The correct answer is to use an Application Load Balancer with targets in multiple AZs, deploy EC2 instances across those AZs, and replicate the EBS data using snapshots or a replication mechanism. This combination works because stateful web applications require both compute and storage resilience across AZs, and EBS volumes are inherently zonal resources that cannot be attached to instances in a different AZ. The Application Load Balancer handles traffic distribution and health checks across AZs, while replicating EBS data ensures the application state survives an AZ failure. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the fundamental limitation that EBS is a zonal service, not a regional one, and that true multi-AZ resilience for stateful workloads demands both compute distribution and data replication. A common trap is assuming EBS Multi-Attach or Read Replicas apply here—Read Replicas are for RDS, not EBS. Memory tip: EBS is tied to one AZ, so to survive an AZ outage, you must replicate the data yourself.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. 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 runs a stateful web application on EC2 instances with EBS volumes. They want to improve resilience by distributing the workload across multiple Availability Zones. Which THREE steps should they take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Amazon EFS for shared storage across AZs.
Correct answers are A, C, and D. Option A ensures data is available in multiple AZs. Option C distributes instances for high availability. Option D handles traffic distribution and health checks. Option B is wrong because EBS volumes cannot be attached cross-AZ. Option E is wrong because Read Replicas are for RDS, not EBS.
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 Amazon EFS for shared storage across AZs.
Why this is correct
EFS is a shared file system accessible from multiple AZs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Attach the same EBS volume to instances in different AZs.
Why it's wrong here
EBS volumes are AZ-specific.
✓
Place EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group spanning multiple AZs.
Why this is correct
Auto Scaling across AZs ensures capacity in each AZ.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Use an Application Load Balancer with targets in multiple AZs.
Why this is correct
ALB distributes traffic and performs health checks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure EBS Read Replicas in another AZ.
Why it's wrong here
EBS does not have Read Replicas.
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 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.
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.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Amazon EFS for shared storage across AZs. — Correct answers are A, C, and D. Option A ensures data is available in multiple AZs. Option C distributes instances for high availability. Option D handles traffic distribution and health checks. Option B is wrong because EBS volumes cannot be attached cross-AZ. Option E is wrong because Read Replicas are for RDS, not EBS.
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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