- A
Use Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) to take EBS snapshots every 15 minutes and automate the creation of a new AMI.
Why wrong: While snapshots meet the RPO, the RTO may be higher than 30 minutes due to the time needed to create an AMI and launch a new instance.
- B
Use AWS Backup to schedule backups every 15 minutes and restore from the latest backup when needed.
Why wrong: AWS Backup uses snapshots, which have similar RTO challenges as DLM.
- C
Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS) to continuously replicate the instance to a staging area in another region.
AWS DRS provides continuous replication with low RPO (seconds) and RTO (minutes), meeting the stated requirements.
- D
Use an Auto Scaling group with a custom AMI that is updated every 15 minutes by a Lambda function.
Why wrong: Creating and updating AMIs every 15 minutes is not practical for frequently changing data and introduces significant overhead.
Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS) for EC2. This solution is correct because it continuously replicates the entire EC2 instance and its attached EBS volume to a staging area in another AWS Region, capturing sub-second data changes rather than relying on periodic snapshots. This continuous replication ensures that the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 15 minutes is easily met, and because you can launch a fully recovered instance in the target region within minutes from the latest consistent point, the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 30 minutes is also satisfied. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that AWS DRS is purpose-built for low-RPO/RTO requirements on frequently changing data, unlike AWS Backup or manual AMI snapshots which would miss changes between intervals. A common trap is choosing cross-region snapshots, but those cannot guarantee a 15-minute RPO for continuous writes. Memory tip: DRS = "Data Replicates Sub-second" for tight RPO/RTO.
SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: aWS DRS provides continuous block-level replication to a staging area.. 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 runs a critical application on a single Amazon EC2 instance with an attached Amazon EBS volume. The SysOps administrator needs to implement a disaster recovery solution that meets a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 15 minutes and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 30 minutes. The application runs continuously and data changes frequently. Which solution should the administrator implement?
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
Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS) to continuously replicate the instance to a staging area in another region.
AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS) continuously replicates the entire EC2 instance, including the EBS volume, to a staging area in another AWS Region with sub-second data changes. This meets the RPO of 15 minutes and RTO of 30 minutes because you can launch a fully recovered instance in the target region within minutes from the latest consistent point, without relying on periodic snapshots or backups that would miss frequent data changes.
Key principle: AWS DRS provides continuous block-level replication to a staging area.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) to take EBS snapshots every 15 minutes and automate the creation of a new AMI.
Why it's wrong here
While snapshots meet the RPO, the RTO may be higher than 30 minutes due to the time needed to create an AMI and launch a new instance.
- ✗
Use AWS Backup to schedule backups every 15 minutes and restore from the latest backup when needed.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Backup uses snapshots, which have similar RTO challenges as DLM.
- ✓
Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS) to continuously replicate the instance to a staging area in another region.
Why this is correct
AWS DRS provides continuous replication with low RPO (seconds) and RTO (minutes), meeting the stated requirements.
Related concept
AWS DRS provides continuous block-level replication to a staging area.
- ✗
Use an Auto Scaling group with a custom AMI that is updated every 15 minutes by a Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
Creating and updating AMIs every 15 minutes is not practical for frequently changing data and introduces significant overhead.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose periodic snapshot or backup solutions (like DLM or AWS Backup) because they think 15-minute intervals satisfy the RPO, but they overlook the RTO constraint and the fact that frequent data changes require continuous replication, not periodic snapshots, to avoid data loss between intervals.
Trap categories for this question
Similar concept trap
AWS Backup uses snapshots, which have similar RTO challenges as DLM.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS DRS uses continuous block-level replication of the source EBS volumes to a staging area in the target region, leveraging the AWS Replication Agent installed on the instance. The staging area maintains a journal of writes, allowing recovery to any point within the last 15 minutes (or even seconds) by replaying the journal to a consistent state. In a real-world scenario, if the source instance fails, you can launch a recovery instance in the target region from the latest consistent point, typically within 5–10 minutes, easily meeting the 30-minute RTO.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- AWS DRS provides continuous block-level replication to a staging area.
- AWS DRS offers RPO in seconds and RTO in minutes.
- It supports recovery to the same or a different AWS Region.
- DRS automatically converts replicated servers to run natively on AWS.
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
AWS DRS provides continuous block-level replication to a staging area.
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.
Review aWS DRS provides continuous block-level replication to a staging area., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Reliability and Business Continuity — study guide chapter
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Reliability and Business Continuity practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Reliability and Business Continuity — This question tests Reliability and Business Continuity — AWS DRS provides continuous block-level replication to a staging area..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS) to continuously replicate the instance to a staging area in another region. — AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS) continuously replicates the entire EC2 instance, including the EBS volume, to a staging area in another AWS Region with sub-second data changes. This meets the RPO of 15 minutes and RTO of 30 minutes because you can launch a fully recovered instance in the target region within minutes from the latest consistent point, without relying on periodic snapshots or backups that would miss frequent data changes.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review aWS DRS provides continuous block-level replication to a staging area., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
AWS DRS provides continuous block-level replication to a staging area.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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