- A
Create an RDS MySQL cross-region read replica in the secondary region and promote it during a disaster.
Why wrong: Cross-region read replicas have asynchronous replication with RPO potentially >5 seconds.
- B
Take manual snapshots of the RDS instance every 5 seconds and copy them to the secondary region.
Why wrong: Manual snapshots are not feasible every 5 seconds and have high RTO.
- C
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to continuously replicate to a database in the secondary region.
Why wrong: DMS is for migration, not optimized for DR with such low RPO/RTO.
- D
Use Amazon Aurora Global Database with a primary instance in the primary region and one secondary in the secondary region.
Aurora Global Database provides low-latency replication and fast failover.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 is designing a multi-region disaster recovery solution for a critical application. The application uses Amazon RDS for MySQL with Multi-AZ in the primary region. The recovery point objective (RPO) is 5 seconds, and the recovery time objective (RTO) is 1 minute. Which solution meets these requirements?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Use Amazon Aurora Global Database with a primary instance in the primary region and one secondary in the secondary region.
Amazon Aurora Global Database is the only solution that can achieve an RPO of 5 seconds and an RTO of 1 minute for a multi-region disaster recovery setup. It uses storage-based replication with typical latency under 1 second, and failover to a secondary region can be completed in about 1 minute by promoting the secondary cluster. Aurora Global Database also avoids the replication lag and promotion delays inherent in cross-region read replicas or DMS-based replication.
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.
- ✗
Create an RDS MySQL cross-region read replica in the secondary region and promote it during a disaster.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-region read replicas have asynchronous replication with RPO potentially >5 seconds.
- ✗
Take manual snapshots of the RDS instance every 5 seconds and copy them to the secondary region.
Why it's wrong here
Manual snapshots are not feasible every 5 seconds and have high RTO.
- ✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to continuously replicate to a database in the secondary region.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for migration, not optimized for DR with such low RPO/RTO.
- ✓
Use Amazon Aurora Global Database with a primary instance in the primary region and one secondary in the secondary region.
Why this is correct
Aurora Global Database provides low-latency replication and fast failover.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume a cross-region read replica (Option A) can meet a 5-second RPO because MySQL replication is 'near real-time,' but in practice, replication lag is unpredictable and often exceeds 5 seconds, especially during peak loads or network issues.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Aurora Global Database leverages a dedicated, storage-level replication channel that writes data to the primary cluster's storage layer and asynchronously replicates to the secondary region's storage, achieving typical lag of less than 1 second. During a disaster, you can promote the secondary cluster to a standalone primary in under 1 minute by issuing the failover command, which does not require replaying binary logs or rebuilding indexes. In contrast, RDS MySQL cross-region read replicas rely on MySQL native asynchronous replication, which can lag significantly under write-heavy workloads, and promotion requires stopping replication and applying any backlogged transactions.
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
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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 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: Use Amazon Aurora Global Database with a primary instance in the primary region and one secondary in the secondary region. — Amazon Aurora Global Database is the only solution that can achieve an RPO of 5 seconds and an RTO of 1 minute for a multi-region disaster recovery setup. It uses storage-based replication with typical latency under 1 second, and failover to a secondary region can be completed in about 1 minute by promoting the secondary cluster. Aurora Global Database also avoids the replication lag and promotion delays inherent in cross-region read replicas or DMS-based replication.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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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