Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company serves versioned images from S3 through CloudFront. After a release, CloudFront origin fetches increased sharply and the monthly CloudFront bill went up. They reviewed CloudFront logs and found that many requests include a query string parameter `reqId` that is unique per request (for example, `...?v=2026-04-01&reqId=...`). The team currently forwards all query strings to the cache key. What change is most likely to reduce origin fetches and cost while keeping the versioned images correct?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
Update the CloudFront cache policy to ignore `reqId` and include only the stable `v` query string parameter in the cache key.
Because `reqId` is unique per request, including it in the cache key prevents cache reuse (each request maps to a different cache entry), resulting in frequent origin fetches. Excluding `reqId` and keeping only `v` allows many requests for the same version to share cached objects, reducing origin traffic and cost while preserving correct version behavior.
B
Distractor review
Lower the CloudFront minimum TTL to 0 seconds so cached objects revalidate more often, reducing origin fetch volume.
Setting TTLs closer to 0 typically increases revalidation/refresh frequency and can increase origin contact. It does not address the root cause here: cache key fragmentation caused by including a unique `reqId` value.
C
Distractor review
Set the S3 bucket to use compression and enable S3 Transfer Acceleration to reduce origin fetch charges.
The observed increase is driven by higher origin fetch *request* volume caused by poor cache key hit ratio. Compression and Transfer Acceleration may change payload size or transfer characteristics but do not fix the caching failure caused by `reqId` being part of the cache key.
D
Distractor review
Disable forwarding of the query string to the origin, but keep using the full query string (including `reqId`) in the cache key.
Even if CloudFront does not forward query strings to the origin, the cache key still determines cache reuse. If `reqId` remains part of the cache key, CloudFront will still create mostly unique cache entries, so origin fetches remain high.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
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Question 2
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Question 3
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Question 4
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Question 5
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Question 6
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Update the CloudFront cache policy to ignore `reqId` and include only the stable `v` query string parameter in the cache key. — This issue is primarily caused by cache key design. With `reqId` unique per request and included in the cache key, CloudFront experiences near-miss caching, which forces more origin fetches. Updating the cache policy to exclude `reqId` while including only the stable `v` parameter increases cache hit ratio, reduces origin fetch volume (and cost), and preserves correct versioned image delivery. Lowering TTLs generally increases revalidation and can increase origin contact. Compression/Transfer Acceleration do not solve cache-key fragmentation. Disabling origin forwarding does not help if `reqId` still participates in the cache key, because cache reuse remains low regardless of origin request content.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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