ANS-C01 Network Management and Operations Practice Question
A network engineer is designing a hybrid network with AWS Direct Connect and a VPN backup. The company has multiple VPCs connected to an AWS Transit Gateway. The on-premises network advertises the same prefixes over both Direct Connect (via private VIF) and VPN (via BGP). The engineer wants to ensure that traffic from the VPCs to on-premises prefers the Direct Connect path. What should the engineer do?
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 AS path prepending on the VPN BGP advertisements from on-premises
To prefer the Direct Connect path, the engineer should make the VPN path less preferred in BGP path selection. AS path prepending on the VPN BGP advertisements artificially increases the AS path length, making the VPN route less preferred compared to the Direct Connect route (which has a shorter AS path). Option A is incorrect because local preference is a BGP attribute typically set on the receiving router within an AS, not on the Transit Gateway; the Transit Gateway does not set local preference for routes received from on-premises. Option B is incorrect because you cannot decrease the AS path length below the actual path; the Direct Connect path already has the minimum path length. Option D is incorrect because setting a higher MED (Multi-Exit Discriminator) on the Direct Connect advertisements would make them less preferred (lower MED is better), which is the opposite of what is desired.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set a higher local preference on the Transit Gateway for Direct Connect routes
Why it's wrong here
Local preference is not propagated across BGP peers.
- ✗
Decrease the AS path length on the Direct Connect BGP advertisements
Why it's wrong here
Decreasing AS path makes Direct Connect more preferred, but the question asks for VPN backup preference.
- ✓
Configure AS path prepending on the VPN BGP advertisements from on-premises
Why this is correct
Longer AS path makes the VPN route less preferred.
- ✗
Set a higher MED on the Direct Connect BGP advertisements
Why it's wrong here
MED is compared only between routes from the same neighbor AS.
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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.