The correct approach is to establish a forest trust between the on-premises Active Directory and AWS Managed Microsoft AD, then gradually move resources to AWS. This method preserves existing authentication flows, group policies, and complex trust relationships during the migration, allowing you to shift Windows workloads incrementally without disrupting operations. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of hybrid identity architectures and the limitations of AWS Directory Service options—a common trap is assuming AD Connector can replicate the full AD structure, but it only acts as a proxy and cannot host objects or policies. Remember that a forest trust is bidirectional and supports transitive authentication, making it ideal for complex multi-domain environments. Memory tip: think “Trust then Transfer”—establish the trust first, then migrate resources in phases.
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 wants to migrate its on-premises Active Directory to AWS Managed Microsoft AD to support Windows-based workloads on AWS. The company has a complex Active Directory structure with multiple domains, group policies, and trusts with external directories. Which migration approach should the company use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Establish a forest trust between the on-premises AD and AWS Managed Microsoft AD, then gradually move resources to AWS
Setting up a trust between the on-premises AD and AWS Managed Microsoft AD allows gradual migration of resources. This maintains existing authentication and group policies during the transition. Replacing AD with IAM is not suitable for Windows workloads. Replicating the entire AD structure via AD Connector is not possible. A full rebuild is complex and risky.
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.
✗
Replace Active Directory with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for all authentication
Why it's wrong here
IAM is not a replacement for AD features like group policies and domain-joined machines.
✓
Establish a forest trust between the on-premises AD and AWS Managed Microsoft AD, then gradually move resources to AWS
Why this is correct
Correct. A trust allows seamless coexistence and incremental migration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Rebuild the entire Active Directory structure from scratch in AWS Managed Microsoft AD
Why it's wrong here
Rebuilding from scratch is error-prone and causes disruption.
✗
Use AD Connector to proxy authentication requests from AWS to the on-premises AD
Why it's wrong here
AD Connector does not provide a full AD directory; it only proxies authentication.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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: Establish a forest trust between the on-premises AD and AWS Managed Microsoft AD, then gradually move resources to AWS — Setting up a trust between the on-premises AD and AWS Managed Microsoft AD allows gradual migration of resources. This maintains existing authentication and group policies during the transition. Replacing AD with IAM is not suitable for Windows workloads. Replicating the entire AD structure via AD Connector is not possible. A full rebuild is complex and risky.
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.
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Question Discussion
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