The answer is S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) with Replication Time Control (RTC). This feature is the correct choice because it provides automatic, asynchronous replication of objects to a different AWS Region while guaranteeing that 99.99% of objects are replicated within 15 minutes, directly meeting the RPO of less than 15 minutes. Additionally, CRR can replicate existing objects when combined with a replication rule and S3 Batch Operations, satisfying the requirement to replicate all objects. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of S3 replication features and their performance guarantees—a common trap is selecting standard CRR without RTC, which offers no time guarantee, or confusing it with Same-Region Replication (SRR). Remember the memory tip: "RTC keeps the RPO clock ticking under 15 minutes."
SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 stores critical data in an Amazon S3 bucket in the us-west-2 Region. The SysOps administrator needs to ensure that all objects are automatically replicated to another AWS Region for disaster recovery. The Recovery Point Objective (RPO) must be less than 15 minutes, and existing objects must also be replicated. Which S3 feature should the administrator use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) with Replication Time Control (RTC)
S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) with Replication Time Control (RTC) is the correct choice because it provides automatic, asynchronous replication of objects to a different AWS Region, meeting the RPO of less than 15 minutes by guaranteeing replication within 15 minutes for most objects (99.99% of objects are replicated within 15 minutes). Additionally, CRR can replicate existing objects when configured with the appropriate replication rule and batch operations, satisfying the requirement to replicate all objects.
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.
✓
S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) with Replication Time Control (RTC)
Why this is correct
CRR replicates objects to a different region. With RTC, it meets the 15-minute RPO and can replicate existing objects when configured.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
S3 Same-Region Replication (SRR)
Why it's wrong here
SRR replicates within the same region, not across regions, so it does not meet the disaster recovery requirement.
✗
S3 Event Notifications with an AWS Lambda function to copy objects to another region
Why it's wrong here
This is custom and does not handle existing objects automatically; also adds operational overhead.
✗
S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads over long distances but does not provide replication.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose S3 Event Notifications with Lambda (Option C) because it seems like a flexible custom solution, but they overlook the lack of a guaranteed RPO, the inability to replicate existing objects without additional effort, and the operational overhead compared to the managed, SLA-backed CRR with RTC.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 CRR with RTC uses a dedicated replication SLA backed by Amazon S3's internal replication infrastructure, which monitors replication lag and prioritizes replication tasks to meet the 15-minute target. Under the hood, RTC publishes replication metrics (e.g., ReplicationLatency, PendingBytes) to Amazon CloudWatch, allowing administrators to monitor compliance. In a real-world scenario, if a company needs to meet strict regulatory RPOs (e.g., financial services), RTC ensures that even during peak traffic, replication latency stays within bounds, unlike standard CRR which has a best-effort SLA.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Reliability and Business Continuity — This question tests Reliability and Business Continuity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) with Replication Time Control (RTC) — S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) with Replication Time Control (RTC) is the correct choice because it provides automatic, asynchronous replication of objects to a different AWS Region, meeting the RPO of less than 15 minutes by guaranteeing replication within 15 minutes for most objects (99.99% of objects are replicated within 15 minutes). Additionally, CRR can replicate existing objects when configured with the appropriate replication rule and batch operations, satisfying the requirement to replicate all objects.
What should I do if I get this SOA-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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Question Discussion
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