ANS-C01 Network Management and Operations Practice Question
A company has a hybrid network with an AWS Direct Connect connection and an AWS Site-to-Site VPN as a backup. The network team notices that traffic is asymmetrically routing through both connections, causing performance issues. Which TWO steps should the team take to ensure traffic uses the primary Direct Connect and only fails over to the VPN? (Choose two.)
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
✓
Configure BGP communities on the Direct Connect to influence route preference.
BGP communities can be used on the Direct Connect connection to set a higher local preference, making the routes learned via Direct Connect preferred over those from the VPN. Option E is correct: Advertising a more specific prefix over Direct Connect ensures that traffic selects the more specific route, preferring Direct Connect. Option A is incorrect because increasing BGP MED on the VPN would make VPN less preferred, but this is not as effective or reliable as using BGP communities or more specific prefixes for ensuring primary use. Option B is incorrect because AWS VPN CloudHub is designed for interconnecting multiple VPN sites, not for failover from Direct Connect to VPN. Option D is incorrect because disabling AS path prepend on Direct Connect would actually make Direct Connect more preferred (shorter AS path), but this is not a recommended step to ensure primary use; it may also disrupt existing routing policies. The best practice is to use BGP communities and specific prefix advertisements to achieve the desired traffic flow.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increase the BGP MED value on the VPN connection to make it less preferred.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the BGP MED value on the VPN connection would make the VPN routes less preferred, but this is not a reliable or recommended method to ensure Direct Connect is primary. BGP MED is a metric that can be overridden by other attributes like local preference, and it only affects outbound traffic. The recommended approaches are using BGP communities to set local preference on Direct Connect routes or advertising more specific prefixes over Direct Connect.
- ✗
Enable VPN automatic failover using AWS VPN CloudHub.
Why it's wrong here
AWS VPN CloudHub is used to connect multiple VPN sites together, not to manage failover between Direct Connect and VPN. It does not influence route preference between these connections.
- ✓
Configure BGP communities on the Direct Connect to influence route preference.
Why this is correct
Configuring BGP communities on the Direct Connect connection allows you to influence the local preference, making routes learned via Direct Connect preferred over those from the VPN. This is a reliable method to ensure Direct Connect is the primary path.
- ✗
Disable AS path prepend on the Direct Connect BGP session.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling AS path prepend on Direct Connect would shorten the AS path, making Direct Connect more preferred. However, this is not a best practice; using BGP communities or more specific prefixes is more reliable and manageable.
- ✓
Advertise a more specific prefix over Direct Connect compared to the VPN.
Why this is correct
More specific prefixes are preferred in BGP routing.
Quick reference
Asymmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Exchange | Signatures | Equivalent Security Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA-3072 | Yes | Yes | 128-bit | Widely deployed; slow for bulk data |
| ECDSA P-256 | No | Yes | 128-bit | Fast signatures; standard TLS certs |
| ECDH / ECDHE | Yes | No | 128-bit | Perfect forward secrecy in TLS 1.3 |
| DH / DHE | Yes | No | 128-bit (3072-bit key) | Replaced by ECDHE in modern TLS |
| Ed25519 | No | Yes | ~128-bit | SSH keys, modern PKI |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This ANS-C01 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 ANS-C01 exam.