The answer is to rehost the cluster on Amazon EMR using the same MapReduce and Spark configurations. This approach, often called a lift-and-shift migration, is correct because Amazon EMR is natively compatible with Apache Hadoop, MapReduce, and Spark, meaning your existing code and operational scripts will run with minimal to no changes. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the "7 Rs" migration strategy, specifically when the business requirement is to avoid refactoring or replatforming. The common trap is choosing a more modern service like Amazon Redshift or AWS Glue, which would force you to rewrite your batch jobs and change your data storage format. Remember the memory tip: "Same code, same config, same cluster—just rehost it to EMR."
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 planning to migrate a large-scale Hadoop cluster to Amazon EMR. The cluster currently processes batch jobs using a mix of MapReduce and Spark. The company wants to minimize changes to the existing code and operational processes. Which migration approach should the architect recommend?
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 cluster on Amazon EMR using the same MapReduce and Spark configurations
Rehosting the Hadoop cluster on Amazon EMR with the same configuration allows the existing MapReduce and Spark code to run with minimal changes. Refactoring to use only Spark would require code changes. Replatforming to Amazon Redshift would change the architecture. Retiring and using Athena would require significant changes to data storage and queries.
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.
✗
Refactor all jobs to use only Apache Spark on Amazon EMR
Why it's wrong here
Refactoring MapReduce jobs to Spark requires code changes.
✗
Retire the cluster and use Amazon Athena for ad-hoc queries
Why it's wrong here
Athena is not suitable for batch processing workloads.
✗
Replatform the data processing to use Amazon Redshift Spectrum
Why it's wrong here
This would require significant architectural changes.
✓
Rehost the cluster on Amazon EMR using the same MapReduce and Spark configurations
Why this is correct
This preserves existing code and processes, minimizing changes.
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.
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.
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 cluster on Amazon EMR using the same MapReduce and Spark configurations — Rehosting the Hadoop cluster on Amazon EMR with the same configuration allows the existing MapReduce and Spark code to run with minimal changes. Refactoring to use only Spark would require code changes. Replatforming to Amazon Redshift would change the architecture. Retiring and using Athena would require significant changes to data storage and queries.
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.
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Question Discussion
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