- A
Take daily automated snapshots of the RDS DB instance and copy them to the DR Region. In the DR Region, restore the DB instance from the latest snapshot.
Why wrong: Daily snapshots provide RPO of up to 24 hours, exceeding 15 minutes.
- B
Use Amazon Aurora Global Database to replicate data across Regions.
Why wrong: Aurora Global Database is for Aurora, not RDS MySQL, and is more expensive.
- C
Use AWS Backup to copy backups to the DR Region and set up EC2 Image Builder for application recovery.
Why wrong: AWS Backup for RDS provides point-in-time recovery but RTO may be longer; Image Builder is for AMIs, not database.
- D
Configure a cross-Region read replica for the RDS MySQL DB instance. In the DR event, promote the read replica to a standalone instance.
Cross-Region read replicas provide low RPO (seconds) and fast RTO (minutes).
Cost-Effective DR for RDS MySQL with Cross-Region Read Replica
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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 company is designing a disaster recovery (DR) solution for a critical application running on Amazon EC2 instances in a single AWS Region. The DR site will be in a different Region. The application data is stored in an Amazon RDS for MySQL DB instance with Multi-AZ enabled. The Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is 15 minutes, and the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is 2 hours. Which strategy meets these requirements MOST cost-effectively?
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
Configure a cross-Region read replica for the RDS MySQL DB instance. In the DR event, promote the read replica to a standalone instance.
Option D is the most cost-effective strategy because a cross-Region read replica for RDS MySQL allows continuous replication with minimal overhead, achieving an RPO of seconds to minutes and an RTO of minutes (promotion time). It avoids the cost of a full Aurora Global Database or the RPO gap from daily snapshots, meeting the 15-minute RPO and 2-hour RTO requirements at lower cost.
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.
- ✗
Take daily automated snapshots of the RDS DB instance and copy them to the DR Region. In the DR Region, restore the DB instance from the latest snapshot.
Why it's wrong here
Daily snapshots provide RPO of up to 24 hours, exceeding 15 minutes.
- ✗
Use Amazon Aurora Global Database to replicate data across Regions.
Why it's wrong here
Aurora Global Database is for Aurora, not RDS MySQL, and is more expensive.
- ✗
Use AWS Backup to copy backups to the DR Region and set up EC2 Image Builder for application recovery.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Backup for RDS provides point-in-time recovery but RTO may be longer; Image Builder is for AMIs, not database.
- ✓
Configure a cross-Region read replica for the RDS MySQL DB instance. In the DR event, promote the read replica to a standalone instance.
Why this is correct
Cross-Region read replicas provide low RPO (seconds) and fast RTO (minutes).
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 may over-engineer the solution by choosing Aurora Global Database (Option B) for its managed replication, overlooking that a cross-Region read replica for RDS MySQL is sufficient and more cost-effective for the given RPO/RTO, or they may underestimate the RPO gap of snapshot-based approaches (Options A and C).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A cross-Region read replica for RDS MySQL uses asynchronous replication based on MySQL's native binlog, with a typical replication lag of seconds to a few minutes under normal conditions. When promoted, the replica becomes a standalone instance with full read/write capability; the promotion process takes a few minutes, easily fitting within the 2-hour RTO. This approach incurs only the cost of the replica instance and cross-Region data transfer, which is significantly cheaper than Aurora Global Database (which uses a dedicated storage layer and charges for cross-Region replication traffic at higher rates).
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 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
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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: Configure a cross-Region read replica for the RDS MySQL DB instance. In the DR event, promote the read replica to a standalone instance. — Option D is the most cost-effective strategy because a cross-Region read replica for RDS MySQL allows continuous replication with minimal overhead, achieving an RPO of seconds to minutes and an RTO of minutes (promotion time). It avoids the cost of a full Aurora Global Database or the RPO gap from daily snapshots, meeting the 15-minute RPO and 2-hour RTO requirements at lower cost.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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