The answer is to configure Kinesis Data Firehose to read from the stream and deliver to S3, while using a Lambda function for enrichment. This is correct because Firehose is purpose-built for buffering and reliably archiving streaming data to S3 within minutes, handling the 5,000 records per second load without custom code, while Lambda can process each record in parallel for enrichment without adding complexity. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of managed integration patterns versus custom solutions; a common trap is assuming Lambda should write directly to S3, but at this scale it would cause throttling and cost inefficiency, or over-engineering with the Kinesis Client Library. Remember the mnemonic “Firehose for the hose, Lambda for the lens”—Firehose handles the high-volume data pipe to S3, while Lambda applies the enrichment logic.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 financial services company is designing a solution to process real-time stock trade data. The data is ingested via Amazon Kinesis Data Streams with a shard count of 10. Each shard receives 500 records per second, each record is 1 KB. The company needs to archive all raw data to Amazon S3 within 5 minutes of receipt and also run a Lambda function to enrich each record. What is the most cost-effective and scalable approach?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure Kinesis Data Firehose to read from the stream and deliver to S3, and use a Lambda function for enrichment.
Option B is correct because Kinesis Data Firehose can read from the stream and buffer to S3 within minutes, while Lambda can process records in parallel. Option A is wrong because Lambda cannot directly write to S3 efficiently at this scale. Option C is wrong because KCL adds complexity and cost. Option D is wrong because Kinesis Analytics is for analytics, not archiving.
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.
✓
Configure Kinesis Data Firehose to read from the stream and deliver to S3, and use a Lambda function for enrichment.
Why this is correct
Firehose handles buffering and delivery to S3; Lambda enriches records.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Kinesis Data Analytics to archive data to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Kinesis Data Analytics is for real-time analytics, not archiving.
✗
Use the Kinesis Client Library (KCL) to process records and write to S3.
Why it's wrong here
KCL requires managing compute resources and is less cost-effective.
✗
Use a Lambda function to read from the stream and write to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda may struggle with high throughput and concurrency.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure Kinesis Data Firehose to read from the stream and deliver to S3, and use a Lambda function for enrichment. — Option B is correct because Kinesis Data Firehose can read from the stream and buffer to S3 within minutes, while Lambda can process records in parallel. Option A is wrong because Lambda cannot directly write to S3 efficiently at this scale. Option C is wrong because KCL adds complexity and cost. Option D is wrong because Kinesis Analytics is for analytics, not archiving.
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.
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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