- A
Enable connection draining on the target group.
Connection draining ensures in-flight requests complete before an instance is deregistered, improving reliability during scaling events.
- B
Replace all instances with the same instance type.
Why wrong: While uniform instance size helps, it is not required if the routing algorithm accounts for load.
- C
Change the ALB routing algorithm from round robin to least outstanding requests.
Least outstanding requests distributes traffic based on current load, handling different instance capacities.
- D
Enable sticky sessions (session affinity) on the target group.
Why wrong: Sticky sessions bind a user to a specific instance, which can cause uneven distribution.
- E
Increase the deregistration delay (connection draining) on the target group to 300 seconds.
Why wrong: This helps with graceful deregistration but does not improve distribution.
Quick Answer
The answer is to change the ALB routing algorithm from round robin to least outstanding requests (LOR). This directly addresses the uneven load distribution across different-sized instances because LOR routes new traffic to the instance with the fewest pending requests, effectively balancing load based on each instance’s current capacity rather than a fixed schedule. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how ALB routing algorithms interact with heterogeneous instance sizes—a common trap is assuming sticky sessions or instance type uniformity are required, but LOR dynamically compensates for varying compute power. Remember that round robin treats all instances equally regardless of size, while LOR adapts to real-time demand. A useful memory tip: LOR stands for “Load On Request,” meaning the load balancer looks at the queue depth, not the instance label.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 runs a web application on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The application experiences high request latency during peak traffic. A solutions architect discovers that the ALB is not distributing traffic evenly across the instances. The instances have different sizes (t3.large and t3.xlarge). Which TWO actions should the solutions architect take to improve load distribution?
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
Enable connection draining on the target group.
Option A and Option D are correct. Changing the routing algorithm to least outstanding requests ensures that instances with fewer pending requests receive new traffic, balancing load based on current capacity. Enabling connection draining ensures that in-flight requests complete before an instance is deregistered, preventing abrupt termination. Option B is wrong because sticky sessions would cause uneven load. Option C is wrong because increasing the deregistration delay helps but doesn't improve distribution. Option E is wrong because using the same instance type does not address the imbalance caused by different sizes; LOR algorithm handles that.
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.
- ✓
Enable connection draining on the target group.
Why this is correct
Connection draining ensures in-flight requests complete before an instance is deregistered, improving reliability during scaling events.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Replace all instances with the same instance type.
Why it's wrong here
While uniform instance size helps, it is not required if the routing algorithm accounts for load.
- ✓
Change the ALB routing algorithm from round robin to least outstanding requests.
Why this is correct
Least outstanding requests distributes traffic based on current load, handling different instance capacities.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Enable sticky sessions (session affinity) on the target group.
Why it's wrong here
Sticky sessions bind a user to a specific instance, which can cause uneven distribution.
- ✗
Increase the deregistration delay (connection draining) on the target group to 300 seconds.
Why it's wrong here
This helps with graceful deregistration but does not improve distribution.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
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Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable connection draining on the target group. — Option A and Option D are correct. Changing the routing algorithm to least outstanding requests ensures that instances with fewer pending requests receive new traffic, balancing load based on current capacity. Enabling connection draining ensures that in-flight requests complete before an instance is deregistered, preventing abrupt termination. Option B is wrong because sticky sessions would cause uneven load. Option C is wrong because increasing the deregistration delay helps but doesn't improve distribution. Option E is wrong because using the same instance type does not address the imbalance caused by different sizes; LOR algorithm handles that.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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