- A
Amazon EFS
Why wrong: File storage, but not hybrid.
- B
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway)
Provides low-latency access to S3 from on-premises.
- C
AWS Snowball Edge
Why wrong: For large data transfer, not low-latency access.
- D
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Network connection, not storage service.
- E
Amazon S3
Used as backup target by Storage Gateway.
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 new hybrid cloud architecture that extends on-premises storage to AWS. The solution must provide low-latency access to frequently accessed data and use AWS storage for backup. Which TWO services should be used together?
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 Storage Gateway (File Gateway)
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) provides a low-latency, on-premises cache for frequently accessed data while asynchronously uploading the underlying data to Amazon S3 for durable backup. This hybrid architecture allows applications to access data with local file-system performance while leveraging S3 as the backup target, meeting both the low-latency and backup requirements.
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 EFS
Why it's wrong here
File storage, but not hybrid.
- ✓
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway)
Why this is correct
Provides low-latency access to S3 from on-premises.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Snowball Edge
Why it's wrong here
For large data transfer, not low-latency access.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Network connection, not storage service.
- ✓
Amazon S3
Why this is correct
Used as backup target by Storage Gateway.
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 often confuse AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) with Amazon EFS, thinking EFS can serve as a hybrid cache, but EFS lacks the on-premises caching component required for low-latency hybrid access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
File Gateway uses a local VM or hardware appliance that caches recently accessed files on-premises, serving reads from the cache and writing data asynchronously to S3 as objects. The gateway supports NFS v3/v4.1 and SMB protocols, and can be configured with a cache size up to 64 TB per gateway. In a real-world scenario, a company with a large on-premises file share can use File Gateway to provide sub-millisecond access to hot data while automatically tiering cold data to S3 Glacier for cost-effective backup.
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 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.
Visual reference
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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) — AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) provides a low-latency, on-premises cache for frequently accessed data while asynchronously uploading the underlying data to Amazon S3 for durable backup. This hybrid architecture allows applications to access data with local file-system performance while leveraging S3 as the backup target, meeting both the low-latency and backup requirements.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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