- A
Use an Amazon EBS volume with multi-attach.
Why wrong: EBS multi-attach has limitations and is not ideal for session state.
- B
Use Amazon ElastiCache for session state.
ElastiCache provides low-latency, shared session storage.
- C
Store session data in Amazon S3.
Why wrong: S3 is not designed for low-latency session state.
- D
Use Amazon DynamoDB to store session data.
Why wrong: DynamoDB is more expensive than ElastiCache for this use case.
Question 1,067 of 1,616
Using ElastiCache for Session State Sharing Across Multiple EC2 Instances
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 a small amount of session state data (less than 1 MB) for a web application running on EC2. The data must be shared across multiple instances. Which solution is MOST cost-effective?
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
✓
Use Amazon ElastiCache for session state.
Amazon ElastiCache (specifically Redis or Memcached) is the most cost-effective solution for storing small session state data (<1 MB) that must be shared across multiple EC2 instances. It provides an in-memory cache with sub-millisecond latency, which is ideal for session state, and its cost is lower than DynamoDB for this use case because you only pay for the cache nodes and not for provisioned throughput or storage that may be underutilized.
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.
- ✗
Use an Amazon EBS volume with multi-attach.
Why it's wrong here
EBS multi-attach has limitations and is not ideal for session state.
- ✓
Use Amazon ElastiCache for session state.
Why this is correct
ElastiCache provides low-latency, shared session storage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Store session data in Amazon S3.
Why it's wrong here
S3 is not designed for low-latency session state.
- ✗
Use Amazon DynamoDB to store session data.
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB is more expensive than ElastiCache for this use case.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose DynamoDB because it is a managed NoSQL database commonly used for session state, but they overlook that for sub-1 MB data with high-frequency access, ElastiCache is more cost-effective due to its in-memory architecture and lower per-operation cost.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ElastiCache for Redis supports data persistence and replication, making it suitable for session state that must survive node failures, and it uses the Redis protocol (TCP port 6379) for fast key-value operations. In a real-world scenario, session state data is often stored with a TTL (time-to-live) to automatically expire stale sessions, which Redis handles natively via the EXPIRE command, reducing manual cleanup overhead. The cost advantage comes from using a single cache node (e.g., cache.t3.micro) for small workloads, which can handle thousands of requests per second at a fraction of the cost of DynamoDB's per-request pricing.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: Use Amazon ElastiCache for session state. — Amazon ElastiCache (specifically Redis or Memcached) is the most cost-effective solution for storing small session state data (<1 MB) that must be shared across multiple EC2 instances. It provides an in-memory cache with sub-millisecond latency, which is ideal for session state, and its cost is lower than DynamoDB for this use case because you only pay for the cache nodes and not for provisioned throughput or storage that may be underutilized.
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.
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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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