- A
Amazon CloudFront
Why wrong: Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) that caches static and dynamic content at edge locations to reduce latency. However, it is optimized for HTTP/HTTPS traffic and does not provide static IP addresses for TCP or UDP traffic. It also does not route traffic based on endpoint health in the same way as Global Accelerator. CloudFront can use custom domain names with alternate IPs, but those IPs are not static for the purpose of firewall whitelisting.
- B
AWS Global Accelerator
AWS Global Accelerator improves application performance by directing user traffic to the nearest healthy endpoint using the AWS global network. It provides two static anycast IP addresses that act as a fixed entry point, so clients can whitelist these IPs without worrying about changes. It supports TCP and UDP traffic and can route to endpoints in multiple Regions, making it an ideal choice for this use case.
- C
Amazon Route 53 latency-based routing
Why wrong: Amazon Route 53 latency-based routing directs DNS queries to the AWS Region with the lowest latency for the user. While it helps improve latency, it does not provide static IP addresses for firewall whitelisting. The IP addresses of the underlying resources (like load balancers) can change over time, and Route 53 only controls DNS resolution, not the actual IP addresses that clients connect to.
- D
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: AWS Direct Connect is a dedicated network connection from an on-premises data center to AWS. It is used to reduce network costs and increase bandwidth for hybrid workloads, not to improve latency for internet users globally. It does not provide static IP addresses for user-facing traffic or automatically route users to the nearest endpoint.
Quick Answer
AWS Global Accelerator is the correct choice because it provides two static anycast IP addresses that clients can use for firewall whitelisting, while also directing each user to the nearest healthy application endpoint via the AWS global network to reduce latency. This service is ideal for globally distributed applications behind Network Load Balancers because it optimizes TCP and UDP traffic without caching content, unlike CloudFront. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between services that improve performance and those that provide static IPs for whitelisting—a common trap is confusing Global Accelerator with CloudFront, but remember that CloudFront is for content caching and HTTP/HTTPS traffic, while Global Accelerator handles any protocol and gives you fixed IPs that never change even if your backend infrastructure changes. A helpful memory tip: think of Global Accelerator as the “static IP express lane” that speeds up traffic to the closest healthy region, while CloudFront is the “cache and serve” service for static content.
CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud technology and services. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company runs a globally distributed web application on Amazon EC2 instances behind Network Load Balancers in two AWS Regions: us-east-1 and eu-west-1. Users around the world access the application over the internet. The company wants to improve latency for all users by directing each user to the nearest healthy application endpoint. Additionally, the company requires two static IP addresses that clients can use for firewall whitelisting and that do not change even if the underlying infrastructure changes. Which AWS service should the company use?
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
AWS Global Accelerator
AWS Global Accelerator is the correct choice because it provides two static anycast IP addresses that serve as fixed entry points, and it directs user traffic to the nearest healthy application endpoint via the AWS global network, reducing latency. Unlike CloudFront, it does not cache content but optimizes TCP/UDP traffic, making it ideal for non-HTTP or dynamic applications behind Network Load Balancers.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 CloudFront
Why it's wrong here
Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) that caches static and dynamic content at edge locations to reduce latency. However, it is optimized for HTTP/HTTPS traffic and does not provide static IP addresses for TCP or UDP traffic. It also does not route traffic based on endpoint health in the same way as Global Accelerator. CloudFront can use custom domain names with alternate IPs, but those IPs are not static for the purpose of firewall whitelisting.
- ✓
AWS Global Accelerator
Why this is correct
AWS Global Accelerator improves application performance by directing user traffic to the nearest healthy endpoint using the AWS global network. It provides two static anycast IP addresses that act as a fixed entry point, so clients can whitelist these IPs without worrying about changes. It supports TCP and UDP traffic and can route to endpoints in multiple Regions, making it an ideal choice for this use case.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon Route 53 latency-based routing
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Route 53 latency-based routing directs DNS queries to the AWS Region with the lowest latency for the user. While it helps improve latency, it does not provide static IP addresses for firewall whitelisting. The IP addresses of the underlying resources (like load balancers) can change over time, and Route 53 only controls DNS resolution, not the actual IP addresses that clients connect to.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
AWS Direct Connect is a dedicated network connection from an on-premises data center to AWS. It is used to reduce network costs and increase bandwidth for hybrid workloads, not to improve latency for internet users globally. It does not provide static IP addresses for user-facing traffic or automatically route users to the nearest endpoint.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse latency-based routing (DNS) with Global Accelerator, not realizing that DNS caching can prevent immediate failover and that Global Accelerator provides fixed anycast IPs, not just DNS resolution.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Global Accelerator uses Anycast IP addresses from the AWS edge network; when a client sends traffic to one of these IPs, it is routed to the nearest edge location via BGP, then forwarded over the AWS global backbone to the optimal Regional endpoint. This avoids the pitfalls of DNS caching and provides fast regional failover within seconds, unlike DNS-based solutions that depend on TTL expiry.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Cloud Technology and Services — This question tests Cloud Technology and Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Global Accelerator — AWS Global Accelerator is the correct choice because it provides two static anycast IP addresses that serve as fixed entry points, and it directs user traffic to the nearest healthy application endpoint via the AWS global network, reducing latency. Unlike CloudFront, it does not cache content but optimizes TCP/UDP traffic, making it ideal for non-HTTP or dynamic applications behind Network Load Balancers.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on CLF-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company runs a global gaming application on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer in the us-east-1 Region. Players in Europe and Asia report high latency and intermittent connection drops. The company wants to improve the application's performance for global users by routing traffic over the AWS global network. The company also needs two static IP addresses that users can whitelist in their firewalls for consistent access, and the solution must provide health checks to automatically route traffic away from unhealthy endpoints. Which AWS service should the company use?
medium- A.Amazon CloudFront
- ✓ B.AWS Global Accelerator
- C.AWS WAF
- D.Amazon Route 53
Why B: AWS Global Accelerator is correct because it uses the AWS global network to route traffic from users to the application, reducing latency and jitter by avoiding the public internet. It provides two static anycast IP addresses that remain consistent for firewall whitelisting, and it integrates with health checks to automatically reroute traffic away from unhealthy EC2 endpoints behind the Application Load Balancer.
Variation 2. A company runs a critical web application on Amazon EC2 instances in the us-east-1 Region, with a secondary standby deployment in us-west-2 for disaster recovery. The application requires that user traffic be directed to the nearest healthy endpoint, automatically failover to the secondary region if the primary region becomes unavailable, and the company needs two static IP addresses that remain fixed regardless of infrastructure changes. The application uses TCP and UDP protocols. Which AWS service should the company use to meet these requirements?
medium- A.Amazon Route 53
- ✓ B.AWS Global Accelerator
- C.Amazon CloudFront
- D.Elastic Load Balancing
Why B: AWS Global Accelerator is the correct choice because it provides two static anycast IP addresses that remain fixed regardless of infrastructure changes, directs traffic to the nearest healthy endpoint using the AWS global network, and supports automatic failover between regions for both TCP and UDP traffic. It also integrates with Network Load Balancers, Application Load Balancers, or EC2 instances to route traffic to the closest healthy endpoint, meeting all stated requirements.
Variation 3. A company hosts a web application on Amazon EC2 instances in two AWS Regions: us-east-1 and eu-west-1. The application serves a global user base. The company wants to improve performance by directing users to the nearest healthy regional endpoint with minimal latency. Additionally, the company requires two static Anycast IP addresses that remain constant, representing the application entry point. The solution should automatically reroute traffic if a regional endpoint becomes unhealthy. Which AWS service should the company use?
medium- ✓ A.AWS Global Accelerator
- B.Amazon CloudFront
- C.Amazon Route 53
- D.AWS Shield
Why A: AWS Global Accelerator is correct because it uses the AWS global network and Anycast static IP addresses to route user traffic to the nearest healthy regional endpoint (EC2 instances in us-east-1 or eu-west-1). It automatically reroutes traffic if an endpoint becomes unhealthy, providing low latency and high availability for global users.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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