Question 1,036 of 1,660
Migrate Legacy .NET SQL Server to AWS: Rehost with RDS for SQL Server
A company is migrating a legacy on-premises .NET application to AWS. The application uses a SQL Server database. The company wants to minimize code changes and reduce licensing costs. Which migration strategy should the company choose?
Quick Answer
The correct choice is to rehost the application on Amazon EC2 with SQL Server or use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with license-included pricing. This strategy, often called lift-and-shift, minimizes code changes because the .NET application and SQL Server database are moved to AWS with the same architecture, while license-included pricing reduces licensing costs by bundling SQL Server licenses into the hourly RDS rate, eliminating the need for upfront SQL Server licensing. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to balance migration effort with cost optimization, specifically recognizing that replatforming to Amazon Aurora or refactoring to DynamoDB would require significant code changes, and rebuilding on Lambda would be a full re-architecture. A common trap is assuming any database change is acceptable, but the key constraint here is minimizing code changes. Memory tip: when you see “minimize code changes” and “reduce licensing costs,” think “RDS with license-included” for a true lift-and-shift that keeps your .NET and SQL Server stack intact.
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
✓
Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 with SQL Server or use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with license-included pricing.
The correct answer because rehosting (lift-and-shift) to Amazon EC2 with SQL Server or Amazon RDS for SQL Server with license-included pricing minimizes code changes and reduces licensing costs. The company can migrate the .NET application as-is without significant modifications. Option A is wrong because rebuilding with AWS Lambda and RDS for MySQL would require a complete re-architecture and code changes, increasing cost and complexity. Option C is wrong because replatforming to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL would require code changes to switch database engines and may not reduce licensing costs. Option D is wrong because refactoring to Amazon DynamoDB would require significant application changes and is not suitable for a SQL Server-based .NET application.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Rebuild the application using AWS Lambda and Amazon RDS for MySQL.
Why it's wrong here
Full re-architecture, high effort.
- ✓
Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 with SQL Server or use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with license-included pricing.
Why this is correct
Minimal code changes and reduces licensing costs via license-included option.
- ✗
Replatform the application to use Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL.
Why it's wrong here
Requires code changes and Aurora is not SQL Server compatible.
- ✗
Refactor the application to use Amazon DynamoDB.
Why it's wrong here
Significant code changes and different data model.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SAP-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is migrating a legacy on-premises .NET application to AWS. The application uses a SQL Server database and requires full control over the operating system for compliance. Which migration strategy should the solutions architect recommend to minimize rework while meeting compliance requirements?
medium- ✓ A.Rehost the application on EC2 instances and use RDS Custom for SQL Server.
- B.Replace the database with Amazon DynamoDB and refactor the application.
- C.Replatform the application to use RDS for SQL Server and deploy the application on EC2 instances.
- D.Refactor the application to run on Amazon ECS using Docker containers.
Why A: Rehosting (lift-and-shift) with EC2 and RDS Custom for SQL Server allows the company to move the application and database with minimal changes while retaining OS-level control for compliance. RDS Custom provides OS access (SSH, patching) unlike standard RDS, meeting the compliance requirement. Option B (DynamoDB) would require significant application refactoring. Option C (RDS for SQL Server without Custom) lacks OS access. Option D (ECS with containers) adds containerization rework and does not inherently provide OS-level control.
Variation 2. A company is migrating a legacy application to AWS. The application runs on a single Windows Server instance and uses a local MySQL database. The company wants to minimize changes to the application code. Which migration strategy should the company use?
easy- ✓ A.Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 with MySQL installed on the same instance
- B.Retire the application and replace it with a SaaS alternative
- C.Refactor the application to use a serverless architecture with AWS Lambda and Amazon DynamoDB
- D.Replatform the application by moving the database to Amazon RDS for MySQL
Why A: Rehost (lift-and-shift) migrates the application as-is to EC2, keeping MySQL on the same instance to minimize code changes. Option B (Retire) is not a migration strategy. Option C (Refactor) requires code changes to adapt to serverless and DynamoDB. Option D (Replatform) moves the database to RDS, which may require code changes due to different database configuration or features.
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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