- A
AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory (AD Connector) and Amazon RDS
Why wrong: AD Connector proxies to on-premises AD, not a managed directory; RDS is not for session storage.
- B
Amazon Cognito and Amazon DynamoDB
Why wrong: Cognito is for external identity providers, not Windows authentication; DynamoDB can store sessions but requires code changes.
- C
AWS IAM and Amazon DynamoDB
Why wrong: IAM is for AWS API authentication, not Windows authentication; DynamoDB requires code changes for session storage.
- D
AWS Managed Microsoft AD and Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Managed Microsoft AD provides native Windows authentication; ElastiCache for Redis supports session management with minimal code changes.
Question 458 of 1,746
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. 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 migrating a legacy .NET application to AWS. The application uses Windows authentication and stores session state in-memory. The company wants to minimize code changes and use AWS managed services. Which combination of AWS services should the company use to modernize the application's authentication and session management?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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 Managed Microsoft AD and Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Option D is correct because AWS Managed Microsoft AD allows the application to continue using Windows authentication with minimal code changes, and Amazon ElastiCache for Redis provides a distributed, high-performance session store that can replace in-memory session state. Option A is incorrect because AD Connector only proxies authentication requests to an on-premises Active Directory, not providing a managed AD service, and Amazon RDS is not designed for session storage. Option B is incorrect because Amazon Cognito is intended for external identity federation (e.g., social logins), not Windows authentication. Option C is incorrect because AWS IAM is for managing access to AWS resources, not for application-level Windows authentication.
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.
- ✗
AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory (AD Connector) and Amazon RDS
Why it's wrong here
AD Connector proxies to on-premises AD, not a managed directory; RDS is not for session storage.
- ✗
Amazon Cognito and Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
Cognito is for external identity providers, not Windows authentication; DynamoDB can store sessions but requires code changes.
- ✗
AWS IAM and Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
IAM is for AWS API authentication, not Windows authentication; DynamoDB requires code changes for session storage.
- ✓
AWS Managed Microsoft AD and Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Why this is correct
Managed Microsoft AD provides native Windows authentication; ElastiCache for Redis supports session management with minimal code changes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" 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
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.
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 |
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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Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — This question tests Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Managed Microsoft AD and Amazon ElastiCache for Redis — Option D is correct because AWS Managed Microsoft AD allows the application to continue using Windows authentication with minimal code changes, and Amazon ElastiCache for Redis provides a distributed, high-performance session store that can replace in-memory session state. Option A is incorrect because AD Connector only proxies authentication requests to an on-premises Active Directory, not providing a managed AD service, and Amazon RDS is not designed for session storage. Option B is incorrect because Amazon Cognito is intended for external identity federation (e.g., social logins), not Windows authentication. Option C is incorrect because AWS IAM is for managing access to AWS resources, not for application-level Windows authentication.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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