CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
Which AWS service provides managed Microsoft Windows file storage that supports SMB protocol, Active Directory integration, and Windows ACL permissions?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse Amazon EFS (which is NFS-based) with a Windows file share, or assume S3 can serve as a network drive via SMB, but neither supports the required Windows-specific protocols and permissions.
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
✓
Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
Amazon FSx for Windows File Server provides fully managed native Microsoft Windows file storage that supports the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, integrates with Active Directory for identity-based access, and enforces Windows NTFS ACL permissions. This makes it the only AWS service designed specifically to offer these Windows-native features out of the box.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon EFS
Why it's wrong here
Amazon EFS is a fully managed, elastic file system built for Linux and POSIX workloads, accessing data via the NFS protocol. It does not support the SMB protocol that Windows file shares require, so Windows clients cannot natively mount an EFS file system as a standard share. Even if you attempt workarounds like installing third-party NFS clients on Windows, EFS still lacks native Windows Active Directory integration and Windows-style permissions, making it unsuitable for a true Windows file server deployment.
- ✓
Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
Why this is correct
Amazon FSx for Windows File Server is a fully managed native Windows file server that serves SMB protocol-based file shares to Windows clients. It integrates directly with AWS Managed Microsoft AD or your existing self-managed Active Directory, and it supports Windows-specific features such as Volume Shadow Copy (VSS), Windows ACLs, and Distributed File System (DFS). This purpose-built service is the most direct and appropriate choice for running a Windows file server in the AWS cloud, offering full compatibility without the operational overhead of managing your own Windows EC2 instance.
- ✗
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Amazon S3 is an object storage service that stores and retrieves unstructured data through HTTPS REST APIs; it does not expose a traditional file-system interface. It doesn't speak SMB, provides no file-level locking, and cannot enforce Windows access control lists, so it cannot serve as a network share to Windows clients. While S3 is excellent for archiving, backup, and static content, it is not a file service and cannot be used to replace a Windows file share without additional layer-based products like a gateway or custom application code.
- ✗
AWS Storage Gateway
Why it's wrong here
AWS Storage Gateway's File Gateway does present an SMB file share backed by S3, but it is fundamentally a hybrid data-transfer appliance, not a fully managed Windows file server. The service runs as a virtual machine on-premises, so you are responsible for managing the gateway itself, and it lacks native Windows Active Directory integration, Windows ACL semantics, and Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) support needed for enterprise Windows workloads. It is designed to bridge on-premises storage to AWS, not to replace a Windows file server.
Visual reference
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CLF-C02 exam.