- A
Use a single RDS instance with daily snapshots and EC2 instance store.
Why wrong: Daily snapshots do not meet 5-minute RPO; instance store is ephemeral.
- B
Use EC2 Auto Scaling across Regions with an RDS standby instance.
Why wrong: Cross-Region standby is costly and overkill for 1-hour RTO.
- C
Use RDS Multi-AZ with read replicas in another Region.
Why wrong: Read replicas are for read scaling; failover is not automatic.
- D
Use RDS Multi-AZ with automated backups and EC2 AMI backups.
Multi-AZ provides quick failover; AMI backups allow fast instance recovery.
Question 191 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 web application that runs on EC2 instances with data stored in an RDS MySQL database. The application requires a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 5 minutes and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 1 hour. Which solution meets these requirements most cost-effectively?
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 RDS Multi-AZ with automated backups and EC2 AMI backups.
Option D is correct because RDS Multi-AZ provides automatic synchronous replication to a standby instance in a different Availability Zone, ensuring minimal data loss and a fast failover that meets the 5-minute RPO and 1-hour RTO. Automated backups enable point-in-time recovery within the retention period, and EC2 AMI backups allow quick restoration of the application tier, making this the most cost-effective solution that satisfies both objectives without requiring cross-Region resources.
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 a single RDS instance with daily snapshots and EC2 instance store.
Why it's wrong here
Daily snapshots do not meet 5-minute RPO; instance store is ephemeral.
- ✗
Use EC2 Auto Scaling across Regions with an RDS standby instance.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-Region standby is costly and overkill for 1-hour RTO.
- ✗
Use RDS Multi-AZ with read replicas in another Region.
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas are for read scaling; failover is not automatic.
- ✓
Use RDS Multi-AZ with automated backups and EC2 AMI backups.
Why this is correct
Multi-AZ provides quick failover; AMI backups allow fast instance recovery.
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 confuse Multi-AZ with cross-Region disaster recovery, assuming that a read replica in another Region is required for a 5-minute RPO, but Multi-AZ within a single Region with automated backups is sufficient and more cost-effective for the given RPO/RTO targets.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RDS Multi-AZ uses synchronous replication to a standby instance in a different Availability Zone, ensuring zero data loss during failover (RPO of seconds), while automated backups enable point-in-time recovery to any second within the backup retention period (up to 35 days). EC2 AMI backups capture the entire instance configuration, including OS and application state, allowing rapid restoration via Auto Scaling or manual launch, which together achieve the 1-hour RTO. In contrast, cross-Region read replicas replicate asynchronously with a typical lag of seconds to minutes, which can exceed a 5-minute RPO under high write loads or network issues.
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 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.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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 RDS Multi-AZ with automated backups and EC2 AMI backups. — Option D is correct because RDS Multi-AZ provides automatic synchronous replication to a standby instance in a different Availability Zone, ensuring minimal data loss and a fast failover that meets the 5-minute RPO and 1-hour RTO. Automated backups enable point-in-time recovery within the retention period, and EC2 AMI backups allow quick restoration of the application tier, making this the most cost-effective solution that satisfies both objectives without requiring cross-Region resources.
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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