SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question

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 S3 to store database dump files and instance configuration scripts.

  Why it's wrong here

  Storing database dumps and configuration scripts in S3 is a manual, DIY approach that requires custom tooling to export the database, upload files, and handle restore. It does not leverage AWS Backup's native integration with RDS or EC2, and it fails to capture point-in-time recovery or instance state such as installed software and running services. This approach introduces significant operational overhead and is prone to missing data or inconsistencies, making it unsuitable as a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy.

• ✗

  Create manual snapshots of the RDS database and EC2 instance every day and copy them to the secondary region.

  Why it's wrong here

  Creating manual snapshots of RDS and EC2 instances every day requires an operator to trigger and monitor the snapshot process and then separately copy each snapshot to the secondary region, which is error-prone and not scalable. Unlike AWS Backup, manual snapshots do not provide a centralized backup plan, automated scheduling, retention rules, or automatic cross-region replication. This approach relies on continuous human intervention and lacks the reliability and consistency needed for ongoing disaster recovery.

• ✗

  Store the CloudFormation template in S3 and use it to recreate the stack in the secondary region.

  Why it's wrong here

  A CloudFormation template defines the infrastructure architecture (resources, properties, and dependencies) but contains no runtime data, database contents, or EC2 instance state. Recreating the stack in the secondary region provisions new empty resources, but it cannot restore application data, installed configurations, or OS-level changes that exist on the original instances. Therefore, the template must be combined with data backup mechanisms, and by itself it does not satisfy recovery of actual data or instance state.

• ✓

  Use AWS Backup to create backup plans that include the RDS instance and EC2 instance, and copy backups to the secondary region.

  Why this is correct

  AWS Backup provides a fully managed, policy-based backup solution that can target both RDS instances and EC2 instances (via Amazon Machine Images) within a single backup plan. You can schedule automated backups, apply retention and lifecycle policies, and configure cross-region replication to the secondary region, ensuring consistent disaster recovery without custom scripting or manual snapshots. This is the most efficient and reliable approach because it centralizes backup management and automates the entire DR copy process.

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