The correct choice is the option that states "Replicate data to AWS and run a minimal version of the application that can be scaled up during cutover." This describes the pilot light disaster recovery pattern, where core data is continuously replicated to AWS while a minimal environment—such as a single small EC2 instance running the application stack—remains active. During a cutover, this minimal environment is rapidly scaled up to full production capacity by launching additional resources like Auto Scaling groups and load balancers. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this pattern tests your understanding of cost-effective DR strategies that prioritize data replication over full infrastructure duplication. A common trap is confusing pilot light with warm standby, which runs a scaled-down but fully functional copy of the production environment. Remember the memory tip: a pilot light is a small flame that can quickly ignite a full fire—just as a minimal environment can rapidly scale up when needed.
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 critical application to AWS and wants to ensure business continuity during the cutover. The migration plan includes a pilot light strategy. Which of the following BEST describes the pilot light pattern?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Replicate data to AWS and run a minimal version of the application that can be scaled up during cutover.
The pilot light pattern is a disaster recovery strategy where core data is continuously replicated to AWS, and a minimal version of the application (e.g., a small EC2 instance running the application stack) is kept running. During cutover, this minimal environment is rapidly scaled up to full production capacity. This matches option C, as it describes replicating data and running a minimal version that can be scaled up.
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.
✗
Take regular backups and restore them in AWS during cutover.
Why it's wrong here
This is backup and restore, not pilot light.
✗
Run a scaled-down but fully functional version of the environment in AWS at all times.
Why it's wrong here
This describes warm standby.
✓
Replicate data to AWS and run a minimal version of the application that can be scaled up during cutover.
Why this is correct
Correct definition of pilot light.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Run the application simultaneously in both environments and route traffic to both.
Why it's wrong here
This describes multi-site active-active.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing the pilot light pattern with the warm standby pattern, as both involve a running environment in AWS, but pilot light uses a minimal stack that is not fully functional until scaled up, whereas warm standby runs a fully functional scaled-down version.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the pilot light pattern typically uses AWS services like Amazon RDS cross-Region read replicas or Amazon S3 cross-Region replication for data replication, while a small EC2 instance (e.g., t3.nano) runs the application code but does not serve traffic. During cutover, you scale up by launching additional EC2 instances, updating Auto Scaling groups, and promoting the read replica to a primary database. This approach minimizes cost while keeping RTO in minutes to hours, depending on the complexity of scaling.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: Replicate data to AWS and run a minimal version of the application that can be scaled up during cutover. — The pilot light pattern is a disaster recovery strategy where core data is continuously replicated to AWS, and a minimal version of the application (e.g., a small EC2 instance running the application stack) is kept running. During cutover, this minimal environment is rapidly scaled up to full production capacity. This matches option C, as it describes replicating data and running a minimal version that can be scaled up.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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