The answer is to use AWS Global Accelerator with endpoints in both regions and configure traffic dials to distribute traffic. This design works because Global Accelerator leverages Anycast static IP addresses to route users over the AWS global network to the optimal endpoint based on health, latency, and traffic dial settings, actively directing each user to the nearest healthy region for the lowest possible latency. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how traffic dials enable active-active distribution versus simple failover, with a common trap being to assume that simply adding endpoints in two regions automatically balances load—it does not without adjusting the traffic dials from their default of 100%. Remember the memory tip: “Dials for distribution, health for direction”—traffic dials control the weight of traffic sent to each endpoint, while health checks ensure users only reach available regions.
ANS-C01 Network Design Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network design. 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 company is designing a multi-region active-active architecture using Application Load Balancers (ALBs) and AWS Global Accelerator. The application must have the lowest possible latency for global users. Which design meets these requirements?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use AWS Global Accelerator with endpoints in both regions and configure traffic dials to distribute traffic.
AWS Global Accelerator uses the Anycast static IP addresses to route traffic over the AWS global network to the optimal endpoint based on health, latency, and traffic dials. By configuring endpoints in both regions with traffic dials, you can distribute traffic actively across both regions, ensuring the lowest possible latency for global users by directing them to the nearest healthy endpoint.
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 AWS Global Accelerator with endpoints in both regions and configure traffic dials to distribute traffic.
Why this is correct
Global Accelerator provides anycast IPs and can distribute traffic across multiple regions with traffic dials.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Amazon CloudFront with multiple origins pointing to each ALB.
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront is for HTTP/HTTPS content delivery, not for TCP/UDP traffic.
✗
Use Amazon Route 53 with latency routing policy to route users to the closest ALB.
Why it's wrong here
Route 53 latency routing uses DNS, which can introduce caching and does not provide anycast IPs.
✗
Use AWS Global Accelerator with a single endpoint in one region and failover to the other region.
Why it's wrong here
This is active-passive, not active-active.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse DNS-based routing (Route 53 latency routing) with anycast-based routing (Global Accelerator), not realizing that DNS caching and propagation delays prevent true real-time, lowest-latency routing for active-active architectures.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Global Accelerator leverages the AWS global network backbone and Anycast IPs to route traffic to the nearest edge location, then over the private AWS network to the optimal regional endpoint, bypassing the public internet. Traffic dials allow granular control of traffic distribution between endpoints (0-100%), enabling gradual rollouts or load balancing across regions. Under the hood, Global Accelerator uses the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to announce the Anycast IPs from multiple AWS edge locations, ensuring that user traffic enters the AWS network at the closest point.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Network Design — This question tests Network Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS Global Accelerator with endpoints in both regions and configure traffic dials to distribute traffic. — AWS Global Accelerator uses the Anycast static IP addresses to route traffic over the AWS global network to the optimal endpoint based on health, latency, and traffic dials. By configuring endpoints in both regions with traffic dials, you can distribute traffic actively across both regions, ensuring the lowest possible latency for global users by directing them to the nearest healthy endpoint.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 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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Question Discussion
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