- A
Use S3 Cross-Region Replication for application data and launch EC2 instances from AMIs copied to the secondary Region
Why wrong: S3 CRR replicates objects but not EC2 instance state; launching from AMIs may take time and not meet RPO/RTO.
- B
Take hourly snapshots of EBS volumes and copy them to another Region; use AWS CloudFormation to launch instances from the snapshots
Why wrong: Hourly snapshots may not achieve 15-minute RPO; also restoring from snapshots may exceed 2-hour RTO.
- C
Use Amazon Aurora Global Database for the database and deploy EC2 instances with an Application Load Balancer that has cross-Region load balancing enabled
Aurora Global Database provides replication with RPO of seconds, and cross-Region ALB can redirect traffic to warm standby instances.
- D
Use Amazon DynamoDB global tables for the database and deploy EC2 instances in a warm standby configuration in another Region
DynamoDB global tables provide multi-Region replication with RPO of seconds, and warm standby instances can be promoted quickly.
- E
Configure an Active-Passive failover using Route 53 with health checks within the same Region
Why wrong: Single Region does not protect against region-wide failure.
Quick Answer
The correct strategies to meet a disaster recovery RTO of 2 hours and RPO of 15 minutes are DynamoDB global tables for the database paired with a warm standby EC2 deployment in a second Region. This combination works because DynamoDB global tables provide active-active replication with sub-second RPO, while warm standby EC2 instances can be promoted and traffic redirected via a cross-Region Application Load Balancer within the RTO window. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between replication-based DR (which meets tight RPOs) and backup-based recovery (which typically fails the 15-minute RPO). A common trap is assuming S3 Cross-Region Replication or EBS snapshots can achieve a 15-minute RPO, but those are asynchronous and batch-oriented, not continuous. Memory tip: think “global tables for continuous sync, warm standby for fast failover” — if the RPO is under 15 minutes, you need live replication, not periodic snapshots.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
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) strategy for a critical application. The application runs on EC2 instances in a single AWS Region. The company needs a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 2 hours and a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 15 minutes. Which TWO strategies meet these requirements? (Choose TWO.)
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 for the database and deploy EC2 instances with an Application Load Balancer that has cross-Region load balancing enabled
Multi-Region replication with Aurora Global Database provides fast failover and RPO of seconds. Application Load Balancer with cross-Region load balancing can route traffic to a warm standby in another Region. Option B (snapshot to S3) may take longer than 15 minutes RPO. Option D (single Region) does not provide DR. Option E (S3 Cross-Region Replication) is for S3 objects, not EC2 instance state.
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 S3 Cross-Region Replication for application data and launch EC2 instances from AMIs copied to the secondary Region
Why it's wrong here
S3 CRR replicates objects but not EC2 instance state; launching from AMIs may take time and not meet RPO/RTO.
- ✗
Take hourly snapshots of EBS volumes and copy them to another Region; use AWS CloudFormation to launch instances from the snapshots
Why it's wrong here
Hourly snapshots may not achieve 15-minute RPO; also restoring from snapshots may exceed 2-hour RTO.
- ✓
Use Amazon Aurora Global Database for the database and deploy EC2 instances with an Application Load Balancer that has cross-Region load balancing enabled
Why this is correct
Aurora Global Database provides replication with RPO of seconds, and cross-Region ALB can redirect traffic to warm standby instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Use Amazon DynamoDB global tables for the database and deploy EC2 instances in a warm standby configuration in another Region
Why this is correct
DynamoDB global tables provide multi-Region replication with RPO of seconds, and warm standby instances can be promoted quickly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure an Active-Passive failover using Route 53 with health checks within the same Region
Why it's wrong here
Single Region does not protect against region-wide failure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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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 for the database and deploy EC2 instances with an Application Load Balancer that has cross-Region load balancing enabled — Multi-Region replication with Aurora Global Database provides fast failover and RPO of seconds. Application Load Balancer with cross-Region load balancing can route traffic to a warm standby in another Region. Option B (snapshot to S3) may take longer than 15 minutes RPO. Option D (single Region) does not provide DR. Option E (S3 Cross-Region Replication) is for S3 objects, not EC2 instance state.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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