Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
Current deployment summary: - 48 EC2 instances run a tightly coupled simulation engine. - Instances are spread across us-east-1a and us-east-1b. - Each worker exchanges small TCP messages every 5-10 ms with all other workers. - Measured east-west RTT: 4.9 ms average, 17.2 ms p95. - The application owner states that the workload can run in a single Availability Zone if that improves performance. - No external clients access the cluster directly.
Based on the exhibit, what change should the team make to achieve the lowest possible network latency for the distributed workload?
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
Place the instances in a spread placement group across multiple Availability Zones.
Spread placement groups are designed to reduce correlated failure risk, not to minimize latency between tightly coupled nodes. Spreading instances across Availability Zones also adds network distance and does not improve east-west communication. This would make the cluster more resilient in some cases, but it works against the stated performance goal.
B
Best answer
Move the workload into a cluster placement group in one Availability Zone.
Cluster placement groups place instances physically close together inside one Availability Zone, which is the best AWS option for workloads that need low-latency, high-bandwidth communication between many nodes. The exhibit explicitly says the workload can run in a single AZ if performance improves. That makes cluster placement groups the right fit.
C
Distractor review
Add an Application Load Balancer in front of the workers to reduce inter-node latency.
An Application Load Balancer helps distribute client traffic to application targets, but it does not reduce latency between worker nodes that are already talking to each other directly. It would introduce another hop for incoming traffic and does nothing to change physical placement of the instances.
D
Distractor review
Increase the EC2 instance size while keeping the current multi-AZ layout.
Larger instances may improve CPU or memory headroom, but they do not solve the core issue shown in the exhibit: network latency between workers. The RTT problem is caused by placement and topology, not lack of compute capacity. Keeping the current AZ spread preserves the latency penalty.
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
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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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Move the workload into a cluster placement group in one Availability Zone. — A cluster placement group is the AWS feature specifically intended for workloads that need instances packed close together for very low latency and high throughput. The exhibit says the nodes can run in a single Availability Zone, which is important because cluster placement groups do not span AZs. This change directly addresses the measured inter-node RTT problem without adding unnecessary components or redesigning the application. Why others are wrong: Spread placement groups optimize fault isolation, not speed. An ALB is for external traffic distribution and adds no benefit to node-to-node messaging. A larger instance may help local processing but will not materially reduce network RTT if the nodes remain spread across Availability Zones.
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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