Migrating Batch Processing to AWS with SFTP, SQS, and Auto Scaling
A company is migrating a batch processing workload to AWS. The workload runs on a schedule and processes large files stored on a network file system. The company wants to use a serverless architecture to reduce costs. Which combination of AWS services should the company use?
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 Step Functions, AWS Lambda, and Amazon S3.
AWS Step Functions can orchestrate the workflow, AWS Lambda can process files in a serverless manner, and Amazon S3 can store the large files. Option A is wrong because Amazon EMR is not a serverless service and EFS is a network file system, not ideal for serverless batch processing. Option B is wrong because Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose is designed for streaming data, not batch processing of large files. Option D is wrong because Amazon EC2 and EBS are not serverless.
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 Step Functions, Amazon EMR, and Amazon EFS.
Why it's wrong here
Amazon EMR provisions clusters of EC2 instances, so the compute layer is not serverless and costs accrue while clusters run. It is tempting because EMR handles large-scale batch processing and EFS provides shared file storage, making this valid when big-data frameworks such as Spark or Hadoop are genuinely required.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch Events, AWS Lambda, and Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose.
Why it's wrong here
Kinesis Data Firehose delivers streaming records to destinations such as S3; it cannot read large files from a network file system or run file-processing logic. Lambda also has limited temporary storage and a 15-minute timeout. Firehose fits continuous streaming ingestion, not scheduled batch processing of stored files.
- ✓
AWS Step Functions, AWS Lambda, and Amazon S3.
Why this is correct
Step Functions orchestrates the scheduled workflow, Lambda runs the processing logic serverlessly, and Amazon S3 stores the large input and output files. This combination removes server management and scales automatically, meeting the serverless and cost-reduction constraints.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch Events, Amazon EC2, and Amazon EBS.
Why it's wrong here
EC2 and EBS are server-based compute and block storage, so the workload is neither serverless nor able to mount a shared network file system natively. It is tempting because CloudWatch Events can schedule tasks, and EC2 suits long-running batch jobs when serverless limits or custom runtimes rule out Lambda.
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 |
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Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on SAP-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is migrating a batch processing workload to AWS. The workload runs a Java application that processes files from an S3 bucket. The company wants to minimize operational overhead. Which AWS service should the company use to run the Java application?
medium- A.Amazon EC2
- B.Amazon ECS with EC2 launch type
- C.AWS Batch
- ✓ D.AWS Lambda
Why D: (AWS Lambda) is correct because it allows running Java code in response to S3 events with no server management, minimizing operational overhead. AWS Lambda supports Java runtime, can be triggered by S3 object creation events, and automatically scales. Options A (Amazon EC2) and B (Amazon ECS with EC2 launch type) require managing EC2 instances or cluster, increasing overhead. Option C (AWS Batch) is designed for batch jobs but still requires compute environments (EC2 or Fargate) and is more complex than Lambda for simple file processing.
Variation 2. A company is migrating a large-scale batch processing system from on-premises to AWS. The system runs millions of short-lived jobs each day. The company wants to minimize operational overhead and cost. Which AWS compute service should the company use?
medium- A.Amazon EC2 with Spot Fleet
- B.Amazon ECS with AWS Fargate
- C.AWS Lambda
- ✓ D.AWS Batch
Why D: AWS Batch is specifically designed for batch computing workloads, handling millions of short-lived jobs efficiently by automatically provisioning compute resources and scaling based on job demand. It integrates with Spot Instances to reduce costs. Option A is wrong because EC2 with Spot Fleet requires manual management of instances and scaling, increasing operational overhead. Option B is wrong because ECS with Fargate is optimized for containerized applications, but AWS Batch provides more specialized features for batch job scheduling and cost optimization. Option C is wrong because Lambda has a maximum execution timeout of 15 minutes and is intended for short, event-driven functions, not suitable for batch processing.
Variation 3. A company is migrating a large-scale batch processing workload from on-premises to AWS. The workload runs on a schedule and processes data files from an FTP server. The company wants to use AWS services that are serverless and event-driven to reduce operational overhead. The data files will be uploaded to an Amazon S3 bucket. Which solution meets these requirements?
hard- A.Use Amazon S3 Event Notifications to invoke an AWS Batch job that processes the file
- ✓ B.Use Amazon S3 Event Notifications to invoke an AWS Lambda function that processes the file
- C.Use AWS Glue to crawl the S3 bucket and run an ETL job on a schedule
- D.Use Amazon S3 Event Notifications to start an AWS Step Functions workflow that runs processing on Amazon EC2
Why B: AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that can be triggered by S3 event notifications, allowing immediate processing of uploaded files without managing servers. This meets the requirements for a serverless, event-driven solution with minimal operational overhead.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.