- A
Migrate the database to Amazon Aurora MySQL-Compatible Edition with Auto Scaling and enable performance insights.
Why wrong: Migrating to Aurora is a significant change and may not be considered minimal.
- B
Implement an in-memory caching layer using Amazon ElastiCache for Memcached and modify the application to check the cache first.
Why wrong: Requires application code modifications.
- C
Replace the RDS database with Amazon DynamoDB and use DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for caching.
Why wrong: Complete database change is not minimal and requires major code changes.
- D
Create read replicas of the RDS for MariaDB instance and configure the application to send read queries to the read replicas.
Read replicas offload read traffic with minimal application changes (connection string).
Quick Answer
The answer is to create read replicas of the RDS for MariaDB instance and route read queries to them. This solution directly addresses the need to reduce RDS CPU spikes with read replicas by offloading the read-heavy workload from the primary database, which is the root cause of the CPU saturation. Since the application is read-heavy with frequent writes, distributing SELECT queries to read replicas alleviates the primary instance’s processing burden without requiring any application logic changes—only a connection string update. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of scaling relational databases for read-heavy patterns while avoiding migration or caching overhead, which often appear as tempting but incorrect traps. A common memory tip is “Read replicas for read relief”—if the bottleneck is read traffic and the database is already Multi-AZ, replicas are the simplest scalable fix, whereas Aurora or ElastiCache would demand migration or code rewrites.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing 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 runs a critical trading application on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB) in three Availability Zones. The application uses a MySQL-compatible Amazon RDS for MariaDB database with Multi-AZ deployment. Recently, the operations team noticed that during periods of heavy trading, the database CPU utilization spikes to 100%, causing query timeouts and application errors. The team has already reviewed slow query logs and enabled Performance Insights, but the issue persists. The application is read-heavy with frequent writes. The team needs to reduce database load with minimal changes to the application code. Which solution is the MOST effective and scalable?
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
Create read replicas of the RDS for MariaDB instance and configure the application to send read queries to the read replicas.
Option D (RDS for MariaDB read replicas with read-only database connections) offloads read traffic without code changes, as read replicas can be used by modifying the connection string. Option A (Aurora) would require migration. Option B (ElastiCache) requires application code to cache data. Option C (DynamoDB Accelerator) is for DynamoDB, not MariaDB.
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
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Migrate the database to Amazon Aurora MySQL-Compatible Edition with Auto Scaling and enable performance insights.
Why it's wrong here
Migrating to Aurora is a significant change and may not be considered minimal.
- ✗
Implement an in-memory caching layer using Amazon ElastiCache for Memcached and modify the application to check the cache first.
Why it's wrong here
Requires application code modifications.
- ✗
Replace the RDS database with Amazon DynamoDB and use DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for caching.
Why it's wrong here
Complete database change is not minimal and requires major code changes.
- ✓
Create read replicas of the RDS for MariaDB instance and configure the application to send read queries to the read replicas.
Why this is correct
Read replicas offload read traffic with minimal application changes (connection string).
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
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
How to think about this question
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.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
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
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
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Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create read replicas of the RDS for MariaDB instance and configure the application to send read queries to the read replicas. — Option D (RDS for MariaDB read replicas with read-only database connections) offloads read traffic without code changes, as read replicas can be used by modifying the connection string. Option A (Aurora) would require migration. Option B (ElastiCache) requires application code to cache data. Option C (DynamoDB Accelerator) is for DynamoDB, not MariaDB.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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