SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
A company wants to modernize a batch processing application that runs on EC2 instances using a cron job. The job processes files from an S3 bucket and takes about 2 hours. They want to reduce operational overhead. Which service should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
SAP-C02 often tests the misconception that AWS Lambda can handle any duration if you just increase memory, but the 15-minute hard limit makes it unsuitable for long-running batch jobs; similarly, candidates may confuse Step Functions as a compute service when it only orchestrates.
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 Batch
AWS Batch is purpose-built for batch computing workloads, automatically provisioning and managing compute resources (EC2 or Fargate) based on job requirements. It handles job queuing, scheduling, dependency management, and retries, eliminating the need to manage cron jobs or EC2 instances. The 2-hour runtime is well within Batch's capabilities, and it integrates natively with S3 for data input/output. This reduces operational overhead by abstracting infrastructure management while providing cost-effective scaling.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
AWS Batch
Why this is correct
AWS Batch manages the compute environment, queueing and scheduling, removing the cron and EC2 instance maintenance. It satisfies the reduced-operational-overhead constraint while handling the two-hour S3-sourced job, since Batch supports long-running jobs that AWS Lambda's fifteen-minute limit would preclude.
- ✗
Amazon ECS with Fargate
Why it's wrong here
Amazon ECS with Fargate is not ideal for this scenario because it is primarily designed for running long-lived services or microservices, not single, finite batch jobs that complete after a set duration. For a 2-hour batch process, a dedicated batch service provides superior job orchestration and completion tracking. This option is tempting as it reduces operational overhead by eliminating server management, making it an excellent choice for containerised web applications or APIs requiring continuous uptime and scalability.
- ✗
AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Lambda caps execution at 15 minutes, so a two-hour batch job would time out. It is tempting because Lambda removes server management for short tasks, but the duration requirement exceeds its limit; AWS Batch with managed compute environments handles long-running batch workloads.
- ✗
AWS Step Functions
Why it's wrong here
Step Functions orchestrates workflows but does not itself run the two-hour batch compute; it would still invoke Lambda or ECS tasks, adding state-machine overhead without removing servers. It suits complex multi-step coordination, whereas this single long-running batch job fits AWS Batch.
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 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.