Question 1hardmulti select
Full question →hardmulti selectObjective-mapped
Multiple EC2 instances in different Availability Zones need concurrent read/write access to the same shared files. The files are actively modified by several application servers, and low-latency metadata operations matter more than extremely high aggregate throughput. Which two changes should the team make? Select two.
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
Use Amazon EFS instead of EBS or S3 for the shared file system.
Amazon EFS is the managed AWS file service built for shared POSIX-style file access from multiple instances. It supports concurrent read/write access from many EC2 hosts and is a better fit than EBS, which is attached to a single instance, or S3, which provides object storage rather than a native shared filesystem. For an application that expects standard filesystem semantics, EFS is the correct storage layer.
B
Best answer
Create EFS mount targets in every Availability Zone that hosts application instances.
Mount targets in each active Availability Zone provide local network entry points to the file system for instances in that AZ. This improves availability and avoids unnecessary cross-AZ traffic for file access. In a multi-AZ application, placing mount targets wherever the workload runs is the standard design for efficient and resilient EFS connectivity.
C
Distractor review
Use a single EBS Multi-Attach volume mounted read/write by all instances across AZs.
EBS Multi-Attach is not a general-purpose multi-AZ shared filesystem for application servers. It has service limitations and is not the correct service for many instances requiring concurrent shared file access across AZs. EFS is the AWS-managed option designed for this use case.
D
Distractor review
Store the files in S3 and mount them directly through the console as a shared network filesystem.
S3 is object storage, not a native shared filesystem with standard POSIX semantics. It does not provide the same low-latency metadata behavior or filesystem-level concurrent read/write model that application servers expect. This option does not satisfy the workload requirements.
E
Distractor review
Place the files on instance store volumes so each server has faster local access.
Instance store is local to a single EC2 instance and is ephemeral. That means each server would have its own isolated copy of the data, which breaks the requirement for a shared filesystem across multiple instances. It also risks data loss if an instance stops or terminates.
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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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 instead of EBS or S3 for the shared file system. — The correct design is Amazon EFS with mount targets in every Availability Zone that hosts application instances. EFS provides shared file semantics for multiple EC2 instances at the same time, which matches the concurrent read/write requirement. Mount targets in each AZ provide efficient, local access paths and better availability for a multi-AZ application. EBS is not a practical multi-instance, multi-AZ shared filesystem, S3 is object storage rather than POSIX file storage, and instance store is local and ephemeral. Those alternatives fail either the shared-access requirement, the filesystem-semantic requirement, or the durability requirement. For this scenario, EFS is the only AWS-managed storage service that fits.
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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