- A
Use AWS Directory Service AD Connector in each VPC and point to an on-premises Active Directory.
Why wrong: AD Connector proxies to on-premises AD; it does not provide a cloud-native directory.
- B
Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in each Region using multi-Region replication. Configure the directory as a global directory.
Multi-Region replication provides automatic failover and low-latency authentication in each Region.
- C
Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in one Region. Create VPC peering connections to all other VPCs.
Why wrong: VPC peering across Regions introduces cross-Region traffic and does not provide automatic failover.
- D
Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in one Region. Configure VPN connections from each VPC to this directory.
Why wrong: VPN adds latency and a single point of failure if the directory Region fails.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. 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 multinational corporation is migrating its on-premises Active Directory to AWS Managed Microsoft AD. The company has multiple VPCs in different AWS Regions, and all VPCs must be able to authenticate against the same directory. The directory must be highly available and support automatic failover. What is the MOST operationally efficient solution?
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
Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in each Region using multi-Region replication. Configure the directory as a global directory.
AWS Managed Microsoft AD with multi-Region replication provides a single global directory that spans multiple Regions, enabling automatic failover and high availability. This is the most operationally efficient solution because it eliminates the need for complex networking (VPC peering or VPNs) and allows all VPCs to authenticate against the same directory natively, with replication handled by AWS.
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.
- ✗
Use AWS Directory Service AD Connector in each VPC and point to an on-premises Active Directory.
Why it's wrong here
AD Connector proxies to on-premises AD; it does not provide a cloud-native directory.
- ✓
Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in each Region using multi-Region replication. Configure the directory as a global directory.
Why this is correct
Multi-Region replication provides automatic failover and low-latency authentication in each Region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in one Region. Create VPC peering connections to all other VPCs.
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering across Regions introduces cross-Region traffic and does not provide automatic failover.
- ✗
Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in one Region. Configure VPN connections from each VPC to this directory.
Why it's wrong here
VPN adds latency and a single point of failure if the directory Region fails.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse VPC peering or VPN connectivity as sufficient for high availability, overlooking that a single-Region directory is a single point of failure and that multi-Region replication is the only option that provides automatic failover and operational efficiency across Regions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Managed Microsoft AD multi-Region replication uses a global directory with read-only domain controllers in each Region, automatically replicating directory data from the primary Region. This leverages the Microsoft Active Directory replication protocol (RPC over IP) and AWS's global infrastructure to provide automatic failover—if the primary Region fails, a secondary Region can be promoted. In practice, this ensures consistent authentication and authorization across VPCs without manual intervention, and it supports up to 20 Regions per directory.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in each Region using multi-Region replication. Configure the directory as a global directory. — AWS Managed Microsoft AD with multi-Region replication provides a single global directory that spans multiple Regions, enabling automatic failover and high availability. This is the most operationally efficient solution because it eliminates the need for complex networking (VPC peering or VPNs) and allows all VPCs to authenticate against the same directory natively, with replication handled by AWS.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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