The answer is to use AWS Global Accelerator with the NLB as an endpoint and to assign Elastic IP addresses directly to the NLB. This works because Global Accelerator provides two static IP addresses that act as a fixed entry point, while assigning Elastic IPs to the NLB itself gives you dedicated, static public IPs for whitelisting—both approaches ensure the IPs do not change, unlike the dynamic IPs of an NLB’s nodes. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to decouple static IP requirements from underlying infrastructure, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly try to attach Elastic IPs to EC2 instances behind the NLB (which is unsupported) or use an Application Load Balancer. A key memory tip: think “Global Accelerator gives you two static IPs for any regional endpoint,” and remember that Elastic IPs attach to the NLB, not the instances—so “NLB gets the EIP, instances stay private.”
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 migrating a legacy application to AWS. The application requires static IP addresses for whitelisting by external partners. The company will use a Network Load Balancer (NLB) to distribute traffic to EC2 instances. Which TWO actions should the company take to provide static IP addresses for the partners to whitelist?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Assign Elastic IP addresses to the Network Load Balancer.
Options B and D are correct because assigning an Elastic IP to the NLB provides static IPs, and using a Global Accelerator provides two static IPs. Option A is wrong because it doesn't provide static IPs. Option C is wrong because it's for ALB, not NLB. Option E is wrong because EIPs cannot be attached to instances behind NLB directly.
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.
✗
Attach an Elastic IP to each EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
Instances behind NLB should not have public IPs; NLB handles traffic.
✓
Assign Elastic IP addresses to the Network Load Balancer.
Why this is correct
NLB supports Elastic IP per AZ, providing static IPs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure an Application Load Balancer instead of NLB.
Why it's wrong here
ALB does not support Elastic IP assignment.
✗
Use AWS WAF to allow traffic from the partners' IP ranges.
Use AWS Global Accelerator with the NLB as an endpoint.
Why this is correct
Global Accelerator provides two static IPs that route to the NLB.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Assign Elastic IP addresses to the Network Load Balancer. — Options B and D are correct because assigning an Elastic IP to the NLB provides static IPs, and using a Global Accelerator provides two static IPs. Option A is wrong because it doesn't provide static IPs. Option C is wrong because it's for ALB, not NLB. Option E is wrong because EIPs cannot be attached to instances behind NLB directly.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 company is migrating a legacy application to AWS. The application requires a fixed IP address for whitelisting by a third-party service. The application will run on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. The company needs a solution that provides a static IP address for outbound traffic. What should a solutions architect do?
hard
A.Replace the ALB with a Network Load Balancer and assign Elastic IPs.
B.Assign an Elastic IP address to the Application Load Balancer.
✓ C.Place the EC2 instances in a private subnet and route outbound traffic through a NAT Gateway with an Elastic IP.
D.Attach an Internet Gateway to the VPC and assign an Elastic IP to it.
Why C: Option D is correct because a NAT Gateway in a public subnet with an Elastic IP provides a static IP for outbound traffic from private instances. Option A is wrong because ALBs do not have Elastic IPs; they use dynamic IPs. Option B is wrong while an NLB can have static IPs, it is for inbound traffic, not outbound. Option C is wrong because an Internet Gateway does not provide a static IP; it is a routing target.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
Question Discussion
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This SAP-C02 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 SAP-C02 exam.
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