The answer is to configure an Application Load Balancer and Auto Scaling group for the web tier, migrate the MySQL database to RDS Multi-AZ, and implement ElastiCache for session caching. These three actions directly improve scalability and availability for a multi-tier e-commerce workload on AWS by distributing traffic across a dynamic web fleet, providing automatic failover for the database, and offloading session state to a managed in-memory cache, which reduces database load and supports horizontal scaling. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between high-availability patterns and cost-optimization traps—common distractors include using Spot Instances for all tiers (risking interruption) or EFS for stateless web tiers. Remember the memory tip: “ALB for the web, RDS Multi-AZ for the DB, ElastiCache for the session—keep the state out of the tier.”
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. 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 multi-tier e-commerce application to AWS. The application consists of a web tier, an application tier, and a MySQL database tier. The company wants to improve scalability and availability while reducing administrative overhead. Which THREE actions should the solutions architect take? (Select THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Migrate the MySQL database to Amazon RDS Multi-AZ
Using an ALB and Auto Scaling for web tier improves scalability and availability. Migrating to RDS Multi-AZ reduces overhead and provides high availability. ElastiCache for session caching improves performance, but is not the only option for scalability. EFS is for shared file storage, not needed. Using Spot Instances for all tiers may cause interruptions.
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.
✓
Migrate the MySQL database to Amazon RDS Multi-AZ
Why this is correct
Correct: Reduces overhead and provides high availability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Use Amazon ElastiCache to cache session data
Why this is correct
Correct: Improves performance and scalability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Amazon EFS for shared storage between web instances
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Not necessary for this architecture.
✓
Configure an Application Load Balancer and Auto Scaling group for the web tier
Why this is correct
Correct: Improves scalability and availability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Spot Instances for all EC2 instances to reduce costs
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Spot Instances can be interrupted, affecting availability.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: Migrate the MySQL database to Amazon RDS Multi-AZ — Using an ALB and Auto Scaling for web tier improves scalability and availability. Migrating to RDS Multi-AZ reduces overhead and provides high availability. ElastiCache for session caching improves performance, but is not the only option for scalability. EFS is for shared file storage, not needed. Using Spot Instances for all tiers may cause interruptions.
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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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
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