ANS-C01 Network Management and Operations Practice Question
A company is deploying a new application across multiple Availability Zones in a VPC. The application needs to be highly available and must handle traffic from both internal users and external customers. Which TWO options should the network team implement to meet these requirements? (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
✓
Provision a NAT Gateway in each AZ for outbound connectivity from private subnets.
Provisioning a NAT Gateway in each AZ allows instances in private subnets to initiate outbound traffic to the internet without relying on a single AZ, thus providing high availability and fault tolerance. Option E is correct because deploying an Application Load Balancer in each public subnet across multiple AZs ensures that the ALB can route traffic to healthy targets across AZs, providing high availability and fault tolerance for incoming client traffic. Option A is incorrect because an Internet Gateway is a VPC-level component that allows communication between the VPC and the internet; it is not something that needs to be 'attached' per se (it's already attached to the VPC), and it does not handle traffic distribution across AZs. Option B is incorrect because a Network Load Balancer is suitable for TCP/UDP traffic, but the question does not specify protocol requirements; however, the primary reason it is not the best choice is that the requirement for high availability is better met with an Application Load Balancer for HTTP/HTTPS traffic, and the option says 'use a Network Load Balancer to distribute traffic across AZs' which is not the best fit for typical web applications. Option D is incorrect because a single NAT Gateway in one AZ creates a single point of failure; if that AZ goes down, outbound connectivity is lost.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Attach an Internet Gateway to the VPC.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An Internet Gateway is a VPC-level component that allows communication between the VPC and the internet; it is already attached to the VPC and does not provide traffic distribution across AZs.
- ✗
Use a Network Load Balancer to distribute traffic across AZs.
Why it's wrong here
A Network Load Balancer (NLB) is unsuitable here because it operates at Layer 4 (TCP/UDP) and lacks the Layer 7 capabilities, such as HTTP/HTTPS termination and content-based routing, typically required to differentiate and manage traffic from both internal users and external customers for a modern application. While tempting due to its high performance and multi-AZ distribution, an NLB does not provide the advanced routing based on host headers or URL paths that an Application Load Balancer (ALB) offers, which is crucial for handling diverse application traffic. An NLB would be appropriate for non-HTTP/HTTPS protocols or scenarios demanding extreme throughput and a static IP address.
- ✓
Provision a NAT Gateway in each AZ for outbound connectivity from private subnets.
Why this is correct
Correct. A NAT Gateway in each AZ ensures that instances in private subnets can initiate outbound traffic to the internet without a single point of failure, fulfilling high availability requirements.
- ✗
Create a single NAT Gateway in one AZ for outbound traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A single NAT Gateway creates a single point of failure; if its AZ experiences an outage, outbound connectivity is lost.
- ✓
Deploy an Application Load Balancer in each public subnet across multiple AZs.
Why this is correct
Correct. Deploying an ALB in each public subnet across multiple AZs provides high availability and fault tolerance by distributing incoming traffic across healthy targets in multiple AZs.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on ANS-C01
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 company is deploying a new application across multiple Availability Zones in a single region. The application requires low-latency communication between instances in different AZs. Which TWO design choices help achieve high availability and low latency? (Select TWO.)
medium- A.Use a spread placement group for the instances.
- B.Use larger instance sizes to handle traffic spikes.
- ✓ C.Launch EC2 instances in at least two Availability Zones.
- D.Use a single NAT Gateway to provide internet access.
- ✓ E.Use an Application Load Balancer to distribute traffic across AZs.
Why C: To achieve high availability and low-latency communication between instances in different Availability Zones, you should launch instances in at least two AZs (C) to avoid a single point of failure, and use an Application Load Balancer (E) to distribute traffic and perform health checks. A spread placement group (A) is not recommended for low latency; it spreads instances across distinct hardware, which can increase latency. Larger instance sizes (B) only increase capacity and do not improve availability or latency. A single NAT Gateway (D) introduces a single point of failure and does not affect inter-AZ latency.
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.