SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
A company is migrating its on-premises VMware virtual machines to AWS. The company wants to use a lift-and-shift approach and minimize changes to the applications. Which AWS service should be used to automate the migration of these virtual machines?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse AWS Migration Hub, which only tracks migrations, with AWS Application Migration Service, which actually performs the migration.
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
✓
AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN)
AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) is the correct choice because it automates the lift-and-shift migration of VMware virtual machines to AWS. It replicates servers continuously and launches them as EC2 instances, minimizing downtime and application changes. Other services like DMS, DataSync, and Migration Hub serve different purposes and do not handle server migration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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AWS Migration Hub
Why it's wrong here
AWS Migration Hub provides a single location to track the progress of migrations across multiple AWS and partner solutions. It does not perform the actual migration of virtual machines. It is a management tool, not a replication or migration service, so it cannot automate the VM migration itself.
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AWS DataSync
Why it's wrong here
AWS DataSync is a data transfer service for moving files between on-premises storage and AWS. It does not migrate virtual machines or applications. It is used for data migration, not server migration, so it cannot automate the lift-and-shift of VMware VMs.
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AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN)
Why this is correct
AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) is designed for lift-and-shift migrations of physical, virtual, and cloud servers to AWS. It supports VMware vSphere environments and automates the replication and conversion of servers to run natively on AWS. It minimizes downtime and requires no changes to applications, making it the ideal choice for this scenario.
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AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS)
Why it's wrong here
AWS DMS is used to migrate databases, not entire virtual machines. While it can replicate data from on-premises databases to AWS, it does not handle the migration of server operating systems or applications. Therefore, it is not suitable for migrating VMware VMs in a lift-and-shift manner.
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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
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.