- A
Amazon EFS with mount targets in multiple Availability Zones
EFS is regional file storage and supports mount targets across AZs.
- B
S3 mounted as a POSIX file system without a file gateway
Why wrong: S3 is object storage and does not provide native POSIX shared file semantics.
- C
Instance store volumes
Why wrong: Instance store is ephemeral and tied to a single instance.
- D
An EBS volume attached to all instances
Why wrong: A standard EBS volume is zonal and cannot be attached broadly as shared file storage.
Question 333 of 1,040
SAA-C03 Design Resilient Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design resilient architectures. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS (NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1) file system.. 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 warehouse integration service must use shared file storage across Linux EC2 instances in multiple Availability Zones. The storage must remain available during an AZ failure. Which service should be used? The architecture review board prefers a managed AWS-native control.
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
✓
Amazon EFS with mount targets in multiple Availability Zones
Amazon EFS provides a fully managed, NFS-based shared file system that can be mounted concurrently by multiple Linux EC2 instances across different Availability Zones. By creating mount targets in each AZ, the file system remains accessible even if one AZ fails, as traffic is automatically routed to the surviving mount targets. This meets the requirement for shared, resilient storage with a managed AWS-native control plane.
Key principle: Amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS (NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1) file system.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Amazon EFS with mount targets in multiple Availability Zones
Why this is correct
EFS is regional file storage and supports mount targets across AZs.
Related concept
Amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS (NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1) file system.
- ✗
S3 mounted as a POSIX file system without a file gateway
Why it's wrong here
S3 is object storage and does not provide native POSIX shared file semantics.
- ✗
Instance store volumes
Why it's wrong here
Instance store is ephemeral and tied to a single instance.
- ✗
An EBS volume attached to all instances
Why it's wrong here
A standard EBS volume is zonal and cannot be attached broadly as shared file storage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse EBS Multi-Attach (which is limited to a single AZ and specific instance types) with the cross-AZ shared file system capability of EFS, or incorrectly assume S3 with a FUSE mount can replace a POSIX-compliant file system.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
EFS uses the NFSv4.1 protocol and leverages AWS Global File System to replicate data across multiple AZs within a region, providing strong read-after-write consistency. Under the hood, each mount target is an IP address in a VPC subnet that routes NFS traffic to the EFS file system’s distributed storage backend; during an AZ failure, DNS-based or client-side failover can redirect to a mount target in a healthy AZ. A real-world scenario is a containerized application using EFS for persistent shared storage across ECS tasks in different AZs, where the file system remains available even if one AZ’s mount target goes down.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS (NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1) file system.
- EFS provides shared file storage accessible by multiple EC2 instances concurrently.
- EFS is a regional service, supporting mount targets across multiple Availability Zones.
- Data stored in EFS is highly durable and available, designed to withstand an AZ 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
Amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS (NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1) file system.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS (NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1) file system., 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 — Amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS (NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1) file system..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon EFS with mount targets in multiple Availability Zones — Amazon EFS provides a fully managed, NFS-based shared file system that can be mounted concurrently by multiple Linux EC2 instances across different Availability Zones. By creating mount targets in each AZ, the file system remains accessible even if one AZ fails, as traffic is automatically routed to the surviving mount targets. This meets the requirement for shared, resilient storage with a managed AWS-native control plane.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Review amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS (NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1) file system., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS (NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1) file system.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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