SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
A company runs a batch processing application on AWS. The application reads input files from an S3 bucket, processes them on EC2 instances, and writes results to another S3 bucket. The processing job runs once a day and takes approximately 3 hours. The company wants to reduce costs and operational overhead. The Solutions Architect suggests using AWS Lambda for processing, but the processing time per file can exceed the Lambda maximum execution time of 15 minutes. The architect also considers using AWS Batch. The company wants to minimize the need for infrastructure management. Which solution should the Solutions Architect recommend?
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 Batch with a managed compute environment that uses Spot Instances and a job queue.
AWS Batch with a managed compute environment automatically handles job scheduling, scaling, and infrastructure provisioning. It can accommodate long-running jobs beyond Lambda's 15-minute limit and uses Spot Instances to reduce costs, minimizing operational overhead. Option A is incorrect because managing EC2 instances and Auto Scaling requires more operational effort than using a managed service like AWS Batch. Option B is incorrect because even with increased memory, Lambda has a maximum execution time of 15 minutes, which may not be sufficient for processing files that exceed this limit. Option D is incorrect because while ECS with Fargate reduces infrastructure management, AWS Batch is specifically designed for batch processing and provides more features like job queues, automatic retries, and integration with Spot Instances, making it a better fit for this use case.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Provision a fleet of EC2 instances and use Auto Scaling to manage the processing.
Why it's wrong here
Managing EC2 instances and Auto Scaling requires more effort than using a managed service.
- ✗
Use AWS Lambda with a larger memory allocation to increase CPU and reduce processing time.
Why it's wrong here
Even with increased memory, Lambda has a maximum execution time of 15 minutes, which may not be sufficient for processing files that exceed this limit.
- ✓
Use AWS Batch with a managed compute environment that uses Spot Instances and a job queue.
Why this is correct
AWS Batch with a managed compute environment automatically handles job scheduling, scaling, and infrastructure provisioning. It can accommodate long-running jobs beyond Lambda's 15-minute limit and uses Spot Instances to reduce costs, minimizing operational overhead.
- ✗
Use Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type and run the processing as a task.
Why it's wrong here
While ECS with Fargate reduces infrastructure management, AWS Batch is specifically designed for batch processing and provides more features like job queues and automatic retries.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.