The correct answer is to order multiple AWS Snowball Edge devices to migrate the large data lake to Amazon S3, as this approach minimizes cost and meets the 30-day deadline. The core technical concept is that a 1 Gbps network can only transfer roughly 10.8 TB per day, making it impossible to move 2 PB within the required timeframe without physical transport; Snowball Edge devices bypass bandwidth limitations by shipping petabytes of data in parallel, and since the data is already in Parquet format, no conversion is needed, though AWS Glue jobs could be used if reformatting were required. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to calculate transfer times and choose the right offline data transfer service for massive datasets, with a common trap being to overestimate network throughput or select Direct Connect or DataSync for volumes exceeding their practical limits. Remember the memory tip: "When bandwidth breaks the clock, ship the data in a box."
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 2 PB data lake from on-premises HDFS to Amazon S3. The data is in Parquet format and is accessed by Spark jobs. The migration must be completed within 30 days over a 1 Gbps network. Which approach minimizes cost and meets the deadline?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Order multiple AWS Snowball Edge devices, copy data, and return them. Then set up AWS Glue jobs to convert to Parquet if needed.
Option B is correct because Snowball Edge can transfer large data in parallel, and S3 is the target. Option A is wrong because 1 Gbps cannot transfer 2 PB in 30 days. Option C is wrong because DataSync is for smaller volumes. Option D is wrong because Direct Connect alone is too slow.
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 AWS DataSync over a Direct Connect connection.
Why it's wrong here
DataSync is optimized for smaller datasets; 2 PB over 1 Gbps exceeds the bandwidth capacity.
✗
Set up a VPN connection and use rsync to copy data to S3.
Why it's wrong here
rsync over VPN is slow and not suitable for large data volumes.
✗
Use AWS Transfer Family to send data over FTP to S3.
Order multiple AWS Snowball Edge devices, copy data, and return them. Then set up AWS Glue jobs to convert to Parquet if needed.
Why this is correct
Snowball Edge provides high-capacity offline transfer, meeting the deadline.
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 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.
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.
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: Order multiple AWS Snowball Edge devices, copy data, and return them. Then set up AWS Glue jobs to convert to Parquet if needed. — Option B is correct because Snowball Edge can transfer large data in parallel, and S3 is the target. Option A is wrong because 1 Gbps cannot transfer 2 PB in 30 days. Option C is wrong because DataSync is for smaller volumes. Option D is wrong because Direct Connect alone is too slow.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.