- A
Use AWS Backup to create backup plans for the Storage Gateway.
AWS Backup automates backups of gateway data to S3.
- B
Use S3 Transfer Acceleration for uploads.
Why wrong: Transfer Acceleration improves speed but is not a backup solution.
- C
Configure the file gateway to cache data locally for frequently accessed files.
Cached volumes improve performance and reduce latency.
- D
Set up S3 Cross-Region Replication from the backup bucket.
Why wrong: Replication is for copying between buckets, not initial backup from on-premises.
- E
Deploy an AWS Storage Gateway file gateway on-premises.
File gateway provides low-latency access to S3 data and syncs changes.
Question 1,155 of 1,546
How to Back Up On-Premises File Servers to AWS for Disaster Recovery
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 wants to back up its on-premises file servers to AWS for disaster recovery. The data changes frequently, and the company needs to minimize data loss. Which THREE steps should the company take? (Select THREE.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
✓
Use AWS Backup to create backup plans for the Storage Gateway.
AWS Backup can create backup plans for Storage Gateway volumes and file shares, providing automated, policy-based backups to Amazon S3. This ensures consistent, scheduled backups of the on-premises data cached in the file gateway, minimizing data loss by capturing frequent changes according to the backup plan's schedule.
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 AWS Backup to create backup plans for the Storage Gateway.
Why this is correct
AWS Backup automates backups of gateway data to S3.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use S3 Transfer Acceleration for uploads.
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration improves speed but is not a backup solution.
- ✓
Configure the file gateway to cache data locally for frequently accessed files.
Why this is correct
Cached volumes improve performance and reduce latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Set up S3 Cross-Region Replication from the backup bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Replication is for copying between buckets, not initial backup from on-premises.
- ✓
Deploy an AWS Storage Gateway file gateway on-premises.
Why this is correct
File gateway provides low-latency access to S3 data and syncs changes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse S3 Transfer Acceleration or Cross-Region Replication as backup solutions, but they are data transfer or replication features, not backup services that provide point-in-time recovery and lifecycle management for on-premises data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Storage Gateway file gateway presents an NFS or SMB mount point that caches frequently accessed data locally while asynchronously uploading data to S3 as objects. AWS Backup integrates with Storage Gateway via the AWS Backup API, creating snapshots of the gateway's cached volumes or file shares, which are stored as EBS snapshots or S3 backups, enabling granular recovery points. In a real-world scenario, a company with high-frequency file changes would combine the file gateway's local cache (Option C) with AWS Backup's scheduled snapshots to achieve low RPO (Recovery Point Objective) without overwhelming the network.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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.
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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: Use AWS Backup to create backup plans for the Storage Gateway. — AWS Backup can create backup plans for Storage Gateway volumes and file shares, providing automated, policy-based backups to Amazon S3. This ensures consistent, scheduled backups of the on-premises data cached in the file gateway, minimizing data loss by capturing frequent changes according to the backup plan's schedule.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SOA-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to back up its on-premises file server to AWS. The backup must be encrypted in transit and at rest. Which AWS service should the company use to meet these requirements?
easy- ✓ A.AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) backed by Amazon S3.
- B.Amazon EBS volumes attached to an EC2 instance acting as a file server.
- C.AWS CloudFormation to replicate the file server configuration.
- D.Amazon S3 with server-side encryption and a custom script to upload files.
Why A: AWS Storage Gateway File Gateway provides a native NFS/SMB interface that allows on-premises file servers to back up data directly to Amazon S3. It encrypts data in transit using TLS (HTTPS) and at rest using S3 server-side encryption (SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS), meeting both requirements without custom scripting or additional infrastructure.
Variation 2. A company is designing a backup strategy for its on-premises file servers to AWS. Which TWO services can be used to back up data to AWS? (Choose TWO.)
medium- ✓ A.AWS Backup
- B.AWS Snowball
- ✓ C.AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway)
- D.Amazon EFS
- E.S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why A: AWS Backup is correct because it provides a fully managed, policy-based backup service that can centrally automate and manage backups for on-premises file servers via the AWS Backup Gateway (formerly Storage Gateway Virtual Tape Library). It integrates with AWS Storage Gateway to back up on-premises data to S3 and Glacier, supporting file-level recovery without needing custom scripts.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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