- A
Amazon API Gateway
Why wrong: API Gateway is for creating REST APIs, not internal service discovery.
- B
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
Why wrong: NLB operates at layer 4, not application layer.
- C
AWS Cloud Map
Cloud Map provides service discovery for dynamic resources.
- D
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
ALB provides application-layer load balancing and routing.
- E
Amazon Route 53
Why wrong: Route 53 is a DNS service, not for service discovery.
Question 52 of 1,746
Service Discovery and Application Load Balancing with Cloud Map and ALB
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 designing a microservices architecture using Amazon ECS with Fargate. The services need to communicate with each other. The company wants to implement service discovery and load balancing at the application layer. Which TWO services should the company use?
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
✓
AWS Cloud Map
AWS Cloud Map is correct because it provides service discovery for microservices by allowing services to register their DNS names and health checks, enabling dynamic routing between ECS Fargate tasks. Application Load Balancer (ALB) is correct because it operates at Layer 7 (application layer), supporting HTTP/HTTPS traffic, path-based routing, and integration with ECS for load balancing across Fargate tasks.
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.
- ✗
Amazon API Gateway
- ✗
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
Why it's wrong here
NLB operates at layer 4, not application layer.
- ✓
AWS Cloud Map
Why this is correct
Cloud Map provides service discovery for dynamic resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Why this is correct
ALB provides application-layer load balancing and routing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon Route 53
Why it's wrong here
Route 53 is a DNS service, not for service discovery.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Network Load Balancer (NLB) as an application-layer solution because it can handle TLS termination, but it operates at Layer 4 and lacks the HTTP-aware routing required for application-layer communication.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Cloud Map integrates with ECS service discovery by automatically registering each Fargate task's private IP address as a DNS A record in a private hosted zone, and it supports health checks via Route 53 to remove unhealthy tasks. ALB with ECS Fargate uses target groups that dynamically register tasks based on port mappings, and it supports advanced routing rules (e.g., path-based, host-based) essential for microservices. In practice, combining Cloud Map for service discovery and ALB for load balancing allows services to find each other via DNS names while ALB handles traffic distribution and health checks at Layer 7.
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 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.
Quick reference
OSI Model Reference
| Layer | Name | PDU | Key Protocols / Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Application | Data | HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, SMTP, FTP, SSH |
| 6 | Presentation | Data | TLS / SSL, JPEG, ASCII encoding |
| 5 | Session | Data | NetBIOS, RPC, SIP |
| 4 | Transport | Segment / Datagram | TCP, UDP |
| 3 | Network | Packet | IP, ICMP, OSPF — Routers |
| 2 | Data Link | Frame | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, PPP — Switches, Bridges |
| 1 | Physical | Bits | Cables, NICs, Hubs, Repeaters |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: AWS Cloud Map — AWS Cloud Map is correct because it provides service discovery for microservices by allowing services to register their DNS names and health checks, enabling dynamic routing between ECS Fargate tasks. Application Load Balancer (ALB) is correct because it operates at Layer 7 (application layer), supporting HTTP/HTTPS traffic, path-based routing, and integration with ECS for load balancing across Fargate tasks.
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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