- A
Use EC2 instances in a single Availability Zone to reduce latency.
Why wrong: Single AZ is a single point of failure.
- B
Place subnets in each Availability Zone used by the Auto Scaling group.
Subnets must exist in each AZ for the Auto Scaling group to use.
- C
Configure the Auto Scaling group to launch instances in at least two Availability Zones.
Multi-AZ deployment is essential for AZ failure recovery.
- D
Attach an Application Load Balancer that is enabled for multiple Availability Zones.
ALB can route traffic to healthy instances in any AZ.
- E
Use a single subnet in one Availability Zone to simplify network design.
Why wrong: Single AZ does not provide redundancy.
Question 915 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 responsible for an Auto Scaling group that runs a critical application. The administrator wants to ensure that the application can recover from an AZ failure. Which THREE steps should the administrator take? (Choose three.)
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
✓
Place subnets in each Availability Zone used by the Auto Scaling group.
Option B is correct because placing subnets in each Availability Zone (AZ) used by the Auto Scaling group allows the group to launch EC2 instances in multiple AZs, which is essential for fault isolation. If one AZ fails, the Auto Scaling group can still launch and maintain instances in the other AZs, ensuring application availability. Without subnets in each AZ, the Auto Scaling group cannot distribute instances across AZs, defeating the purpose of high availability.
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.
- ✗
Use EC2 instances in a single Availability Zone to reduce latency.
Why it's wrong here
Single AZ is a single point of failure.
- ✓
Place subnets in each Availability Zone used by the Auto Scaling group.
Why this is correct
Subnets must exist in each AZ for the Auto Scaling group to use.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Configure the Auto Scaling group to launch instances in at least two Availability Zones.
Why this is correct
Multi-AZ deployment is essential for AZ failure recovery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Attach an Application Load Balancer that is enabled for multiple Availability Zones.
Why this is correct
ALB can route traffic to healthy instances in any AZ.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a single subnet in one Availability Zone to simplify network design.
Why it's wrong here
Single AZ does not provide redundancy.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think using a single AZ simplifies management and reduces latency, but they overlook that this creates a critical single point of failure, which is unacceptable for a critical application requiring AZ failure recovery.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, an Auto Scaling group uses the subnets specified in its launch configuration or launch template to determine where to launch instances. When multiple subnets across different AZs are provided, the Auto Scaling group automatically distributes instances evenly across those AZs to maintain balance. In a real-world scenario, if an AZ experiences a power outage or network disruption, the Auto Scaling group will automatically launch replacement instances in the remaining healthy AZs, provided the associated Application Load Balancer (ALB) is also configured to route traffic to those AZs. The ALB's cross-zone load balancing feature distributes incoming traffic across instances in all enabled AZs, ensuring that traffic is not sent to a failed AZ.
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
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
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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: Place subnets in each Availability Zone used by the Auto Scaling group. — Option B is correct because placing subnets in each Availability Zone (AZ) used by the Auto Scaling group allows the group to launch EC2 instances in multiple AZs, which is essential for fault isolation. If one AZ fails, the Auto Scaling group can still launch and maintain instances in the other AZs, ensuring application availability. Without subnets in each AZ, the Auto Scaling group cannot distribute instances across AZs, defeating the purpose of high availability.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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