- A
Deploy EC2 instances in a single Availability Zone behind an Application Load Balancer. Enable Multi-AZ for the RDS MySQL DB instance.
Why wrong: EC2 instances are still in a single AZ, so an AZ failure would take down all application instances.
- B
Deploy EC2 instances in two Availability Zones and place them behind a Network Load Balancer. Keep RDS MySQL as a single-AZ deployment.
Why wrong: A Network Load Balancer is not necessary for HTTP traffic; ALB is sufficient. Also, single-AZ RDS is a single point of failure.
- C
Deploy EC2 instances in two Availability Zones. Configure an RDS MySQL Read Replica in a second Availability Zone and route read traffic to it.
Why wrong: Read Replicas are for read scaling, not failover. The primary DB instance remains a single point of failure.
- D
Deploy EC2 instances in two Availability Zones and place them behind an Application Load Balancer. Enable Multi-AZ for the RDS MySQL DB instance.
This provides high availability for both compute and database layers.
SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. 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 runs a web application on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB) in a single Availability Zone. The application stores session data in an RDS MySQL DB instance. To improve reliability, the company wants to deploy the application across multiple Availability Zones. Which combination of actions should the company take to achieve this? (Choose the correct course of action.)
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
Deploy EC2 instances in two Availability Zones and place them behind an Application Load Balancer. Enable Multi-AZ for the RDS MySQL DB instance.
Option B is correct because deploying EC2 instances in multiple AZs behind an ALB and using Multi-AZ RDS improves availability and fault tolerance. Option A is wrong because a Network Load Balancer is not required for HTTP traffic. Option C is wrong because RDS replication alone does not distribute application traffic. Option D is wrong because RDS Read Replicas are for read scaling, not failover.
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.
- ✗
Deploy EC2 instances in a single Availability Zone behind an Application Load Balancer. Enable Multi-AZ for the RDS MySQL DB instance.
Why it's wrong here
EC2 instances are still in a single AZ, so an AZ failure would take down all application instances.
- ✗
Deploy EC2 instances in two Availability Zones and place them behind a Network Load Balancer. Keep RDS MySQL as a single-AZ deployment.
Why it's wrong here
A Network Load Balancer is not necessary for HTTP traffic; ALB is sufficient. Also, single-AZ RDS is a single point of failure.
- ✗
Deploy EC2 instances in two Availability Zones. Configure an RDS MySQL Read Replica in a second Availability Zone and route read traffic to it.
Why it's wrong here
Read Replicas are for read scaling, not failover. The primary DB instance remains a single point of failure.
- ✓
Deploy EC2 instances in two Availability Zones and place them behind an Application Load Balancer. Enable Multi-AZ for the RDS MySQL DB instance.
Why this is correct
This provides high availability for both compute and database layers.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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 SOA-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Reliability and Business Continuity — study guide chapter
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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 — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy EC2 instances in two Availability Zones and place them behind an Application Load Balancer. Enable Multi-AZ for the RDS MySQL DB instance. — Option B is correct because deploying EC2 instances in multiple AZs behind an ALB and using Multi-AZ RDS improves availability and fault tolerance. Option A is wrong because a Network Load Balancer is not required for HTTP traffic. Option C is wrong because RDS replication alone does not distribute application traffic. Option D is wrong because RDS Read Replicas are for read scaling, not failover.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 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 SOA-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
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