According to the official NetIQ Identity Manager 4.0.2 Setup Guide, the minimum hardware requirement for running Designer for Identity Manager is 1 GB of RAM. Since 1 GB is equivalent to 1024 MB, this is the correct minimum system requirement. While 2 GB of RAM is recommended for better performance, the question specifically asks for the minimum requirement.

A. 128 MB is significantly below the specified minimum memory requirement and would be insufficient to run the application.

B. 256 MB is insufficient as it is well below the documented minimum requirement of 1 GB for Designer.

C. 512 MB is half of the required minimum memory and would not meet the system prerequisites for installation or operation.

E. 2048 MB (2 GB) is the recommended amount of RAM for optimal performance, not the minimum required amount.

1. NetIQ Identity Manager 4.0.2 Setup Guide. (2012). Novell, Inc. In Section 2.3, "Designer for Identity Manager Requirements," Table 2-3 specifies the hardware requirements. The "Memory" row explicitly states, "1 GB of RAM minimum; 2 GB of RAM recommended." This document is the official installation guide for the version of Identity Manager relevant to the 050-730 exam.