The answer is to use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with License Included pricing, as this eliminates the need to purchase or bring your own SQL Server licenses entirely. By choosing the License Included model, AWS covers the SQL Server licensing costs within the RDS hourly rate, making it the most cost-effective migration strategy for a company that does not already own SQL Server licenses. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of SQL Server licensing options in the cloud, specifically the trade-off between License Included and BYOL. A common trap is assuming that migrating to EC2 with Windows licenses included also covers SQL Server, but Windows and SQL Server are licensed separately. Remember the memory tip: “RDS License Included = SQL licensing baked in, no extra fees.” This directly addresses the search intent of minimizing SQL Server licensing cost with RDS License Included, as it avoids the higher costs of Dedicated Hosts or Dedicated Instances, which are unnecessary for Standard Edition workloads.
PAS-C01 Migration Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of migration. 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 .NET application running on Windows Server to AWS. They plan to use Amazon EC2 with a Windows license included. The current application uses SQL Server Standard edition. Which migration strategy minimizes licensing costs?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with License Included pricing.
Option C is correct because using RDS SQL Server with License Included eliminates the need for SQL Server licenses. Options A, B, and D are incorrect: BYOL requires existing licenses; Dedicated Hosts and Dedicated Instances are more expensive and unnecessary.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Lift and shift to EC2 with SQL Server BYOL on Dedicated Hosts.
Why it's wrong here
BYOL requires existing licenses, which the company may not have, and Dedicated Hosts add cost.
✗
Use EC2 with SQL Server Standard on Dedicated Instances to ensure isolation.
Why it's wrong here
Dedicated Instances are more expensive and unnecessary for this scenario.
✓
Use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with License Included pricing.
Why this is correct
License Included pricing includes SQL Server license, minimizing costs.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Use EC2 with SQL Server Web edition, which is cheaper but may not support all features.
Why it's wrong here
SQL Server Web edition has limitations and may not meet application requirements.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Dedicated Instances are more expensive and unnecessary for this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PAS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Migration — This question tests Migration — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Amazon RDS for SQL Server with License Included pricing. — Option C is correct because using RDS SQL Server with License Included eliminates the need for SQL Server licenses. Options A, B, and D are incorrect: BYOL requires existing licenses; Dedicated Hosts and Dedicated Instances are more expensive and unnecessary.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PAS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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 PAS-C01 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 PAS-C01 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.