- A
S3 is not a suitable store for session state due to its eventual consistency and higher latency.
Although S3 now provides strong consistency, its higher latency can cause session retrieval delays, leading to login page redirection. This makes it unsuitable for session state, so this option is correct.
- B
The EC2 instances do not have internet access to reach S3.
Why wrong: If EC2 instances lacked internet access, they would be unable to reach S3 entirely, causing persistent failures, not intermittent redirection.
- C
The ALB does not have sticky sessions enabled.
Why wrong: Since session state is stored in S3 (a shared store), sticky sessions are not required. The ALB's sticky session setting does not affect session persistence in this setup.
- D
The application is not scaling properly, causing session loss.
Why wrong: Improper scaling (e.g., terminating instances with local session data) would cause session loss only if session state were stored locally. Here, it's stored externally in S3, so scaling does not directly cause the issue.
Why S3 for Session State Causes Logouts: Consistency and Latency Issues
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. A key principle to apply: session State Storage. 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 web application on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The application stores session state in an S3 bucket. Users report that after logging in, they are sometimes redirected to the login page again on subsequent requests. What is the MOST likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
S3 is not a suitable store for session state due to its eventual consistency and higher latency.
Amazon S3 now provides strong read-after-write consistency, so eventual consistency is not the cause. However, S3's higher latency compared to in-memory stores like ElastiCache or DynamoDB makes it unsuitable for session management, which requires fast, frequent reads and writes. The higher latency can cause delays in session retrieval, leading to timeouts and the login page being displayed again.
Key principle: Session State Storage
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
S3 is not a suitable store for session state due to its eventual consistency and higher latency.
Why this is correct
Although S3 now provides strong consistency, its higher latency can cause session retrieval delays, leading to login page redirection. This makes it unsuitable for session state, so this option is correct.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Session State Storage
- ✗
The EC2 instances do not have internet access to reach S3.
Why it's wrong here
If EC2 instances lacked internet access, they would be unable to reach S3 entirely, causing persistent failures, not intermittent redirection.
- ✗
The ALB does not have sticky sessions enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Since session state is stored in S3 (a shared store), sticky sessions are not required. The ALB's sticky session setting does not affect session persistence in this setup.
- ✗
The application is not scaling properly, causing session loss.
Why it's wrong here
Improper scaling (e.g., terminating instances with local session data) would cause session loss only if session state were stored locally. Here, it's stored externally in S3, so scaling does not directly cause the issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates may incorrectly attribute the problem to S3's eventual consistency, which was fixed. The real issue is S3's higher latency relative to in-memory services, making it a poor choice for session state.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3's eventual consistency model means that after an overwrite (e.g., updating session data), a subsequent GET request might return the previous version or a 404 if the object was deleted. For session state, which requires strong consistency (every read must reflect the latest write), S3 is inappropriate. In contrast, Amazon DynamoDB offers strongly consistent reads (at additional cost) and is a recommended session store, while ElastiCache provides sub-millisecond in-memory performance with immediate consistency.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Session State Storage
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
Session State Storage
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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review session State Storage, then practise related DVA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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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 — Session State Storage.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: S3 is not a suitable store for session state due to its eventual consistency and higher latency. — Amazon S3 now provides strong read-after-write consistency, so eventual consistency is not the cause. However, S3's higher latency compared to in-memory stores like ElastiCache or DynamoDB makes it unsuitable for session management, which requires fast, frequent reads and writes. The higher latency can cause delays in session retrieval, leading to timeouts and the login page being displayed again.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Review session State Storage, then practise related DVA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Session State Storage
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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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