- A
Deploy web and application servers on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group across two AZs with an Application Load Balancer. Use Multi-AZ Amazon RDS for MySQL.
ALB and Auto Scaling provide automatic scaling and failover; Multi-AZ RDS provides database failover.
- B
Deploy web and application servers on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group in one AZ. Use Amazon Route 53 latency-based routing to another region.
Why wrong: Single AZ is a single point of failure; cross-region adds complexity and latency.
- C
Deploy web, application, and database on a single large EC2 instance in one AZ. Take snapshots every hour.
Why wrong: Single AZ does not provide high availability; snapshot recovery takes time.
- D
Deploy web and application servers on EC2 instances in two AZs with Elastic IP addresses. Use Amazon Route 53 with health checks to route traffic.
Why wrong: Elastic IPs are not highly available; manual intervention needed for failover.
Quick Answer
The answer is to deploy web and application servers on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group across two Availability Zones with an Application Load Balancer, and use Multi-AZ Amazon RDS for MySQL. This solution achieves the highest availability for a three-tier web application because the ALB automatically distributes traffic to healthy instances across AZs, while Multi-AZ RDS handles database failover with a synchronous standby replica in a different AZ, requiring zero manual intervention. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between stateless compute layers that can scale horizontally and stateful databases that need managed failover; a common trap is selecting Route 53 latency-based routing, which adds unnecessary complexity and does not provide the same seamless failover as an ALB. Remember the memory tip: ALB for stateless, Multi-AZ RDS for stateful—keep the database hands-off and the compute hands-free.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 web application to AWS. The application uses a three-tier architecture with a web server, application server, and MySQL database. The company wants to ensure high availability by deploying across multiple Availability Zones. The web and application servers are stateless. Which solution provides the HIGHEST availability with the LEAST administrative effort?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
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
Deploy web and application servers on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group across two AZs with an Application Load Balancer. Use Multi-AZ Amazon RDS for MySQL.
Option B is correct: Multi-AZ RDS provides automatic failover, and ALB distributes traffic to web/app servers across AZs. Option A (EC2 + Elastic IPs) requires manual failover. Option C (single AZ) is not highly available. Option D (Route 53 latency) adds complexity and latency.
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.
- ✓
Deploy web and application servers on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group across two AZs with an Application Load Balancer. Use Multi-AZ Amazon RDS for MySQL.
Why this is correct
ALB and Auto Scaling provide automatic scaling and failover; Multi-AZ RDS provides database failover.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Deploy web and application servers on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group in one AZ. Use Amazon Route 53 latency-based routing to another region.
Why it's wrong here
Single AZ is a single point of failure; cross-region adds complexity and latency.
- ✗
Deploy web, application, and database on a single large EC2 instance in one AZ. Take snapshots every hour.
Why it's wrong here
Single AZ does not provide high availability; snapshot recovery takes time.
- ✗
Deploy web and application servers on EC2 instances in two AZs with Elastic IP addresses. Use Amazon Route 53 with health checks to route traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Elastic IPs are not highly available; manual intervention needed for failover.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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.
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Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — study guide chapter
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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: Deploy web and application servers on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group across two AZs with an Application Load Balancer. Use Multi-AZ Amazon RDS for MySQL. — Option B is correct: Multi-AZ RDS provides automatic failover, and ALB distributes traffic to web/app servers across AZs. Option A (EC2 + Elastic IPs) requires manual failover. Option C (single AZ) is not highly available. Option D (Route 53 latency) adds complexity and latency.
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: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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