- A
The target group for the web tier does not have sticky sessions (session affinity) enabled
Sticky sessions ensure requests from a user are routed to the same instance; without it, subsequent requests may go to different instances, losing session data.
- B
The ALB is configured to disable cross-zone load balancing, causing uneven traffic distribution
Why wrong: Disabling cross-zone load balancing affects traffic distribution but does not cause session loss; sticky sessions would still work within a zone.
- C
The idle timeout of the ALB is set too low, causing sessions to expire
Why wrong: Low idle timeout would cause disconnection but not necessarily routing to different instances; users would be logged out even if sticky sessions worked.
- D
The web tier should use a Network Load Balancer (NLB) instead of an ALB for sticky sessions
Why wrong: ALB supports sticky sessions; NLB does not support HTTP session affinity based on cookies.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 3-tier application to AWS. The application consists of a web tier, an application tier, and a PostgreSQL database. The web and application tiers are stateless and run on Linux. The company has deployed the web tier on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB) across two Availability Zones. The application tier is deployed on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group across two Availability Zones. The PostgreSQL database is migrated to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL with Multi-AZ deployment. The application uses sticky sessions (session affinity) to maintain user sessions on the web tier. After migration, users report that they are frequently logged out and lose session data. The web tier logs show that requests are being routed to different web instances. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
The target group for the web tier does not have sticky sessions (session affinity) enabled
The issue is that users are losing session data because requests are being routed to different web instances. Sticky sessions (session affinity) must be enabled on the target group of the ALB to ensure that all requests from a user's session are sent to the same web instance. Without sticky sessions, the ALB distributes requests across all healthy targets, causing session data to be lost if not shared. Option A is correct because the target group needs sticky sessions enabled. Option B (disable cross-zone load balancing) would not cause this issue; it would affect traffic distribution across AZs but not session persistence. Option C (idle timeout) would cause sessions to expire after a period of inactivity, not immediate logout. Option D (using NLB) is not necessary as ALB supports sticky sessions natively.
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.
- ✓
The target group for the web tier does not have sticky sessions (session affinity) enabled
Why this is correct
Sticky sessions ensure requests from a user are routed to the same instance; without it, subsequent requests may go to different instances, losing session data.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The ALB is configured to disable cross-zone load balancing, causing uneven traffic distribution
Why it's wrong here
Disabling cross-zone load balancing affects traffic distribution but does not cause session loss; sticky sessions would still work within a zone.
- ✗
The idle timeout of the ALB is set too low, causing sessions to expire
Why it's wrong here
Low idle timeout would cause disconnection but not necessarily routing to different instances; users would be logged out even if sticky sessions worked.
- ✗
The web tier should use a Network Load Balancer (NLB) instead of an ALB for sticky sessions
Why it's wrong here
ALB supports sticky sessions; NLB does not support HTTP session affinity based on cookies.
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 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.
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.
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Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
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: The target group for the web tier does not have sticky sessions (session affinity) enabled — The issue is that users are losing session data because requests are being routed to different web instances. Sticky sessions (session affinity) must be enabled on the target group of the ALB to ensure that all requests from a user's session are sent to the same web instance. Without sticky sessions, the ALB distributes requests across all healthy targets, causing session data to be lost if not shared. Option A is correct because the target group needs sticky sessions enabled. Option B (disable cross-zone load balancing) would not cause this issue; it would affect traffic distribution across AZs but not session persistence. Option C (idle timeout) would cause sessions to expire after a period of inactivity, not immediate logout. Option D (using NLB) is not necessary as ALB supports sticky sessions natively.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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