← SAA-C03·Amazon Web Services

Question 801 of 1,040

Design High-Performing Architectures →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is to update the CloudFront cache policy so that the 'sessionId' query parameter is excluded from the cache key. This works because CloudFront uses the cache key to determine if a request is a hit or a miss; when a volatile parameter like 'sessionId' is included, every unique value creates a separate cached object, even though the underlying image content is identical. By removing 'sessionId' from the cache key, all requests for the same image—regardless of the session identifier—will map to a single cached object, dramatically improving the cache hit ratio and reducing load on the S3 origin. On the SAA-C03 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cache optimization and the difference between cache policies and origin request policies; a common trap is to suggest forwarding the parameter to the origin instead of excluding it from the key. Memory tip: think of the cache key as a filing cabinet—if every user’s sessionId is a different drawer, you’ll never find the same file twice.

SAA-C03 Design High-Performing Architectures Practice Question

This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design high-performing 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. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. 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 team serves image files from S3 through CloudFront. During a performance review, they notice that CloudFront cache hit ratio is low and the S3 origin receives many repeated requests for the same images. Request URLs include a volatile query parameter called 'sessionId' that changes for each user, but the image content is identical regardless of 'sessionId'. What configuration change will most effectively increase cache hit ratio?

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
Update the CloudFront cache policy so that 'sessionId' is not included in the cache key (and only stable query parameters are used).
Removing volatile query parameters from the cache key prevents unique URLs from generating separate cache entries.
B
Enable origin request policy to forward all query strings to S3 so responses are always correct for every sessionId.
Why wrong: Forwarding all query strings increases cache key variety and reduces hit ratio, even when content is identical.
C
Set the CloudFront minimum TTL to 0 seconds so cached objects expire quickly and fetch fresh content more often.
Why wrong: Short TTL values reduce cache residency time and generally lower hit ratio, worsening origin load.
D
Disable caching by using CloudFront managed caching disabled so that every request validates with the origin.
Why wrong: Disabling caching forces origin access on every request, directly contradicting the goal of higher hit ratio.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Update the CloudFront cache policy so that 'sessionId' is not included in the cache key (and only stable query parameters are used).

The low cache hit ratio is caused by the volatile 'sessionId' query parameter being included in the CloudFront cache key, which creates a unique cache entry for every user request even though the image content is identical. By updating the cache policy to exclude 'sessionId' from the cache key, CloudFront will treat all requests for the same image as the same cached object, dramatically increasing the cache hit ratio and reducing load on the S3 origin.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✓
Update the CloudFront cache policy so that 'sessionId' is not included in the cache key (and only stable query parameters are used).
Why this is correct
Removing volatile query parameters from the cache key prevents unique URLs from generating separate cache entries.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable origin request policy to forward all query strings to S3 so responses are always correct for every sessionId.
Why it's wrong here
Forwarding all query strings increases cache key variety and reduces hit ratio, even when content is identical.
✗
Set the CloudFront minimum TTL to 0 seconds so cached objects expire quickly and fetch fresh content more often.
Why it's wrong here
Short TTL values reduce cache residency time and generally lower hit ratio, worsening origin load.
✗
Disable caching by using CloudFront managed caching disabled so that every request validates with the origin.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling caching forces origin access on every request, directly contradicting the goal of higher hit ratio.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates may confuse the purpose of cache policies (which control the cache key) with origin request policies (which control what is forwarded to the origin), leading them to incorrectly choose Option B thinking that forwarding query strings will fix the issue, when in fact it does not affect the cache key.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

CloudFront cache keys are defined by the cache policy, which specifies which query parameters, headers, and cookies are included in the key. By default, CloudFront includes all query parameters in the cache key unless explicitly configured otherwise. Excluding 'sessionId' from the cache key means CloudFront will serve the same cached image to all users regardless of their session ID, leveraging the fact that the image content is identical. This is a common optimization for static assets where query parameters are used for tracking or analytics but do not affect the response content.

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.

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

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SAA-C03 question test?

Design High-Performing Architectures — This question tests Design High-Performing Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Update the CloudFront cache policy so that 'sessionId' is not included in the cache key (and only stable query parameters are used). — The low cache hit ratio is caused by the volatile 'sessionId' query parameter being included in the CloudFront cache key, which creates a unique cache entry for every user request even though the image content is identical. By updating the cache policy to exclude 'sessionId' from the cache key, CloudFront will treat all requests for the same image as the same cached object, dramatically increasing the cache hit ratio and reducing load on the S3 origin.

What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

About these practice questions

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on SAA-C03

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. A marketing team uses CloudFront with an S3 origin to serve a single-page web app. After a release, CloudFront cache hit ratio dropped sharply. The app requests the same static JS and CSS assets, but each request includes a unique tracking query parameter (for example, ?utm_source=campaign123, campaign456, etc.). You want CloudFront to cache those assets efficiently even when the tracking query parameter changes. What should you do?

medium

A.Create a cache policy that forwards the query string to the origin and varies the cache key by all query parameters.
✓ B.Update the CloudFront cache policy so the cache key ignores the tracking query parameter, while still using the path and other essential headers.
C.Enable S3 origin access control and keep the existing default cache policy, because origin access changes caching behavior automatically.
D.Set the CloudFront Time-to-Live (TTL) to 0 seconds to ensure the origin always serves the latest asset content.

Why B: Option B is correct because CloudFront's cache key determines whether a request is served from the cache or forwarded to the origin. By configuring a cache policy that ignores the tracking query parameter (e.g., utm_source), CloudFront treats all requests for the same asset path as identical, regardless of the unique tracking parameter. This allows the same JS and CSS files to be cached once and served for all campaign variations, restoring the cache hit ratio.

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This SAA-C03 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SAA-C03 exam.