The correct answer is to use Amazon CloudFront for both the S3 static website and the API Gateway endpoint. This combination reduces latency by caching static content at CloudFront’s global edge locations and accelerating API calls through the same distributed network, which minimizes round-trip time for users worldwide. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of CloudFront’s dual role as a CDN for S3 and as a reverse proxy for API Gateway, often contrasting it with S3 Transfer Acceleration, which only optimizes uploads, not API request latency. A common trap is choosing Global Accelerator, but that improves TCP performance for dynamic content, not static websites. Remember the memory tip: “CloudFront covers both the front and the back”—it accelerates the S3 frontend and the API backend from the same edge.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 company is hosting a static website on Amazon S3. The website uses JavaScript to make API calls to a backend API hosted on Amazon API Gateway. The company wants to reduce latency for users worldwide. Which combination of AWS services should the solutions architect use? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use CloudFront with API Gateway as an origin.
Option B and Option E are correct. CloudFront can be used as a CDN for both the S3 static website and to accelerate API calls via CloudFront with API Gateway as an origin. S3 Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads to S3, but for API calls, CloudFront is better. Option A is incorrect because S3 Transfer Acceleration is for uploads, not for latency reduction for API calls. Option C is incorrect because Global Accelerator improves TCP performance but is not typically used for static websites. Option D is incorrect because Lambda@Edge runs at CloudFront edge, but does not replace API Gateway.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Use CloudFront with API Gateway as an origin.
Why this is correct
This allows API calls to be served from edge locations.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Use AWS Global Accelerator for the S3 website.
Why it's wrong here
Global Accelerator is for TCP/UDP traffic, not static websites.
✗
Use Lambda@Edge to process API calls at the edge.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda@Edge runs code at edge, but the API still needs to be served from API Gateway.
✓
Use Amazon CloudFront for both the S3 website and the API Gateway endpoint.
Why this is correct
CloudFront provides edge caching and reduces latency globally.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Enable S3 Transfer Acceleration on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads, not general API calls.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use CloudFront with API Gateway as an origin. — Option B and Option E are correct. CloudFront can be used as a CDN for both the S3 static website and to accelerate API calls via CloudFront with API Gateway as an origin. S3 Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads to S3, but for API calls, CloudFront is better. Option A is incorrect because S3 Transfer Acceleration is for uploads, not for latency reduction for API calls. Option C is incorrect because Global Accelerator improves TCP performance but is not typically used for static websites. Option D is incorrect because Lambda@Edge runs at CloudFront edge, but does not replace API Gateway.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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