicas to offload read traffic and improve resilience.
Read replicas provide scalability and resilience for read-heavy workloads.
- C
Assign an Elastic IP address to the RDS instance for consistent connectivity.
Why wrong: Elastic IPs are not used with RDS.
- D
Migrate the database to Amazon RDS and use the RDS endpoint (DNS name) in the connection string.
RDS endpoint provides a DNS name that remains the same across failovers.
- E
Modify the application to read the database endpoint from an environment variable or configuration file.
This decouples the application from hard-coded IPs.
Quick Answer
The correct approach is to modify the application to read the database endpoint from an environment variable or configuration file, which removes the hardcoded IP and leverages the RDS DNS endpoint for resilient connectivity. This works because RDS DNS names automatically resolve to the current primary instance, enabling seamless failover and Multi-AZ transitions without application changes. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of decoupling application configuration from infrastructure—a core principle of cloud-native architecture. A common trap is confusing Elastic IPs with RDS endpoints; Elastic IPs are for EC2, not managed database services, and using them would reintroduce the same single-point-of-failure issue. The exam also expects you to recognize that read replicas offload traffic but do not eliminate hardcoded IPs, while Multi-AZ provides high availability but requires the DNS endpoint to function. Memory tip: DNS is the glue for resilience—always point your app to the name, not the number.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
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 legacy application that uses hard-coded IP addresses for database connections. The company wants to refactor the application to use a more resilient architecture in AWS. Which THREE steps should the company take to modernize the database connectivity? (Choose THREE.)
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use Amazon RDS read replicas to offload read traffic and improve resilience.
Options B, C, and D are correct because using an RDS endpoint (DNS name) allows failover, modifying the application to use the DNS name removes hard-coded IPs, and using a read replica offloads read traffic. Option A is wrong because an Elastic IP is not recommended for RDS. Option E is wrong because Multi-AZ is for high availability, not for removing hard-coded IPs.
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.
- ✗
Enable Multi-AZ deployment for the RDS instance to automatically failover.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ is a best practice but does not directly address hard-coded IPs.
- ✓
Use Amazon RDS read replicas to offload read traffic and improve resilience.
Why this is correct
Read replicas provide scalability and resilience for read-heavy workloads.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Assign an Elastic IP address to the RDS instance for consistent connectivity.
Why it's wrong here
Elastic IPs are not used with RDS.
- ✓
Migrate the database to Amazon RDS and use the RDS endpoint (DNS name) in the connection string.
Why this is correct
RDS endpoint provides a DNS name that remains the same across failovers.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Modify the application to read the database endpoint from an environment variable or configuration file.
Why this is correct
This decouples the application from hard-coded IPs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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
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
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 — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SAP-C02 questions
1,746 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SAP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SAP-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity.
Design for New Solutions practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design for New Solutions.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions.
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization.
SAA-C03 VPC practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC.
SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions.
SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions.
SAA-C03 IAM policy practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 IAM policy.
SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions.
SAA-C03 CloudFront practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 CloudFront.
SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions.
SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SAP-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
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: Use Amazon RDS read replicas to offload read traffic and improve resilience. — Options B, C, and D are correct because using an RDS endpoint (DNS name) allows failover, modifying the application to use the DNS name removes hard-coded IPs, and using a read replica offloads read traffic. Option A is wrong because an Elastic IP is not recommended for RDS. Option E is wrong because Multi-AZ is for high availability, not for removing hard-coded IPs.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.