- A
Amazon ElastiCache
ElastiCache provides a fast, in-memory cache ideal for session data that needs to be shared across instances.
- B
Amazon EBS
Why wrong: EBS volumes can only be attached to a single EC2 instance at a time, not shared.
- C
Amazon DynamoDB
Why wrong: DynamoDB can store session data but has higher latency and cost compared to caching solutions.
- D
Amazon S3
Why wrong: S3 is object storage with higher latency and not designed for low-latency session storage.
Question 543 of 1,616
Amazon ElastiCache — Session State Across EC2 Instances
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws 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 developer needs to store temporary session data for a web application running on Amazon EC2 behind an Application Load Balancer. The data must be accessible across multiple EC2 instances. Which AWS service should the developer 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
✓
Amazon ElastiCache
Amazon ElastiCache is the correct choice because it provides a managed, in-memory caching service (e.g., Redis or Memcached) that can store temporary session data with sub-millisecond latency. Since the data must be accessible across multiple EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer, ElastiCache offers a centralized, highly available data store that all instances can read from and write to, ensuring session persistence regardless of which instance handles a request.
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 ElastiCache
Why this is correct
ElastiCache provides a fast, in-memory cache ideal for session data that needs to be shared across instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon EBS
Why it's wrong here
EBS volumes can only be attached to a single EC2 instance at a time, not shared.
- ✗
Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB can store session data but has higher latency and cost compared to caching solutions.
- ✗
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
S3 is object storage with higher latency and not designed for low-latency session storage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'temporary session data' with 'persistent user data' and choose DynamoDB for its scalability, overlooking that ElastiCache is purpose-built for low-latency, ephemeral storage with automatic eviction policies.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, ElastiCache for Redis uses an in-memory data structure store with optional replication and persistence, supporting atomic operations like EXPIRE to automatically purge stale sessions. In a real-world scenario, if the web application uses sticky sessions (session affinity) on the ALB, a single instance failure could still lose session data; ElastiCache decouples session storage from compute, enabling true stateless scaling. The default TTL for session keys in Redis can be set to match the application's session timeout, ensuring memory is reclaimed automatically.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon ElastiCache — Amazon ElastiCache is the correct choice because it provides a managed, in-memory caching service (e.g., Redis or Memcached) that can store temporary session data with sub-millisecond latency. Since the data must be accessible across multiple EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer, ElastiCache offers a centralized, highly available data store that all instances can read from and write to, ensuring session persistence regardless of which instance handles a request.
What should I do if I get this DVA-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
2 more ways this is tested on DVA-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 developer needs to store session state data for a web application running on multiple EC2 instances. The data must be highly available and durable. Which AWS service should be used?
easy- ✓ A.Amazon ElastiCache
- B.Amazon S3
- C.Amazon EBS
- D.Amazon CloudFront
Why A: Amazon ElastiCache is the correct choice because it provides a managed, in-memory caching service that is ideal for storing session state data with high availability and durability. By using ElastiCache for Redis or Memcached, session data is stored outside of individual EC2 instances, ensuring that if an instance fails, the session state is preserved and can be accessed by other instances in the application tier. ElastiCache supports replication and automatic failover, meeting the requirements for high availability and durability.
Variation 2. A developer wants to store session state data for a web application running on multiple EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. The data is ephemeral and should not persist if an instance is terminated. Which storage option should the developer use?
easy- ✓ A.Amazon ElastiCache
- B.Amazon RDS
- C.Amazon S3
- D.Amazon EFS
Why A: Amazon ElastiCache is the correct choice because it provides an in-memory caching service (e.g., Redis or Memcached) that is ideal for storing ephemeral session state data. The data is stored in memory, not on disk, so it is automatically lost when an EC2 instance is terminated, matching the requirement that session data should not persist. Additionally, ElastiCache is designed for low-latency access, making it suitable for session state that must be quickly read and written by multiple instances behind an Application Load Balancer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This DVA-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 DVA-C02 exam.
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