The correct answer is to provision a second Direct Connect connection at a different location and to use BGP with multiple virtual interfaces for active-active or active-passive failover. This ensures Direct Connect high availability by eliminating single points of failure: a second connection at a separate AWS Direct Connect location provides physical path redundancy, while BGP enables dynamic routing to automatically reroute traffic if one link or virtual interface fails. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that true redundancy requires both diverse physical infrastructure and protocol-level resilience; a common trap is assuming a VPN backup alone suffices for Direct Connect high availability, but VPN is a separate backup for the entire hybrid network, not a redundancy mechanism for the Direct Connect link itself. Remember the memory tip: “Two locations, two BGP sessions—never one path for your connections.”
ANS-C01 Network Implementation Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network implementation. 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 migrating its on-premises data center to AWS using Direct Connect and a VPN connection as backup. The company has multiple VPCs connected via a Transit Gateway. They want to ensure high availability for the Direct Connect connection. Which TWO actions should be taken? (Choose TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure BGP with multiple virtual interfaces on the Direct Connect connections
Option A and Option D are correct. Option A: A second Direct Connect connection provides physical redundancy. Option D: Using BGP with multiple virtual interfaces allows active-active or active-passive failover. Option B is incorrect because a VPN connection is already in place as backup, but for Direct Connect high availability, you need redundant connections. Option C is incorrect because a single Direct Connect location is a single point of failure; you need two separate locations. Option E is incorrect because increasing bandwidth does not provide redundancy.
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.
✗
Replace the VPN backup with a second Direct Connect connection
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect; the VPN is a backup, but for Direct Connect HA, you need two Direct Connect connections.
✗
Enable jumbo frames on the Direct Connect connection
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect; jumbo frames improve performance but not availability.
✗
Use a single Direct Connect connection but with higher bandwidth
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect; higher bandwidth does not provide redundancy.
✓
Configure BGP with multiple virtual interfaces on the Direct Connect connections
Why this is correct
Correct; BGP allows dynamic failover between virtual interfaces.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Provision a second Direct Connect connection at a different location
Why this is correct
Correct; redundant connections at different locations prevent single points of failure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which ANS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Network Implementation — This question tests Network Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure BGP with multiple virtual interfaces on the Direct Connect connections — Option A and Option D are correct. Option A: A second Direct Connect connection provides physical redundancy. Option D: Using BGP with multiple virtual interfaces allows active-active or active-passive failover. Option B is incorrect because a VPN connection is already in place as backup, but for Direct Connect high availability, you need redundant connections. Option C is incorrect because a single Direct Connect location is a single point of failure; you need two separate locations. Option E is incorrect because increasing bandwidth does not provide redundancy.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which ANS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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