The correct answer is to enable source IP stickiness on the NLB target group. This configuration ensures session persistence by anchoring all traffic from a given client IP address to the same backend EC2 instance, which is essential for stateful applications that maintain in-memory session data. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Network Load Balancers handle stateful traffic at layer 4, where cookie-based stickiness is not available—that is an Application Load Balancer feature. A common trap is confusing NLB stickiness with ALB features or assuming cross-zone load balancing affects persistence; in reality, source IP stickiness directly solves the problem of clients losing sessions after scaling events. Memory tip: think of NLB as the “IP anchor”—it locks the client’s source IP to a single target, keeping the session state firmly in place.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 stateful application on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group behind a Network Load Balancer (NLB). The application requires that client sessions are maintained to the same instance. The operations team notices that after scaling events, some clients lose their sessions. Which configuration change should the team implement to ensure session persistence?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable source IP stickiness on the NLB target group.
Option B is correct because NLB supports target group stickiness based on the source IP address, which is the appropriate method for stateful applications. Option A is wrong because ALB is not used with NLB. Option C is wrong because the NLB itself does not support cookie-based stickiness; that is an ALB feature. Option D is wrong because disabling cross-zone load balancing does not ensure stickiness.
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.
✗
Disable cross-zone load balancing on the NLB.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling cross-zone does not maintain session stickiness.
✗
Enable cookie-based stickiness on the NLB listener.
Why it's wrong here
NLB does not support cookie-based stickiness; that is an ALB feature.
✗
Switch to an Application Load Balancer and enable cookie-based stickiness.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the load balancer type may not be desirable; NLB supports source IP stickiness.
✓
Enable source IP stickiness on the NLB target group.
Why this is correct
NLB target groups support source IP stickiness for stateful applications.
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: Enable source IP stickiness on the NLB target group. — Option B is correct because NLB supports target group stickiness based on the source IP address, which is the appropriate method for stateful applications. Option A is wrong because ALB is not used with NLB. Option C is wrong because the NLB itself does not support cookie-based stickiness; that is an ALB feature. Option D is wrong because disabling cross-zone load balancing does not ensure stickiness.
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.
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Question Discussion
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