Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
Network design excerpt: VPC: 10.40.0.0/16 Private subnet route table: - 10.40.0.0/16 local - 0.0.0.0/0 -> nat-0c91f2a7d3b1e3 Instance behavior: - patching scripts fail when downloading packages from S3 - AWS Systems Manager Session Manager shows: 'Target not connected' - Security team wants to remove NAT gateway usage for these workloads
Based on the exhibit, what is the best way to let private EC2 instances reach Amazon S3 and AWS Systems Manager without sending traffic through the internet or a NAT gateway?
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
Create a gateway endpoint for S3 and interface endpoints for Systems Manager, EC2Messages, and SSMMessages.
This keeps traffic on the AWS network and avoids NAT or internet traversal. S3 uses a gateway endpoint, while Systems Manager needs interface endpoints for the control and messaging services that Session Manager depends on. It directly addresses both the S3 download problem and the missing Session Manager connectivity in a private subnet design.
B
Distractor review
Add a more permissive security group rule allowing outbound 0.0.0.0/0 on all ports.
Security groups control instance traffic, but they do not provide private service connectivity. Outbound internet access would still require a route through NAT or an internet gateway.
C
Distractor review
Replace the NAT gateway with a network ACL that allows ephemeral ports to the internet.
A network ACL is stateless filtering, not a connectivity mechanism. It cannot provide private access to AWS services.
D
Distractor review
Move the instances to public subnets so they can reach AWS services directly.
Public subnets would expose the instances to internet routing, which conflicts with the requirement to avoid internet traversal.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
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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
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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
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Question 4
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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?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a gateway endpoint for S3 and interface endpoints for Systems Manager, EC2Messages, and SSMMessages. — For private workloads that need S3 and Systems Manager access without internet traversal, VPC endpoints are the right solution. S3 should use a gateway endpoint because it is optimized for private access to S3. Systems Manager requires interface endpoints for SSM, EC2Messages, and SSMMessages so Session Manager and patch workflows can operate privately. This removes NAT dependency and keeps traffic on the AWS backbone. Why others are wrong: Security groups and network ACLs only filter traffic; they do not create private service paths. Replacing NAT with a NACL is not possible because NACLs are not a connectivity service. Moving instances to public subnets would restore internet reachability, but it violates the stated security objective of keeping traffic off the internet.
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.
Discussion
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