The answer is to use AWS Cloud Map for service discovery and AWS App Mesh with mutual TLS. This combination works because Cloud Map provides DNS-based service discovery tailored for dynamic microservices on ECS, allowing containers to find each other by service name, while App Mesh with mTLS encrypts all east-west traffic between services at the application layer, ensuring both identity verification and encryption. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of internal service-to-service communication patterns versus external-facing solutions—a common trap is choosing Route 53 or an ELB, but those handle external DNS or load balancing, not internal service mesh encryption. Remember that Cloud Map handles the “where” (discovery) and App Mesh with mTLS handles the “how” (encrypted handshake), so think “Map the service, Mesh the traffic” for the correct pairing.
DVA-C02 Deployment Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment. 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 developer is deploying a microservices architecture on Amazon ECS. The services need to communicate with each other securely. The developer wants to use service discovery and ensure that traffic between services is encrypted. Which combination of services should the developer use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use AWS Cloud Map for service discovery and AWS App Mesh with mutual TLS
Option D is correct because ECS service discovery with AWS Cloud Map provides DNS-based service discovery, and mTLS via App Mesh or service mesh provides encryption. Option A is incorrect because ELB is for external traffic. Option B is incorrect because API Gateway is for APIs. Option C is incorrect because Route 53 is not suitable for service discovery in ECS.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Use AWS Cloud Map for service discovery and AWS App Mesh with mutual TLS
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Use Amazon API Gateway and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Not for inter-service communication.
✗
Use Amazon Route 53 private hosted zones and enable DNSSEC
Why it's wrong here
DNSSEC does not encrypt traffic.
✗
Use an Application Load Balancer for each service and enable TLS termination
Why it's wrong here
ELB is for external traffic.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DVA-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Deployment — This question tests Deployment — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS Cloud Map for service discovery and AWS App Mesh with mutual TLS — Option D is correct because ECS service discovery with AWS Cloud Map provides DNS-based service discovery, and mTLS via App Mesh or service mesh provides encryption. Option A is incorrect because ELB is for external traffic. Option B is incorrect because API Gateway is for APIs. Option C is incorrect because Route 53 is not suitable for service discovery in ECS.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DVA-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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