SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
A company uses AWS Lambda to process files uploaded to an S3 bucket. The Lambda function takes too long to execute and frequently times out. The function downloads the entire file to /tmp before processing. Which TWO changes would improve performance? (Choose two.)
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
✓
Modify the function to stream the file from S3 instead of downloading it entirely.
The correct answers are C and D. Option C (streaming the file from S3) reduces download time and eliminates the need to store the entire file in /tmp, directly improving performance by lowering I/O latency. Option D (increasing the Lambda timeout) provides more time for the function to complete processing, preventing timeouts. Option B (increasing memory) does not directly address the root cause of the timeout (slow file download), and its CPU benefit is secondary. Option A (reserved concurrency) affects scaling, not individual execution time. Option E (/tmp storage) is ephemeral and does not impact performance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency.
Why it's wrong here
Concurrency affects how many invocations run in parallel, not the duration of a single invocation.
- ✗
Increase the memory allocation for the Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
More memory may help but is not the most effective; streaming addresses the root cause of downloading entire file.
- ✓
Modify the function to stream the file from S3 instead of downloading it entirely.
Why this is correct
Streaming reduces the time spent on I/O and eliminates the need to store the entire file in /tmp.
- ✓
Increase the Lambda function timeout.
Why this is correct
Increasing timeout prevents the function from timing out before completion.
- ✗
Increase the /tmp storage limit for the Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
/tmp size is limited but does not directly impact processing time.
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.