- A
Launch the database instance in a public subnet.
Why wrong: Public subnets are internet-facing; database should be in private subnet.
- B
Configure the database security group to allow inbound traffic on port 5432 from the web tier security group.
Security group rules restrict traffic to only the web tier.
- C
Store database credentials in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store.
Why wrong: This is a best practice but does not address network security.
- D
Launch the web tier instances in a private subnet.
Private subnets have no direct internet access, enhancing security.
- E
Set the 'Publicly accessible' option of the RDS instance to 'No'.
This ensures no public IP is assigned to the database.
Question 1,670 of 1,746
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 designing a new multi-tier web application on AWS. The application uses an Auto Scaling group of EC2 instances for the web tier and an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance for the database. To improve security, the company wants to ensure that the web tier instances can connect to the database only through a specific port and that the database is not accessible from the internet. Which steps should the company take? (Choose THREE.)
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
✓
Configure the database security group to allow inbound traffic on port 5432 from the web tier security group.
Option B is correct because the database security group should allow inbound traffic on port 5432 (the default PostgreSQL port) from the web tier security group. This creates a security group-level firewall rule that restricts database access to only the web tier instances, ensuring no other sources can connect.
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.
- ✗
Launch the database instance in a public subnet.
Why it's wrong here
Public subnets are internet-facing; database should be in private subnet.
- ✓
Configure the database security group to allow inbound traffic on port 5432 from the web tier security group.
Why this is correct
Security group rules restrict traffic to only the web tier.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Store database credentials in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store.
Why it's wrong here
This is a best practice but does not address network security.
- ✓
Launch the web tier instances in a private subnet.
Why this is correct
Private subnets have no direct internet access, enhancing security.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Set the 'Publicly accessible' option of the RDS instance to 'No'.
Why this is correct
This ensures no public IP is assigned to the database.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse security best practices (like using Parameter Store for credentials) with network-level access controls, leading them to select Option C instead of recognizing that only security group rules and subnet placement directly control connectivity and internet exposure.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Security groups act as a virtual firewall at the instance level, and when you reference another security group as a source, AWS automatically allows traffic from any instance associated with that source security group, regardless of IP address changes. For RDS, setting 'Publicly accessible' to 'No' places the instance in a VPC with no public IP address, and the database is only reachable via private IPs within the VPC, which is essential for compliance with security standards like PCI DSS.
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 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.
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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: Configure the database security group to allow inbound traffic on port 5432 from the web tier security group. — Option B is correct because the database security group should allow inbound traffic on port 5432 (the default PostgreSQL port) from the web tier security group. This creates a security group-level firewall rule that restricts database access to only the web tier instances, ensuring no other sources can connect.
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
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.
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