- A
Take hourly EBS snapshots and copy them to us-west-2. In a disaster, launch a new instance from the snapshot and attach it.
Why wrong: This approach does not specify an automated method for cross-region snapshot copy, which is essential for DR. Manual copying would not meet the RPO reliably.
- B
Use Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) to take snapshots every hour and use AWS Backup to copy them to us-west-2. In a disaster, restore the snapshot as a volume and attach to a new instance in us-west-2.
DLM automates hourly snapshot creation, and AWS Backup can automate cross-region copy. This meets RPO of 1 hour. With a pre-prepared instance, RTO of 15 minutes is achievable.
- C
Enable Amazon S3 Cross-Region Replication for the EBS volume's snapshot repository.
Why wrong: EBS snapshots are stored in Amazon S3, but you cannot directly enable S3 Cross-Region Replication for the snapshot repository. Snapshots must be copied using AWS Backup or the EC2 API.
- D
Attach an additional EBS volume configured with RAID 1, and use rsync to replicate data every hour to a volume in us-west-2.
Why wrong: This requires manual scripting and additional infrastructure. It is not a managed or automated solution and would be difficult to maintain with the required RTO.
Quick Answer
The correct combination is using Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) to take hourly snapshots and AWS Backup to copy them to us-west-2, then restoring the snapshot as a volume and attaching it to a new instance during a disaster. This works because DLM automates the frequent snapshot creation needed to meet the 1-hour RPO, while AWS Backup handles the cross-region copy to the DR region, ensuring the latest data is available within the RPO window. Restoring a volume from a snapshot in us-west-2 and attaching it to a new instance can be completed in under 15 minutes, satisfying the RTO. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of combining automation services for cross-region EBS snapshot disaster recovery—a common trap is assuming DLM alone can copy snapshots across regions, but it cannot; AWS Backup is required for the cross-region transfer. Memory tip: DLM for the clock (scheduling), Backup for the crossing (region copy).
SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question
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 runs a stateful application on a single Amazon EC2 instance with a 200 GB EBS volume. The application data changes frequently. The SysOps administrator needs a disaster recovery (DR) plan with a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 1 hour and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 15 minutes. The DR region is us-west-2. Which combination of steps should the administrator implement?
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 Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) to take snapshots every hour and use AWS Backup to copy them to us-west-2. In a disaster, restore the snapshot as a volume and attach to a new instance in us-west-2.
Option B is correct because AWS Backup can copy EBS snapshots across regions, meeting the RPO of 1 hour via hourly snapshots, and restoring a volume from a snapshot in us-west-2 and attaching it to a new instance can achieve the RTO of 15 minutes. Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) automates the snapshot creation, while AWS Backup handles cross-region copy, ensuring the DR region has the latest data within the RPO window.
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.
- ✗
Take hourly EBS snapshots and copy them to us-west-2. In a disaster, launch a new instance from the snapshot and attach it.
Why it's wrong here
This approach does not specify an automated method for cross-region snapshot copy, which is essential for DR. Manual copying would not meet the RPO reliably.
- ✓
Use Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) to take snapshots every hour and use AWS Backup to copy them to us-west-2. In a disaster, restore the snapshot as a volume and attach to a new instance in us-west-2.
Why this is correct
DLM automates hourly snapshot creation, and AWS Backup can automate cross-region copy. This meets RPO of 1 hour. With a pre-prepared instance, RTO of 15 minutes is achievable.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable Amazon S3 Cross-Region Replication for the EBS volume's snapshot repository.
Why it's wrong here
EBS snapshots are stored in Amazon S3, but you cannot directly enable S3 Cross-Region Replication for the snapshot repository. Snapshots must be copied using AWS Backup or the EC2 API.
- ✗
Attach an additional EBS volume configured with RAID 1, and use rsync to replicate data every hour to a volume in us-west-2.
Why it's wrong here
This requires manual scripting and additional infrastructure. It is not a managed or automated solution and would be difficult to maintain with the required RTO.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume EBS snapshots can be directly replicated across regions using S3 Cross-Region Replication, but snapshots are managed through EC2 and require explicit cross-region copy actions via AWS Backup or the EC2 API.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
EBS snapshots are incremental and stored in Amazon S3, but they are not directly accessible as S3 objects; cross-region snapshot copy must be initiated via the EC2 API or AWS Backup. AWS Backup automates this by using backup plans that include cross-region copy rules, and it can trigger snapshot creation via DLM or native EC2 snapshot APIs. The RTO of 15 minutes is achievable because restoring a volume from a snapshot in the same region typically takes a few minutes, and attaching it to a pre-provisioned instance can be scripted via AWS CLI or CloudFormation.
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.
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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 Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) to take snapshots every hour and use AWS Backup to copy them to us-west-2. In a disaster, restore the snapshot as a volume and attach to a new instance in us-west-2. — Option B is correct because AWS Backup can copy EBS snapshots across regions, meeting the RPO of 1 hour via hourly snapshots, and restoring a volume from a snapshot in us-west-2 and attaching it to a new instance can achieve the RTO of 15 minutes. Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) automates the snapshot creation, while AWS Backup handles cross-region copy, ensuring the DR region has the latest data within the RPO window.
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: Jun 11, 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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