SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
A company is migrating a legacy three-tier Java application from its on-premises data center to AWS. The application uses a proprietary in-memory session store that cannot be modified. The company wants to use AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN) for the migration and minimize downtime. After the initial replication, the company needs to perform a final cutover with less than 5 minutes of downtime. Which approach should the company take?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse test instances with cutover instances; test instances are for validation only and do not serve production traffic.
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 MGN to replicate the servers continuously, then perform a final cutover by stopping the source servers, letting MGN replicate the last changes, and launching cutover instances.
AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN) provides continuous block-level replication and enables a final cutover with minimal downtime. The correct process involves stopping the source servers, allowing MGN to replicate the last changes, and then launching cutover instances. This ensures that the migrated servers are up-to-date and ready to serve production traffic, achieving the low-downtime objective.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use AWS MGN to replicate the servers continuously, then perform a final cutover by stopping the source servers, allowing MGN to replicate the last changes, and launching test instances.
Why it's wrong here
Test instances are launched from point-in-time snapshots for validation and do not serve production traffic. Stopping the source servers before replicating last changes would cause downtime beyond the 5-minute target because the last replication must complete before cutover. This approach does not meet the low-downtime requirement and is intended for testing, not final cutover.
- ✓
Use AWS MGN to replicate the servers continuously, then perform a final cutover by stopping the source servers, letting MGN replicate the last changes, and launching cutover instances.
Why this is correct
AWS MGN continuously replicates source servers to a staging area. For final cutover, you stop the source servers, allow MGN to replicate the final changes, and then launch cutover instances. This minimizes downtime to the time needed for the last replication and instance launch, which can be under 5 minutes with proper preparation.
- ✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to replicate the application servers, then perform a cutover by redirecting traffic to new Amazon EC2 instances.
Why it's wrong here
AWS DMS is designed for database migration, not for replicating entire application servers. It cannot replicate the operating system, application binaries, or in-memory session store. Using DMS for server migration would not capture the full server state and would fail to provide a working application environment on AWS.
- ✗
Use AWS Server Migration Service (AWS SMS) to replicate the servers, then perform a cutover by launching Amazon EC2 instances from the latest AMI.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Server Migration Service (AWS SMS) is deprecated and no longer available to new customers. Even if it were available, SMS replicates servers as AMIs at scheduled intervals, which may not capture the final changes quickly enough for a 5-minute downtime window. AWS MGN is the recommended replacement for server migration.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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