- A
Create a single Route 53 record using weighted routing across both ALBs with weights adjusted manually during an incident.
Why wrong: Weighted routing does not automatically detect health conditions and shift traffic based on impairment without manual intervention.
- B
Use Route 53 failover routing with a primary record pointing to the us-east-1 ALB and a secondary record pointing to the us-west-2 ALB, each using health checks.
Failover routing with health checks enables automatic switching of DNS responses when the primary endpoint fails health evaluation.
- C
Use latency-based routing so Route 53 always selects the fastest region; health checks are unnecessary because client latency reflects availability.
Why wrong: Latency-based routing selects based on performance, not health, and does not guarantee failover when the primary region is unhealthy.
- D
Use a single A record with a static IP address that points to a NAT gateway, and update that IP during failure events.
Why wrong: Static IPs and NAT gateways are not an appropriate mechanism for regional ALB failover, and updating during incidents is manual.
SAA-C03 Design Resilient Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design resilient architectures. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. A key principle to apply: route 53 failover routing supports active-passive disaster recovery.. 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 SaaS platform serves an API using two regional deployments: us-east-1 (primary) and us-west-2 (secondary). Each region has its own ALB. The business requires automated DNS-based failover when the primary region becomes unhealthy, and they do not want manual DNS changes during incidents.
Which Route 53 configuration is the best match?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Use Route 53 failover routing with a primary record pointing to the us-east-1 ALB and a secondary record pointing to the us-west-2 ALB, each using health checks.
Route 53 failover routing is designed specifically for active-passive failover scenarios where you have a primary and secondary resource. By associating health checks with each record, Route 53 automatically detects when the primary ALB in us-east-1 becomes unhealthy and routes traffic to the secondary ALB in us-west-2 without manual intervention. This meets the requirement for automated DNS-based failover without manual DNS changes.
Key principle: Route 53 failover routing supports active-passive disaster recovery.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a single Route 53 record using weighted routing across both ALBs with weights adjusted manually during an incident.
Why it's wrong here
Weighted routing does not automatically detect health conditions and shift traffic based on impairment without manual intervention.
- ✓
Use Route 53 failover routing with a primary record pointing to the us-east-1 ALB and a secondary record pointing to the us-west-2 ALB, each using health checks.
Why this is correct
Failover routing with health checks enables automatic switching of DNS responses when the primary endpoint fails health evaluation.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Route 53 failover routing supports active-passive disaster recovery.
- ✗
Use latency-based routing so Route 53 always selects the fastest region; health checks are unnecessary because client latency reflects availability.
Why it's wrong here
Latency-based routing selects based on performance, not health, and does not guarantee failover when the primary region is unhealthy.
- ✗
Use a single A record with a static IP address that points to a NAT gateway, and update that IP during failure events.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse latency-based routing with failover routing, assuming that lowest latency implies health, but latency routing does not consider endpoint health and will continue sending traffic to an unhealthy region if it is still the fastest.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Route 53 failover routing uses DNS-level health checks that monitor the endpoint (e.g., ALB) via HTTP/HTTPS or TCP. When the primary health check fails, Route 53 automatically returns the secondary record's IP in DNS responses, with a TTL typically set low (e.g., 60 seconds) to speed up failover. This mechanism relies on the DNS resolver caching behavior, so failover is not instantaneous but occurs within the TTL window, which is acceptable for most SaaS applications.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Route 53 failover routing supports active-passive disaster recovery.
- Health checks are essential for automated failover detection.
- Primary and secondary record sets define the failover order.
- Route 53 automatically shifts traffic upon primary endpoint health check failure.
TExam Day Tips
- 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
Route 53 failover routing supports active-passive disaster recovery.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review route 53 failover routing supports active-passive disaster recovery., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design Resilient Architectures — This question tests Design Resilient Architectures — Route 53 failover routing supports active-passive disaster recovery..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Route 53 failover routing with a primary record pointing to the us-east-1 ALB and a secondary record pointing to the us-west-2 ALB, each using health checks. — Route 53 failover routing is designed specifically for active-passive failover scenarios where you have a primary and secondary resource. By associating health checks with each record, Route 53 automatically detects when the primary ALB in us-east-1 becomes unhealthy and routes traffic to the secondary ALB in us-west-2 without manual intervention. This meets the requirement for automated DNS-based failover without manual DNS changes.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Review route 53 failover routing supports active-passive disaster recovery., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best", "primary". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Route 53 failover routing supports active-passive disaster recovery.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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