Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A media processing service runs ECS tasks in multiple Availability Zones. Each task must read and write the same shared filesystem with low latency because tasks stream intermediate artifacts to other tasks. The team currently mounts an EBS volume per task, and cross-AZ tasks frequently cannot see each other’s files. Which option best resolves the shared filesystem requirement while supporting high-performing access?
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
Keep using EBS, but attach the same EBS volume to tasks in multiple Availability Zones using EBS multi-attach so all tasks share the filesystem.
EBS volumes are tied to a specific Availability Zone. Even though multi-attach can allow multiple EC2 instances to attach the same EBS volume concurrently (within constraints), it does not create a cross-AZ shared filesystem. Additionally, EBS multi-attach does not provide an NFS-like shared filesystem semantics for concurrent access from tasks as described.
B
Best answer
Use Amazon EFS with mount targets in each Availability Zone so all tasks mount a common NFS filesystem over the AWS network.
EFS is designed for shared, NFS-like file storage that can be mounted concurrently from compute resources across multiple Availability Zones. By creating mount targets in each AZ used by the ECS tasks, you enable low-latency network access patterns so tasks can read and write the same shared filesystem reliably.
C
Distractor review
Use Amazon S3 for the intermediate artifacts and rely on S3 event notifications to emulate POSIX file operations.
S3 is object storage, not a POSIX-style shared filesystem. Even with event notifications, S3 does not provide the same semantics as mounting a directory and performing frequent low-latency reads/writes as tasks stream artifacts to each other.
D
Distractor review
Switch to instance store on each task and use SQS messages between tasks to copy intermediate artifacts.
Instance store is ephemeral and not intended for shared, persistent intermediate artifacts across tasks. SQS is a messaging/coordination layer and does not provide filesystem access, so this approach adds copy/serialization overhead and does not meet the shared low-latency filesystem requirement.
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 5
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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: Use Amazon EFS with mount targets in each Availability Zone so all tasks mount a common NFS filesystem over the AWS network. — Choose Amazon EFS. EFS provides a managed NFS-like shared filesystem that multiple ECS tasks can mount concurrently, including across Availability Zones. Creating mount targets in each AZ used by the tasks ensures each task can connect to the filesystem using an AZ-local endpoint, supporting low-latency shared access. EBS is block storage scoped to a single Availability Zone and is not a general-purpose cross-AZ shared filesystem for concurrent file access between tasks. Why others are wrong: EBS (including multi-attach) cannot provide a cross-AZ shared filesystem because EBS volumes are Availability-Zone scoped. S3 is object storage and does not emulate the directory-based POSIX semantics needed for low-latency shared streaming access. Instance store is ephemeral, and SQS does not replace shared filesystem access—it only coordinates events/messages between tasks.
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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