SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
A company is migrating a legacy monolithic application to AWS. The application currently runs on a single server and uses a MySQL database. The company wants to decouple the application into microservices while minimizing changes to the existing code. Which design approach is MOST cost-effective and requires the least code changes?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume that containerization (Option D) is necessary for decoupling into microservices. However, AWS App Runner allows running the existing monolithic application with minimal changes and adding new microservices as separate services, without needing to refactor the monolith first. Note that App Runner does not natively support the sidecar pattern (multiple containers per service), but the decoupling is achieved by deploying separate services.
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 AWS App Runner for the existing application and add new microservices as separate App Runner services with a sidecar pattern
AWS App Runner allows you to run the existing monolithic application with minimal code changes by simply pointing it at a container image or source code, while new microservices can be added as separate App Runner services. The sidecar pattern enables you to attach auxiliary processes (e.g., logging, monitoring) without modifying the core application code, making this the most cost-effective and least disruptive approach for decoupling into microservices.
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 the application on AWS Elastic Beanstalk and use Amazon RDS for MySQL
Why it's wrong here
Elastic Beanstalk simplifies deployment but does not inherently decouple the application into microservices; it remains a monolithic deployment.
- ✗
Refactor the application into AWS Lambda functions using an API Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Refactoring to Lambda requires significant code changes and may not be suitable for a monolithic application without extensive rewriting.
- ✓
Use AWS App Runner for the existing application and add new microservices as separate App Runner services with a sidecar pattern
Why this is correct
App Runner allows running containerized applications with minimal configuration. The sidecar pattern enables adding microservices without altering the existing application code.
- ✗
Containerize the application using Docker and run it on Amazon ECS with AWS Fargate, using Amazon RDS for MySQL
Why it's wrong here
Containerization and orchestration involve learning curve and operational overhead; also requires code changes to fit microservices architecture.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every SAP-C02 question from scratch — 1,660 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.