- A
Use TCP listener on port 443 and forward to instances on port 80. Enable proxy protocol v2.
Why wrong: Network Load Balancer would be needed for TCP, but ALB is required for HTTP features.
- B
Use TCP listener on port 443 and forward to instances on port 443. Install SSL certificate on instances.
Why wrong: SSL termination on instances adds management overhead and does not preserve client IP in logs unless configured.
- C
Use HTTPS listener on port 443, provide the SSL certificate, and forward to instances on port 443. Disable proxy protocol.
Why wrong: Instances would need to handle SSL again, and client IP may not be preserved.
- D
Use HTTPS listener on port 443, provide the SSL certificate, and forward to instances on port 80. Enable X-Forwarded-For header.
ALB terminates SSL and passes client IP via X-Forwarded-For.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new 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 is designing a highly available application on AWS that uses an Application Load Balancer (ALB) in front of an Auto Scaling group of EC2 instances. The application requires that the client's IP address be preserved in the application logs. The company also needs to perform SSL termination at the load balancer. How should the company configure the ALB to meet these requirements?
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
Use HTTPS listener on port 443, provide the SSL certificate, and forward to instances on port 80. Enable X-Forwarded-For header.
Option D is correct because using an HTTPS listener on port 443 with SSL termination at the ALB allows the load balancer to decrypt traffic and forward it as HTTP on port 80. The X-Forwarded-For header is automatically added by the ALB to preserve the original client IP address in the application logs, meeting both requirements without additional configuration.
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.
- ✗
Use TCP listener on port 443 and forward to instances on port 80. Enable proxy protocol v2.
Why it's wrong here
Network Load Balancer would be needed for TCP, but ALB is required for HTTP features.
- ✗
Use TCP listener on port 443 and forward to instances on port 443. Install SSL certificate on instances.
Why it's wrong here
SSL termination on instances adds management overhead and does not preserve client IP in logs unless configured.
- ✗
Use HTTPS listener on port 443, provide the SSL certificate, and forward to instances on port 443. Disable proxy protocol.
Why it's wrong here
Instances would need to handle SSL again, and client IP may not be preserved.
- ✓
Use HTTPS listener on port 443, provide the SSL certificate, and forward to instances on port 80. Enable X-Forwarded-For header.
Why this is correct
ALB terminates SSL and passes client IP via X-Forwarded-For.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse TCP listeners with proxy protocol v2 as the only way to preserve client IP, overlooking that HTTPS listeners automatically provide the X-Forwarded-For header for client IP preservation when SSL termination is performed at the load balancer.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The ALB automatically inserts the X-Forwarded-For header when using HTTP/HTTPS listeners, containing the original client IP address. SSL termination at the load balancer offloads the cryptographic overhead from EC2 instances, improving performance and simplifying certificate management. In a real-world scenario, if the application requires end-to-end encryption, SSL termination at the load balancer would not be appropriate, but the question explicitly states SSL termination at the load balancer is required.
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.
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
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use HTTPS listener on port 443, provide the SSL certificate, and forward to instances on port 80. Enable X-Forwarded-For header. — Option D is correct because using an HTTPS listener on port 443 with SSL termination at the ALB allows the load balancer to decrypt traffic and forward it as HTTP on port 80. The X-Forwarded-For header is automatically added by the ALB to preserve the original client IP address in the application logs, meeting both requirements without additional configuration.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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