The answer is to rehost the application on Amazon EC2 using AWS Application Migration Service (MGN). This is correct because MGN performs a lift-and-shift migration, replicating the entire on-premises server—including its SOAP web services, operating system, and dependencies—to AWS with virtually no code changes, directly addressing the requirement to minimize changes while reducing operational overhead through automated replication and cutover. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between migration strategies when the explicit constraint is “minimize changes”; the common trap is to over-engineer with refactoring or containerization, which would introduce unnecessary modification. Remember the memory tip: when the question says “minimize changes,” think “MGN for minimal changes.”
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 legacy application that uses SOAP web services to AWS. The application currently runs on a single on-premises server. The company wants to minimize changes and reduce operational overhead. Which approach should the company take?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 using AWS Application Migration Service (MGN).
Option C is correct because rehosting the application on Amazon EC2 using AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) minimizes changes by lifting and shifting the entire on-premises server, including the SOAP web services, to AWS with minimal modification. This approach reduces operational overhead by automating server replication and cutover, avoiding the need to refactor or containerize the application, which aligns with the requirement to minimize changes.
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.
✗
Refactor the SOAP web services to RESTful APIs and deploy on Amazon API Gateway and AWS Lambda.
Why it's wrong here
Requires significant refactoring.
✗
Containerize the application and deploy it on Amazon ECS using Fargate.
Why it's wrong here
Containerization requires changes and adds complexity.
✓
Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 using AWS Application Migration Service (MGN).
Why this is correct
MGN automates lift-and-shift with minimal downtime.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to migrate the database and redeploy the application manually.
Why it's wrong here
Does not address the application migration and has higher operational overhead.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume modernizing to serverless or containers is always better, but the question explicitly requires minimizing changes, making rehosting the correct choice despite its perceived lack of modernization.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) performs continuous block-level replication of the source server's disks to a staging area in AWS, enabling automated cutover with minimal downtime. This approach preserves the original operating system, middleware, and SOAP web service configurations, allowing the application to run on EC2 without any code changes, which is critical for legacy applications that cannot be easily modified.
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
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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: Rehost the application on Amazon EC2 using AWS Application Migration Service (MGN). — Option C is correct because rehosting the application on Amazon EC2 using AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) minimizes changes by lifting and shifting the entire on-premises server, including the SOAP web services, to AWS with minimal modification. This approach reduces operational overhead by automating server replication and cutover, avoiding the need to refactor or containerize the application, which aligns with the requirement to minimize changes.
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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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.