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.
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 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?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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.
Option C is correct because rehosting (lift-and-shift) with Amazon RDS for SQL Server minimizes code changes and allows using license-included pricing. Option A is wrong because replatforming to Amazon Aurora would require code changes. Option B is wrong because refactoring to DynamoDB would require significant code changes. Option D is wrong because rebuilding on Lambda would be a full re-architecture.
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.
✗
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.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
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.
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
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
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 — 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: Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 with SQL Server or use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with license-included pricing. — Option C is correct because rehosting (lift-and-shift) with Amazon RDS for SQL Server minimizes code changes and allows using license-included pricing. Option A is wrong because replatforming to Amazon Aurora would require code changes. Option B is wrong because refactoring to DynamoDB would require significant code changes. Option D is wrong because rebuilding on Lambda would be a full re-architecture.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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 →
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. Option A is wrong because RDS does not provide OS access. Option B is wrong because ECS requires containerization which adds rework. Option D is wrong because DynamoDB is NoSQL and would require significant application changes.
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: Option B is correct: Rehost (lift-and-shift) moves the application as-is to EC2 with MySQL. Option A (Refactor) requires code changes. Option C (Replatform) changes the database to RDS, which may require code changes. Option D (Retire) is not appropriate.
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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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