- A
Enable the STRICT_TRANS_TABLES SQL mode on all RDS instances to enforce data integrity.
Why wrong: STRICT_TRANS_TABLES is a MySQL mode for strict SQL handling, not a distributed consistency solution.
- B
Implement a saga pattern using choreography, where each service publishes events and reacts to events from other services.
The saga pattern with choreography maintains data consistency across microservices without tight coupling, and can be implemented with minimal changes using event-driven communication.
- C
Configure RDS read replicas for each service to ensure eventually consistent reads.
Why wrong: Read replicas provide eventual consistency but not for writes; they don't solve write consistency across services.
- D
Use distributed transactions with a two-phase commit protocol across RDS instances.
Why wrong: Two-phase commit is not supported across separate RDS instances and would require a transaction manager, adding complexity.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 monolithic application to microservices on Amazon ECS with Fargate. The application currently uses a central MySQL database. The architects plan to refactor the database into separate RDS instances per microservice. Which strategy will ensure data consistency across services with minimal application changes?
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
Implement a saga pattern using choreography, where each service publishes events and reacts to events from other services.
Option B is correct because the saga pattern with choreography allows each microservice to maintain its own RDS instance while ensuring data consistency through a sequence of local transactions and compensating events. This approach avoids the need for distributed transactions across separate databases, which aligns with the goal of minimal application changes by leveraging existing event-driven communication patterns in ECS with Fargate.
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.
- ✗
Enable the STRICT_TRANS_TABLES SQL mode on all RDS instances to enforce data integrity.
Why it's wrong here
STRICT_TRANS_TABLES is a MySQL mode for strict SQL handling, not a distributed consistency solution.
- ✓
Implement a saga pattern using choreography, where each service publishes events and reacts to events from other services.
Why this is correct
The saga pattern with choreography maintains data consistency across microservices without tight coupling, and can be implemented with minimal changes using event-driven communication.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure RDS read replicas for each service to ensure eventually consistent reads.
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas provide eventual consistency but not for writes; they don't solve write consistency across services.
- ✗
Use distributed transactions with a two-phase commit protocol across RDS instances.
Why it's wrong here
Two-phase commit is not supported across separate RDS instances and would require a transaction manager, adding complexity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse eventual consistency with read replicas (Option C) or assume that traditional ACID transactions can be extended across separate databases (Option D), but the saga pattern is the correct distributed consistency approach for microservices with separate databases.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The saga pattern uses a sequence of local transactions where each service publishes an event after completing its step, and other services react by executing their own transactions; if a step fails, compensating transactions are triggered to undo previous changes. Under the hood, this relies on idempotent event handlers and outbox patterns (e.g., using Debezium or Amazon EventBridge) to ensure exactly-once delivery, which is critical for maintaining consistency without distributed locks. In a real-world scenario, an order service might deduct inventory and publish an 'OrderCreated' event, while the payment service listens and processes payment, with a compensating 'Refund' event if payment fails.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implement a saga pattern using choreography, where each service publishes events and reacts to events from other services. — Option B is correct because the saga pattern with choreography allows each microservice to maintain its own RDS instance while ensuring data consistency through a sequence of local transactions and compensating events. This approach avoids the need for distributed transactions across separate databases, which aligns with the goal of minimal application changes by leveraging existing event-driven communication patterns in ECS with Fargate.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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