SAP-C02
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional exam code.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
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AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional — key terms, tricks & tips
Everything from the course in one searchable place: 190 entries. Use it to review before a practice test or look up a word you forgot.
190 results
Multiple-choice
Question type with one correct answer out of several options.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Multiple-response
Question type requiring selection of two or more correct answers.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Scaled scoring
Method converting raw scores to account for question difficulty.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Domain weighting
Percentage of exam questions from a specific content area.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Passing score
Minimum score required to pass the certification exam (750).
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Flag for review
Marking a question to revisit later during the exam.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Understanding the SAP-C02 Exam Format
75 questions, 180 minutes, 750 to pass: Think 'Seven-Five, One-Eighty, Seven-Fifty' – a phone number to success!
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Understanding the SAP-C02 Exam Format
The SAP-C02 exam has 75 questions and a 180-minute time limit. The passing score is 750. Keywords to spot include 'most cost-effective,' 'highly available,' 'fault-tolerant,' and 'secure,' often requiring multiple correct solutions.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Understanding the SAP-C02 Exam Format
Spending too much time on a single difficult question, leading to not finishing the exam.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Understanding the SAP-C02 Exam Format
Not reading multiple-response questions carefully and selecting too few or too many options.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Understanding the SAP-C02 Exam Format
Ignoring the domain weightings and over-studying less critical areas.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
RTO
Recovery Time Objective: Max tolerable downtime.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
RPO
Recovery Point Objective: Max tolerable data loss.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Well-Architected Framework
AWS best practices for cloud design.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Spaced Repetition
Learning technique for better memory retention.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Trade-offs
Balancing conflicting design goals.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Hands-on Experience
Practical application of AWS services.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Practice Exams
Simulated tests to gauge readiness.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Effective Study Strategies for Professional Certification
To remember the key study steps: 'ALL PRAC': Assess, Learn, Labs, Practice, Review, Adjust, Consistency.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Effective Study Strategies for Professional Certification
The SAP-C02 exam frequently presents scenario-based questions. Keywords to spot include 'most cost-effective,' 'highly available,' 'fault-tolerant,' 'secure,' and 'performant.' You must choose the solution that best balances these sometimes conflicting requirements.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Effective Study Strategies for Professional Certification
Relying solely on practice exams without understanding the underlying concepts.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Effective Study Strategies for Professional Certification
Neglecting hands-on practice, leading to theoretical knowledge without practical application.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Effective Study Strategies for Professional Certification
Cramming instead of consistent, spaced learning over time.
Getting Started: Exam Overview
Hybrid Cloud
Combines private and public clouds for shared resources.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Encrypted network connection over the public internet.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
AWS Direct Connect
Dedicated private network connection to AWS.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
AWS Storage Gateway
Connects on-premises applications to cloud storage.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
AWS Outposts
Brings AWS infrastructure and services on-premises.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
AWS DataSync
Accelerates data transfer between on-premises and AWS.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Egress Charges
Cost for data transferred out of AWS to the internet.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Hybrid Cloud Architectures and Connectivity
Imagine a 'Direct' train line (Direct Connect) for fast, private travel, versus taking the 'VPN' bus (VPN) which is cheaper but shares the public roads (internet).
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Hybrid Cloud Architectures and Connectivity
The exam often tests your understanding of when to use AWS Site-to-Site VPN versus AWS Direct Connect. Look for keywords like 'high bandwidth,' 'low latency,' 'consistent network performance,' or 'critical applications' to indicate Direct Connect. 'Cost-effective,' 'quick setup,' or 'non-critical data' often point to VPN.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Hybrid Cloud Architectures and Connectivity
Underestimating network bandwidth requirements for hybrid data transfers, leading to performance bottlenecks.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Hybrid Cloud Architectures and Connectivity
Neglecting consistent security policies and identity management across both on-premises and cloud environments.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Hybrid Cloud Architectures and Connectivity
Failing to account for AWS data egress costs, especially when frequently moving large datasets out of the cloud.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Rehosting
Migrating applications to AWS with minimal changes (lift-and-shift).
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Replatforming
Optimizing applications for AWS with some cloud-native changes.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Refactoring
Redesigning applications to fully leverage cloud-native services.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Serverless
Cloud execution model where AWS manages servers; e.g., Lambda.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Containerization
Packaging applications and dependencies into isolated units (containers).
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Microservices
Architectural style where applications are built as small, independent services.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
DataSync
AWS service for fast, secure, online data transfer between storage systems.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Designing Solutions for New/Existing Applications
Remember the '6 Rs' of migration: 'R'eally 'R'eady 'R'eally 'R'eally 'R'eally 'R'eally! (Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retain, Retire)
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Designing Solutions for New/Existing Applications
The exam frequently tests your understanding of the '6 Rs' (Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retain, Retire) and when to apply each strategy. Pay close attention to scenario questions describing existing applications and their modernization goals.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Designing Solutions for New/Existing Applications
Applying a 'one-size-fits-all' modernization strategy without proper assessment.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Designing Solutions for New/Existing Applications
Underestimating the complexity and effort required for refactoring large monolithic applications.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Designing Solutions for New/Existing Applications
Neglecting security and compliance requirements when integrating on-premises and cloud systems.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Rehost
Lift-and-shift; move application without changes.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Replatform
Lift-tinker-and-shift; optimize for cloud benefits.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Refactor/Re-architect
Rebuild application using cloud-native features.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Repurchase
Replace existing application with SaaS solution.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Retire
Decommission applications no longer needed.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Retain
Keep some applications on-premises.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
AWS Migration Hub
Centralized dashboard for migration progress.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
AWS DMS
Database Migration Service for various databases.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Strategic Migration Planning and Execution
Remember the 6 Rs of migration with 'Rethink, Rebuild, Replace, Relocate, Remove, Remain.' (Re-architect, Replatform, Repurchase, Rehost, Retire, Retain).
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Strategic Migration Planning and Execution
The exam frequently tests your knowledge of the '6 Rs' (Rehost, Replatform, Refactor/Re-architect, Repurchase, Retire, Retain). Be prepared to identify the most appropriate 'R' for a given scenario, often involving trade-offs between cost, effort, and cloud-native benefits.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Strategic Migration Planning and Execution
Underestimating the complexity and dependencies of on-premises applications.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Strategic Migration Planning and Execution
Failing to conduct a thorough cost analysis, leading to unexpected cloud expenses.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Strategic Migration Planning and Execution
Not planning for post-migration optimization and governance, missing out on cloud benefits.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Serverless Computing
Runs code without provisioning or managing servers.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
AWS Step Functions
Orchestrates complex workflows as state machines.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Amazon EventBridge
Serverless event bus for connecting applications.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Amazon Textract
Extracts text and data from documents.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
AWS Glue
Serverless data integration service for ETL.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Software robots automating repetitive tasks.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Amazon Comprehend
Natural language processing service.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Event-Driven Architecture
Components communicate via events, not direct calls.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Optimizing Business Processes with AWS
To OPTIMIZE processes, remember 'SERVERLESS STEPS EVENTUALLY GLUE TEXT for COMPREHENSION.' (Serverless, Step Functions, EventBridge, Glue, Textract, Comprehend).
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Optimizing Business Processes with AWS
On the SAP-C02 exam, look for scenarios describing manual, repetitive, or error-prone tasks. The question will often ask for the 'most cost-effective' or 'most scalable' solution. Keywords like 'automate workflow,' 'reduce operational overhead,' 'real-time processing,' or 'data insights' are strong indicators for services like Lambda, Step Functions, EventBridge, Kinesis, Glue, and AI/ML services.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Optimizing Business Processes with AWS
Over-engineering simple processes with complex serverless workflows when a simpler solution (e.g., a single Lambda function) would suffice.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Optimizing Business Processes with AWS
Ignoring the cost implications of data transfer or excessive invocations when designing event-driven architectures.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Optimizing Business Processes with AWS
Failing to implement proper error handling and retry mechanisms in automated workflows, leading to process failures.
Architecting for Organizational Complexity
Greenfield Application
A new application built from scratch without legacy constraints.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Serverless Architecture
Applications where AWS manages underlying servers, e.g., AWS Lambda.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
High Availability
Ensuring an application remains operational despite failures.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Fault Tolerance
Ability of a system to continue operating despite component failures.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Elasticity
Ability to automatically scale resources up or down with demand.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Architecting New Applications on AWS
When building NEW apps, remember 'C.L.O.U.D.S.': Cost, Latency, Operational overhead, Uptime, Durability, Scalability.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Architecting New Applications on AWS
On the SAP-C02 exam, look for keywords like 'new application,' 'from scratch,' or 'greenfield' to indicate you should prioritize cloud-native, managed, and serverless services for maximum agility, scalability, and cost optimization. Focus on multi-AZ deployments for high availability.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Architecting New Applications on AWS
Over-provisioning resources from the start, leading to unnecessary costs before demand materializes.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Architecting New Applications on AWS
Designing a monolithic application on AWS, failing to leverage the benefits of microservices or serverless patterns.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Architecting New Applications on AWS
Neglecting security and compliance requirements early in the design phase, leading to costly reworks later.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
AWS Lambda
Serverless compute service for running code in response to events.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Amazon API Gateway
Fully managed service for creating, publishing, securing APIs.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
AWS Config
Assesses, audits, and evaluates AWS resource configurations.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Designing Solutions for New Business Processes
For 'New Business Processes', remember 'SERVE': **S**erverless, **E**vent-driven, **R**eact to changes, **V**erify compliance, **E**xchange data.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Designing Solutions for New Business Processes
When designing solutions for new business processes, look for keywords like 'agility', 'scalability', 'real-time', 'reduced operational overhead', and 'integration with existing systems'. These often point towards serverless, event-driven, or microservices patterns.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Designing Solutions for New Business Processes
Overlooking integration requirements with existing on-premises systems, leading to data silos or complex point-to-point integrations.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Designing Solutions for New Business Processes
Ignoring compliance and governance from the start, resulting in costly re-architecture or security vulnerabilities later.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Designing Solutions for New Business Processes
Choosing a monolithic architecture for a new process that requires rapid iteration and high scalability, limiting agility.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Amazon S3
Object storage for virtually unlimited unstructured data.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Amazon RDS
Managed relational database service (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.).
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Amazon DynamoDB
Serverless NoSQL key-value and document database.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Amazon Aurora
High-performance, MySQL/PostgreSQL-compatible relational database.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Amazon Kinesis
Services for real-time data streaming and processing.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Amazon EMR
Managed Hadoop framework for big data processing.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Data Lake
Centralized repository for all data, structured and unstructured.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Building Scalable Data Platforms
SQL vs. NoSQL: Remember 'SQL for Structure, NoSQL for No-Structure (or New Structure)'.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Building Scalable Data Platforms
For SAP-C02, differentiate between OLTP (RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB) and OLAP (Redshift, Athena) databases. Understand when to use stream processing (Kinesis) versus batch processing (Glue, EMR). Pay close attention to multi-AZ, multi-Region, and backup strategies for data resilience.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Building Scalable Data Platforms
Choosing a relational database for a highly flexible, schema-less workload, leading to performance bottlenecks and complex schema migrations.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Building Scalable Data Platforms
Underestimating the volume and velocity of data, resulting in an ingestion pipeline that cannot keep up with incoming data.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Building Scalable Data Platforms
Neglecting disaster recovery planning for critical data stores, leaving the business vulnerable to outages or data loss.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
AWS KMS
Manages cryptographic keys for data encryption across AWS services.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
AWS CloudHSM
Hardware Security Module (HSM) in the cloud for key management.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
AWS GuardDuty
Intelligent threat detection service for AWS accounts and workloads.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
AWS Security Hub
Aggregates and prioritizes security alerts and posture findings.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
AWS CloudTrail
Records API calls and events for auditing and compliance.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Service Control Policies (SCPs)
Manage permissions for AWS accounts in an AWS Organization.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
Defines permissions based on tags for fine-grained control.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Advanced Security Postures for AWS Solutions
KMS is for 'Key Management Simplicity', CloudHSM is for 'Hardware Security Mastery'. GuardDuty 'Guards' your environment, Security Hub 'Hubs' all your security data.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Advanced Security Postures for AWS Solutions
For the SAP-C02 exam, pay close attention to the specific use cases for KMS vs. CloudHSM, and when to use AWS Config vs. CloudTrail for auditing. Keywords like 'compliance audit', 'key management', 'threat detection', and 'centralized security visibility' often point to these services.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Advanced Security Postures for AWS Solutions
Over-relying on default AWS security settings without customization.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Advanced Security Postures for AWS Solutions
Not implementing MFA for all privileged users and the root account.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Advanced Security Postures for AWS Solutions
Failing to regularly review and update IAM policies and security configurations.
Designing Innovative AWS Solutions
Monolith
A single, tightly coupled application containing all functions.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Strangler Fig Pattern
Gradually replacing a legacy system with new services.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Anti-pattern
A common but ineffective or counterproductive solution.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Resilience
Ability to recover from failures and maintain functionality.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Scalability
Ability to handle increasing workload efficiently.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Improving Existing Application Architectures
To improve applications, remember 'SCALE': Separate (microservices), Cache (ElastiCache), Auto-scale (ASG/Lambda), Leverage (serverless/containers), and Eliminate (anti-patterns).
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Improving Existing Application Architectures
The exam often presents scenarios where you need to choose between refactoring a monolith, using serverless, or containerizing. Look for keywords like 'high availability,' 'low latency,' 'cost optimization,' and 'developer agility' to guide your service selection. Remember that the Strangler Fig pattern is a key strategy for risk mitigation during migration.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Improving Existing Application Architectures
Attempting a 'big bang' rewrite of a monolith instead of incremental refactoring (Strangler Fig).
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Improving Existing Application Architectures
Choosing a single database type for all application needs, ignoring specialized databases.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Improving Existing Application Architectures
Overlooking caching strategies, leading to unnecessary database load and latency.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Amazon Connect
Cloud-based contact center service for customer service operations.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Amazon CloudWatch
Monitoring and observability service for AWS resources and applications.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Enhancing Business Processes with AWS Services
To 'PROCESS' with AWS: P-Pinpoint, R-Route (EventBridge), O-Orchestrate (Step Functions), C-Compute (Lambda), E-Extract (Textract/Glue), S-Store (S3), S-Stream (Kinesis).
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Enhancing Business Processes with AWS Services
The exam often presents scenarios requiring automation of multi-step processes. Look for keywords like 'workflow orchestration,' 'event-driven,' 'real-time processing,' and 'data integration.' Step Functions for complex workflows, Lambda for individual tasks, EventBridge for routing, and Kinesis for streaming are key services to remember.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Enhancing Business Processes with AWS Services
Over-engineering simple processes with complex Step Functions when a simple Lambda function suffices.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Enhancing Business Processes with AWS Services
Ignoring the cost implications of data transfer and compute for high-volume process automation.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Enhancing Business Processes with AWS Services
Failing to implement proper error handling and retry mechanisms in automated workflows, leading to process failures.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Amazon Redshift
Petabyte-scale cloud data warehouse.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Amazon Athena
Serverless query service for S3 data lakes.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
Automatic cost optimization for S3 storage.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Optimizing Existing Data Platforms
To remember key database services: 'R.A.D. Redshift' – Relational (RDS/Aurora), Analytics (Redshift), NoSQL (DynamoDB), Data Lake (S3/Athena).
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Optimizing Existing Data Platforms
The exam often asks about choosing the MOST appropriate database service for a given workload. Memorize the primary use cases for RDS/Aurora (relational), DynamoDB (NoSQL key-value/document), Redshift (data warehousing), and Neptune (graph). Also, understand how services like DMS, Glue, and Kinesis fit into migration and ingestion strategies.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Optimizing Existing Data Platforms
Choosing a single database service for all workloads without considering specific access patterns and data models.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Optimizing Existing Data Platforms
Migrating data without a clear strategy for data validation, transformation, and cutover, leading to data integrity issues or downtime.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Optimizing Existing Data Platforms
Failing to implement proper monitoring and cost controls after migration, potentially leading to unexpected expenses.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Shared Responsibility Model
Defines AWS and customer security duties.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Principle of Least Privilege
Granting only necessary permissions.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
IAM Roles
Secure way for entities to assume permissions.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Amazon GuardDuty
Intelligent threat detection service.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
VPC Endpoint
Private connection to AWS services.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Strengthening Existing Security Postures
For security, remember L.A.M.P.S.: Least Privilege, Access Control, Monitoring, Protection, Segmentation.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Strengthening Existing Security Postures
The exam frequently tests your understanding of the Shared Responsibility Model and how different AWS services (like KMS, CloudTrail, GuardDuty) fit into a comprehensive security strategy. Pay close attention to scenarios involving data encryption, access control, and incident response.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Strengthening Existing Security Postures
Assuming AWS is solely responsible for all security, neglecting 'security IN the cloud'.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Strengthening Existing Security Postures
Over-privileging IAM users or roles, violating the principle of least privilege.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
Strengthening Existing Security Postures
Not encrypting data at rest or in transit, especially for sensitive information.
Continuous Improvement & Optimization
6 Rs
Six common strategies for migrating applications to the cloud.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Refactor
Re-architecting applications to fully leverage cloud-native features.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
TCO
Total Cost of Ownership; includes direct and indirect costs.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Comprehensive Migration Strategy Development
Remember the 6 Rs with: 'Really Rad People Rarely Rehearse Regularly.' (Rehost, Refactor, Replatform, Repurchase, Retire, Retain)
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Comprehensive Migration Strategy Development
The exam heavily tests your ability to choose the correct 'R' strategy for given scenarios. Pay close attention to keywords like 'minimal changes' (Rehost), 'leverage cloud-native' (Refactor), 'minor optimizations' (Replatform), 'replace with SaaS' (Repurchase), 'no longer needed' (Retire), and 'regulatory/latency needs' (Retain).
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Comprehensive Migration Strategy Development
Attempting a 'big bang' migration for all workloads, leading to high risk and potential failure.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Comprehensive Migration Strategy Development
Underestimating the effort and cost of refactoring or re-architecting applications.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Comprehensive Migration Strategy Development
Failing to involve key stakeholders (business, security, operations) early in the planning process.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Legacy Workload
An application or system using outdated technologies, often monolithic and hard to scale.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Rehost (Lift-and-Shift)
Moving an application to the cloud (e.g., EC2) with minimal or no changes.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Replatform (Lift-Tinker-Shift)
Migrating to the cloud with minor optimizations, like moving to RDS or containers.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Refactor (Re-architect)
Fundamentally changing an application's architecture to be cloud-native (e.g., microservices).
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Monolithic Application
A single, tightly coupled application where all components run as one unit.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Technical Debt
The cost of additional rework caused by choosing an easy but limited solution now instead of a better approach.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Strategies for Legacy Workloads
Remember the '6 Rs' as: 'Run, Re-tool, Replace, Rebuild, Remove, Retain.' (Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, Retire, Retain).
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Strategies for Legacy Workloads
The exam frequently tests your ability to differentiate between Re-platforming and Refactoring. Look for keywords like 'minor changes' or 'optimizing for cloud features' for Re-platform, versus 'significant code changes,' 'microservices,' or 'cloud-native' for Refactor.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Strategies for Legacy Workloads
Underestimating the complexity and cost of refactoring, leading to project overruns.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Strategies for Legacy Workloads
Choosing rehost for applications that desperately need cloud-native capabilities, missing out on long-term benefits.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Strategies for Legacy Workloads
Failing to assess business value and technical debt before selecting a modernization strategy.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Strategies for Legacy Workloads
Attempting to modernize everything at once instead of adopting a phased approach.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
AWS Snow Family
Physical devices for large-scale offline data transfer to AWS.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
AWS MGN
Automated rehosting (lift-and-shift) of servers to AWS EC2.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
AWS App2Container (A2C)
Modernizes applications by containerizing them for ECS/EKS.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
AWS Migration Tools and Services
DMS for Databases, MGN for Machines, DataSync for Data (online), Snow for Storage (offline).
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
AWS Migration Tools and Services
The exam frequently asks to differentiate between AWS DataSync and AWS Snow Family. Remember: Snow Family is for offline, physical data transfer, while DataSync is for online, network-based transfer.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
AWS Migration Tools and Services
Confusing AWS MGN (rehosting) with App2Container (containerization/replatforming).
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
AWS Migration Tools and Services
Choosing DataSync for petabyte-scale data transfer with limited internet bandwidth, where Snowball would be more appropriate.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
AWS Migration Tools and Services
Not considering AWS Direct Connect for consistent, high-bandwidth network needs during and after migration.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
6 Rs of Migration
Framework for categorizing migration/modernization strategies.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Re-hosting
Moving an application to AWS with minimal changes (lift and shift).
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Re-platforming
Making minor cloud-specific optimizations during migration.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Repurchasing
Replacing an existing application with a SaaS solution.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Retiring
Decommissioning applications that are no longer needed.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Retaining
Keeping applications on-premises due to specific constraints.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Patterns for AWS Workloads
Remember the 6 Rs like this: Re-HOST your old stuff, Re-PLATFORM to a better place, Re-FACTOR for a fresh start, Re-PURCHASE if it's easier, Re-TIRE what's useless, and Re-TAIN what's essential.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Patterns for AWS Workloads
The exam often presents scenarios where you must choose the 'most appropriate' modernization strategy. Pay close attention to keywords like 'minimal code changes,' 'leverage managed services,' 'maximum agility,' or 'reduce operational overhead' to guide your choice among the 6 Rs.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Patterns for AWS Workloads
Choosing refactoring for all applications without considering cost and effort.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Patterns for AWS Workloads
Underestimating the complexity of re-platforming, assuming it's as simple as re-hosting.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization
Modernization Patterns for AWS Workloads
Failing to identify and retire unused applications, leading to unnecessary cloud costs.
Accelerating Migration & Modernization