The answer is to rehost the application on Amazon EC2 Windows Server and use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with a license-included option, as this is the most cost-effective strategy for migrating a .NET SQL Server app to AWS while reducing licensing costs. This approach retains full support for SQL Server-specific features like CLR integration, linked servers, and T-SQL stored procedures, which the application code heavily depends on, while shifting operational overhead to AWS and eliminating the need for upfront SQL Server licenses. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to balance cost reduction against code compatibility—a common trap is assuming that moving to Aurora PostgreSQL or MySQL will save money, but that would require massive refactoring and break the application. The key insight is that license-included RDS reduces licensing costs compared to on-premises or EC2 self-managed SQL Server, without forcing a replatform. Memory tip: “Keep the SQL, skip the refactor—RDS license-included is the cost-reduction factor.”
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 large .NET application from Windows Server on-premises to AWS. The application uses a SQL Server database. The company wants to reduce licensing costs by using open-source alternatives where possible. However, the application code heavily uses SQL Server-specific features like CLR integration, linked servers, and T-SQL stored procedures. What is the most cost-effective migration strategy?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 Windows Server and use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with a license-included option
Replatforming the database to Amazon RDS for SQL Server retains the SQL Server-specific features while reducing operational overhead. Moving to Aurora PostgreSQL or MySQL would require significant code changes. Rehosting on EC2 SQL Server does not reduce licensing costs.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Rehost both application and database on Amazon EC2 with SQL Server licenses brought to AWS
Why it's wrong here
License mobility may reduce costs but still requires managing EC2 instances for the database.
✗
Refactor the application to use a microservices architecture with separate databases
Why it's wrong here
Refactoring entire application is expensive and not necessary if SQL Server is retained.
✓
Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 Windows Server and use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with a license-included option
Why this is correct
Correct. This reduces operational costs and retains SQL Server features.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Replatform the database to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL and rewrite the database code to be compatible
Why it's wrong here
Rewriting database code is costly and time-consuming.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — This question tests Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 Windows Server and use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with a license-included option — Replatforming the database to Amazon RDS for SQL Server retains the SQL Server-specific features while reducing operational overhead. Moving to Aurora PostgreSQL or MySQL would require significant code changes. Rehosting on EC2 SQL Server does not reduce licensing costs.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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