- A
Auto Scaling group for web tier with a Network Load Balancer; Amazon RDS for MySQL database with a static Elastic IP
Why wrong: Incorrect: RDS does not use Elastic IP.
- B
Auto Scaling group for web tier with an Application Load Balancer; Amazon EC2 instance for MySQL database with an Elastic IP
Correct: ALB for web scaling, EC2 with Elastic IP for static database IP.
- C
Auto Scaling group for web tier with an Application Load Balancer; Amazon RDS for MySQL database with a static Elastic IP
Why wrong: Incorrect: RDS does not use Elastic IP; it uses a DNS name.
- D
Auto Scaling group for web tier with a Classic Load Balancer; Amazon EC2 instance for MySQL database with an Elastic IP
Why wrong: Incorrect: Classic Load Balancer is legacy and not recommended for new architectures.
Quick Answer
The correct combination is an Auto Scaling group for the web tier with an Application Load Balancer, and an Amazon EC2 instance for the MySQL database with an Elastic IP. This works because the Auto Scaling group dynamically adjusts the number of web servers based on CPU utilization, while the Application Load Balancer distributes traffic across them, and the Elastic IP attached to the EC2 database instance provides a fixed, static IP address that remains unchanged even if the instance is stopped or replaced. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of when to use Elastic IPs versus managed database services like RDS, which do not support Elastic IPs directly—a common trap where candidates mistakenly choose RDS for the database tier. The key insight is that for a static IP requirement on a database, you must use an EC2 instance with an Elastic IP, not a managed service. Memory tip: “ELB for web, EIP for DB” keeps the pairing clear.
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 multi-tier web application to AWS. The application includes an Apache web server and a MySQL database. The operations team needs to scale the web tier based on CPU utilization while maintaining a static IP for the database. Which combination of AWS services should the solutions architect use?
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
Auto Scaling group for web tier with an Application Load Balancer; Amazon EC2 instance for MySQL database with an Elastic IP
An Auto Scaling group with an Application Load Balancer provides scaling for web servers. An Elastic IP on an EC2 instance provides a static IP for the database. RDS does not support Elastic IP directly.
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.
- ✗
Auto Scaling group for web tier with a Network Load Balancer; Amazon RDS for MySQL database with a static Elastic IP
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: RDS does not use Elastic IP.
- ✓
Auto Scaling group for web tier with an Application Load Balancer; Amazon EC2 instance for MySQL database with an Elastic IP
Why this is correct
Correct: ALB for web scaling, EC2 with Elastic IP for static database IP.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Auto Scaling group for web tier with an Application Load Balancer; Amazon RDS for MySQL database with a static Elastic IP
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: RDS does not use Elastic IP; it uses a DNS name.
- ✗
Auto Scaling group for web tier with a Classic Load Balancer; Amazon EC2 instance for MySQL database with an Elastic IP
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Classic Load Balancer is legacy and not recommended for new architectures.
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 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.
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 — study guide chapter
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Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization practice questions
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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 — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Auto Scaling group for web tier with an Application Load Balancer; Amazon EC2 instance for MySQL database with an Elastic IP — An Auto Scaling group with an Application Load Balancer provides scaling for web servers. An Elastic IP on an EC2 instance provides a static IP for the database. RDS does not support Elastic IP directly.
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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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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