- A
Deploy the application across multiple Availability Zones using an Auto Scaling group and an Application Load Balancer.
Why wrong: Multi-AZ provides high availability within a region but not disaster recovery for a region failure.
- B
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) for continuous replication to an EC2 instance in the DR region.
Why wrong: DMS is for databases, not EBS volumes. Also, continuous replication can be costly and complex.
- C
Take automated EBS snapshots every 15 minutes and copy them to the DR region. Use a pre-configured Amazon Machine Image (AMI) to launch EC2 instances from the latest snapshot.
EBS snapshots are cost-effective, and copying to another region provides regional resilience. Automation achieves RPO, and pre-staged AMI helps meet RTO.
- D
Use S3 Cross-Region Replication to replicate the EBS volume data to an S3 bucket in the DR region.
Why wrong: EBS volumes are not directly replicated to S3; you would need to use snapshots or file-level copy. Also, restoring from S3 would be slower.
SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 SysOps administrator is designing a disaster recovery plan for a critical application that runs on EC2 instances in a single region. The RTO is 1 hour, and the RPO is 15 minutes. The application data is stored on an Amazon EBS volume. Which approach meets these requirements at the lowest cost?
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
Take automated EBS snapshots every 15 minutes and copy them to the DR region. Use a pre-configured Amazon Machine Image (AMI) to launch EC2 instances from the latest snapshot.
Option B is correct because EBS Snapshots are incremental and can be copied to another region. Automating snapshot creation every 15 minutes meets the RPO, and restoring from a snapshot in the DR region can be done within an hour if the AMI is pre-staged. Option A is wrong because continuous replication can be expensive and may require additional infrastructure. Option C is wrong because RTO would likely exceed 1 hour due to full replication time. Option D is wrong because Multi-AZ does not protect against regional failure.
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.
- ✗
Deploy the application across multiple Availability Zones using an Auto Scaling group and an Application Load Balancer.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ provides high availability within a region but not disaster recovery for a region failure.
- ✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) for continuous replication to an EC2 instance in the DR region.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for databases, not EBS volumes. Also, continuous replication can be costly and complex.
- ✓
Take automated EBS snapshots every 15 minutes and copy them to the DR region. Use a pre-configured Amazon Machine Image (AMI) to launch EC2 instances from the latest snapshot.
Why this is correct
EBS snapshots are cost-effective, and copying to another region provides regional resilience. Automation achieves RPO, and pre-staged AMI helps meet RTO.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use S3 Cross-Region Replication to replicate the EBS volume data to an S3 bucket in the DR region.
Why it's wrong here
EBS volumes are not directly replicated to S3; you would need to use snapshots or file-level copy. Also, restoring from S3 would be slower.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 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.
Identify which SOA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Take automated EBS snapshots every 15 minutes and copy them to the DR region. Use a pre-configured Amazon Machine Image (AMI) to launch EC2 instances from the latest snapshot. — Option B is correct because EBS Snapshots are incremental and can be copied to another region. Automating snapshot creation every 15 minutes meets the RPO, and restoring from a snapshot in the DR region can be done within an hour if the AMI is pre-staged. Option A is wrong because continuous replication can be expensive and may require additional infrastructure. Option C is wrong because RTO would likely exceed 1 hour due to full replication time. Option D is wrong because Multi-AZ does not protect against regional failure.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SOA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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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