Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A legacy market-data service runs on EC2 and exposes a custom TCP protocol. Clients must connect over TCP with very low latency, and the team wants static IP addresses at the load-balancing layer. Which AWS service is the best fit?
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
Distractor review
Application Load Balancer, because it provides advanced routing for all protocols.
An Application Load Balancer is designed for HTTP and HTTPS traffic, not arbitrary TCP protocols. It can do content-based routing for web workloads, but it does not meet the requirement for a custom TCP service with static IPs and minimal latency. Using ALB would mismatch the protocol and the performance profile of the application.
B
Best answer
Network Load Balancer, because it supports TCP, static IPs, and very low latency.
A Network Load Balancer is the best fit for a custom TCP service that needs extremely low latency and static IP addresses. NLB operates at Layer 4, preserves high throughput, and is commonly used when protocol simplicity and performance matter more than application-layer routing features. It matches the workload's network requirements without adding unnecessary HTTP-specific behavior.
C
Distractor review
Amazon API Gateway, because it can front any network protocol with throttling.
API Gateway is focused on API management for HTTP-based request/response patterns, not arbitrary TCP protocols. It provides useful controls such as throttling and authorization, but it is not a drop-in solution for a low-latency custom TCP service. The protocol mismatch makes it the wrong tool for this use case.
D
Distractor review
Amazon CloudFront, because it can route traffic to EC2 instances at the edge.
CloudFront is an edge content delivery network optimized for caching and accelerating HTTP and HTTPS content. It is not a general TCP load balancer and cannot directly satisfy a custom TCP protocol requirement. While it can improve web delivery, it does not provide the static IP and Layer 4 behavior this service needs.
Common exam trap
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.
Technical deep dive
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.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A team needs to distribute TCP traffic (not HTTP) across multiple services. The services must see the original client source IP for auditing. Which AWS load balancer is the best fit?
Question 2
A team wants to run containerized services with AWS-managed orchestration and autoscaling. They do NOT require Kubernetes compatibility. Which AWS service choice is most appropriate to meet these goals?
Question 3
A solutions architect is designing an S3 bucket for a IoT ingestion API. The objects must never be publicly accessible, even if a developer later adds an overly broad bucket policy. What should the architect configure? The design must avoid adding custom operational scripts.
Question 4
A solutions architect is designing an S3 bucket for a claims portal. The objects must never be publicly accessible, even if a developer later adds an overly broad bucket policy. What should the architect configure?
Question 5
A team wants to delegate IAM management to developers, but must ensure developers can never grant themselves permissions beyond a specific limit. Which AWS mechanism best matches this requirement?
Question 6
A solutions architect is designing an S3 bucket for a healthcare document service. The objects must never be publicly accessible, even if a developer later adds an overly broad bucket policy. What should the architect configure?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Network Load Balancer, because it supports TCP, static IPs, and very low latency. — Network Load Balancer is the correct choice because the service uses a custom TCP protocol and needs both low latency and static IPs. NLB is built for Layer 4 traffic and high-performance connections, which makes it a strong fit for non-HTTP workloads. It avoids the extra application-layer processing that an ALB would introduce and aligns with the protocol and performance goals described in the scenario. Why others are wrong: ALB is great for HTTP/HTTPS routing, but not custom TCP protocols. API Gateway manages APIs, not arbitrary TCP connections. CloudFront accelerates web content delivery and caching, but it is not a TCP load balancer and does not satisfy the static IP requirement in the same way. For low-latency TCP services, NLB is the clear match.
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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