AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 Practice Question

The correct answer is to evaluate the application against the seven common migration strategies (7Rs). This is the most comprehensive initial approach because it provides a strategic framework for classifying the application and its components based on business drivers. For a complex, monolithic application with goals beyond cost savings (like agility), it is crucial to consider all potential pathways-from rehosting to refactoring-before committing to a technical solution. This foundational assessment guides all subsequent activities, including tool selection and TCO analysis.

The option to deploy AWS Application Discovery Service is a valid data-gathering step within an assessment, but it is not the overarching strategic framework. These tools provide the 'what' (server specs, dependencies), while the 7Rs framework helps decide 'how' to migrate based on that data to meet business goals.

Focusing immediately on a re-platforming strategy is premature. While re-platforming might be a viable option, a thorough assessment must first consider all 7Rs to determine the optimal path. Deciding on the solution before completing the strategic assessment can lead to suboptimal outcomes that may not fully address the goal of improved agility.

Conducting a TCO analysis is a critical part of building the business case, but it is an outcome of the assessment, not the assessment framework itself. A meaningful TCO is calculated based on a proposed target architecture, which is determined by the chosen migration strategy (e.g., the TCO for rehosting will be different from the TCO for refactoring). Therefore, the 7Rs assessment must come first.