Q15 — AWS SAA-C03 Ch.17

Question 15 of 89 | ← Chapter 17

Q1315. A company runs an application on several Amazon EC2 instances. Multiple Amazon Block Store(Amazon EBS) volumes are attached to each EC2 instance. The company needs to back up the configurations and the data of the EC2 instances every night. The application must be recoverable in a secondary AWS Region.Which solution will meet these requirements in the MOST operationally efficient way?

Correct Answer: B. Create a backup plan in AWS Backup to take nightly backups. Copy the backups to a secondary Region. Add the EC2 instances to a resource assignment as part of the backup plan.

Explanation

The most operationally efficient solution to meet the requirements of nightly backups of EC2 configurations and EBS data with cross-region recovery is:B. Create a backup plan in AWS Backup to take nightly backups. Copy the backups to a secondary Region. Add the EC2 instances to a resource assignment as part of the backup plan.Why Option B is Correct:Automated & Centralized Backup ManagementAWS Backup is a fully managed service that automates backup operations for EC2 instances (including their EBS volumes), RDS, DynamoDB, and other AWS services.A single backup plan can handle both configuration (EC2 metadata) and data (EBS volumes) backups, reducing operational overhead.Cross-Region Backup for Disaster RecoveryAWS Backup allows cross-region replication of backups, ensuring recoverability in a secondary Region (critical for disaster recovery).The backup vault can be configured to copy backups to another Region automatically.Resource Assignment for EC2 InstancesBy assigning EC2 instances to the backup plan (instead of just EBS volumes), AWS Backup automatically includes:The EBS volumes attached to the instances (no need to manage volumes separately). The EC2 instance metadata (e.g., tags, IAM roles, network settings) for easier recovery.Operational EfficiencyNo need to write custom scripts (unlike AWS Lambda-based solutions in Options A & D). Supports lifecycle policies (e.g., transition to cold storage or delete old backups).Provides audit logging via AWS Backup Audit Manager.Why Other Options Are Incorrect:A. AWS Lambda to snapshot EBS volumes & copy to secondary Region Operational overhead: Requires manual scripting to:Identify which EBS volumes belong to which EC2 instances.Handle snapshot retention and cleanup.Manage cross-region copy logic.Does not back up EC2 configurations (only EBS data).C. AWS Backup with EBS volumes (not EC2 instances) in resource assignment Incomplete backup: Only backs up EBS data, not the EC2 instance metadata (e.g., instance type, IAM roles, network settings).Recovering the application would require manually recreating the EC2 instance from the EBS snapshot. D. AWS Lambda to snapshot EBS volumes & copy to a secondary Availability Zone Wrong recovery scope: Copying to another Availability Zone (AZ) does not protect against region-wide failures (e.g., data center outages).Same issues as Option A: No EC2 configuration backup, manual scripting required.Implementation Steps for Option B:Create a Backup Plan in AWS BackupGo to AWS Backup Backup plans Create backup plan.Use a predefined template (e.g., "Daily-Weekly-Monthly") or define custom rules.Configure Backup RulesSet backup frequency (e.g., nightly at 2 AM).Define retention period (e.g., 35 days for daily backups).Enable cross-region copy to a secondary Region (e.g., us-west-2 if primary is us-east-1).Assign Resources (EC2 Instances)Under Resource assignments, select "Assign resources" "By tag, resource ID, or service". Choose "Amazon EC2" and specify the instances (e.g., by tag "Environment=Production").Verify Backup ExecutionCheck AWS Backup Backup jobs for successful completions.Test recovery by:Navigating to AWS Backup Recovery points.Selecting a backup "Restore" Deploying a new EC2 instance from the backup.Key Considerations:Backup Window: Ensure the backup window does not overlap with peak usage to avoid performance impact.Encryption: Enable AWS KMS encryption for backups if sensitive data is involved. Cost Optimization: Use lifecycle policies to move older backups to cold storage (Amazon S3 Glacier). Testing: Regularly test cross-region recovery to validate the DR plan.Conclusion:Option B is the best choice because it provides automated, centralized, and cross-region backup for both EC2 configurations and EBS data with minimal operational effort. AWS Backup handles the complexity of managing snapshots and replication, unlike manual Lambda-based solutions.