Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) because it is the native AWS service designed specifically for container orchestration, auto scaling, and service discovery without the overhead of managing a Kubernetes control plane. ECS integrates directly with AWS services like Application Auto Scaling for adjusting task counts based on CloudWatch metrics and AWS Cloud Map for dynamic service discovery, making it the most straightforward choice for a containerized web application on AWS. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to differentiate between container orchestration services under the “Design for New Solutions” domain, where the common trap is selecting Amazon EKS due to its popularity—but ECS is preferred when the scenario emphasizes simplicity, native integration, and reduced operational complexity. Remember the memory tip: “ECS is the Easy Container Service” for AWS-native orchestration, while EKS is for Kubernetes-expert teams.
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 wants to deploy a containerized web application on AWS. They need to manage container orchestration, automatic scaling, and service discovery. Which AWS service should they use?
Amazon Lightsail
Why wrong: Lightsail is for simple VPS, not orchestration.
Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS)
ECS provides orchestration, auto scaling, and service discovery.
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS)
Why wrong: EKS is Kubernetes-based, more complex than needed.
AWS Elastic Beanstalk
Why wrong: Beanstalk is PaaS, not container orchestration.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS)
Option B is correct because Amazon ECS provides container orchestration, auto scaling, and service discovery. Option A (EKS) also does but is Kubernetes-based, more complex. Option C (Lightsail) is for simple projects. Option D (Beanstalk) is for PaaS, not container-native.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon Lightsail
Why it's wrong here
Lightsail is for simple VPS, not orchestration.
Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS)
Why this is correct
ECS provides orchestration, auto scaling, and service discovery.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS)
Why it's wrong here
EKS is Kubernetes-based, more complex than needed.
AWS Elastic Beanstalk
Why it's wrong here
Beanstalk is PaaS, not container orchestration.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) — Option B is correct because Amazon ECS provides container orchestration, auto scaling, and service discovery. Option A (EKS) also does but is Kubernetes-based, more complex. Option C (Lightsail) is for simple projects. Option D (Beanstalk) is for PaaS, not container-native.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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