- A
Amazon EKS with managed node groups
Why wrong: Still requires managing node groups, though less than unmanaged.
- B
Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type
Fargate is serverless, no infrastructure management.
- C
Amazon ECS with EC2 launch type and Auto Scaling groups
Why wrong: Requires managing EC2 instances and Auto Scaling groups.
- D
Amazon Lightsail containers
Why wrong: Lightsail is for simpler applications, not complex microservices.
Question 744 of 1,746
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 new microservices architecture on AWS. Each microservice is deployed as a containerized application and must be able to scale independently. The company wants to minimize operational overhead for managing the containers and the underlying infrastructure. Which solution should the architect recommend?
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
✓
Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type
Amazon ECS with the Fargate launch type is the correct choice because it is a serverless compute engine for containers that eliminates the need to provision, configure, or manage the underlying EC2 instances. This directly meets the requirement to minimize operational overhead while allowing each microservice to scale independently, as Fargate automatically handles the infrastructure and scaling based on the task definitions.
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.
- ✗
Amazon EKS with managed node groups
Why it's wrong here
Still requires managing node groups, though less than unmanaged.
- ✓
Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type
Why this is correct
Fargate is serverless, no infrastructure management.
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.
- ✗
Amazon ECS with EC2 launch type and Auto Scaling groups
Why it's wrong here
Requires managing EC2 instances and Auto Scaling groups.
- ✗
Amazon Lightsail containers
Why it's wrong here
Lightsail is for simpler applications, not complex microservices.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'managed node groups' (EKS) with 'serverless' (Fargate), assuming that managed node groups eliminate all operational overhead, when in fact they still require you to manage the EC2 instances, just with some automation for provisioning and updates.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Fargate abstracts the EC2 instance entirely by using a lightweight virtualization layer (Firecracker microVM) that provides strong isolation for each task. This means each microservice runs in its own dedicated kernel environment, and scaling is handled by simply increasing the desired task count, with no need to manage instance pools or cluster capacity. In a real-world scenario, a company with fluctuating traffic patterns would benefit from Fargate's ability to scale from zero to hundreds of tasks in seconds without pre-provisioning infrastructure, which is critical for cost optimization and operational simplicity.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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Targeted practice on this topic area only
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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: Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type — Amazon ECS with the Fargate launch type is the correct choice because it is a serverless compute engine for containers that eliminates the need to provision, configure, or manage the underlying EC2 instances. This directly meets the requirement to minimize operational overhead while allowing each microservice to scale independently, as Fargate automatically handles the infrastructure and scaling based on the task definitions.
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: "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: Jul 4, 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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