- A
Use AWS Transit Gateway to connect all VPCs and the Direct Connect gateway, then configure route tables to isolate traffic.
Why wrong: Transit Gateway does not provide VLAN tagging; it requires separate VIFs for each VPC or a single VIF to the Transit Gateway.
- B
Configure a single Direct Connect connection with multiple private virtual interfaces, each tagged with a different VLAN ID and associated with a different VPC.
This uses VLAN tagging to isolate traffic per VPC on a single connection.
- C
Provision multiple Direct Connect connections, one for each VPC, and use a different VLAN on each connection.
Why wrong: This is costly and unnecessary; a single connection can support multiple VIFs.
- D
Establish a single Direct Connect connection and use IPsec VPN tunnels over it to connect to each VPC.
Why wrong: VPN over Direct Connect adds encryption overhead and complexity; VLAN tagging is simpler and more efficient.
Quick Answer
The correct solution is to configure a single Direct Connect connection with multiple private virtual interfaces, each tagged with a different VLAN ID and associated with a separate VPC. This works because AWS Direct Connect supports 802.1Q VLAN tagging, allowing a single physical connection to carry multiple logical circuits that are isolated at Layer 2. By assigning a unique VLAN ID to each private virtual interface (VIF), traffic destined for different VPCs remains completely separate, yet all VIFs share the total bandwidth of the single Direct Connect link, maximizing utilization. On the SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to scale hybrid connectivity without provisioning extra physical connections—a common trap is assuming you need multiple Direct Connect connections or a Direct Connect Gateway for every VPC. Remember the key principle: one cable, many VLANs. For the exam, think “one pipe, many tags” to recall that a single Direct Connect can serve multiple VPCs via distinct VLAN-tagged private VIFs.
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. 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 uses AWS Direct Connect to connect its on-premises data center to AWS. The data center has multiple VLANs that need to connect to separate VPCs in AWS. The company wants to maintain isolation between the VPCs while maximizing bandwidth utilization. Which solution should the SysOps administrator recommend?
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
Configure a single Direct Connect connection with multiple private virtual interfaces, each tagged with a different VLAN ID and associated with a different VPC.
Option B is correct because a single Direct Connect connection can support multiple private virtual interfaces (VIFs), each tagged with a unique 802.1Q VLAN ID. This allows the on-premises data center to connect to separate VPCs while maintaining traffic isolation via VLAN tagging, and it maximizes bandwidth utilization by sharing the single connection's capacity across all VIFs.
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 AWS Transit Gateway to connect all VPCs and the Direct Connect gateway, then configure route tables to isolate traffic.
- ✓
Configure a single Direct Connect connection with multiple private virtual interfaces, each tagged with a different VLAN ID and associated with a different VPC.
Why this is correct
This uses VLAN tagging to isolate traffic per VPC on a single connection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Provision multiple Direct Connect connections, one for each VPC, and use a different VLAN on each connection.
Why it's wrong here
This is costly and unnecessary; a single connection can support multiple VIFs.
- ✗
Establish a single Direct Connect connection and use IPsec VPN tunnels over it to connect to each VPC.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume multiple VPCs require multiple Direct Connect connections, but AWS allows multiple private virtual interfaces on a single connection, each with its own VLAN ID, to achieve isolation and maximize bandwidth utilization.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Each private virtual interface on a Direct Connect connection uses a unique 802.1Q VLAN ID (ranging from 1 to 4094) and a BGP session to exchange routes with a single VPC. The VLAN tagging ensures Layer 2 isolation between VIFs, and the bandwidth is shared dynamically across all VIFs on the same connection, allowing burstable usage. In a real-world scenario, this design is common for multi-account or multi-environment setups where each VPC represents a separate business unit or environment.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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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Networking and Content Delivery — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Networking and Content Delivery — This question tests Networking and Content Delivery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a single Direct Connect connection with multiple private virtual interfaces, each tagged with a different VLAN ID and associated with a different VPC. — Option B is correct because a single Direct Connect connection can support multiple private virtual interfaces (VIFs), each tagged with a unique 802.1Q VLAN ID. This allows the on-premises data center to connect to separate VPCs while maintaining traffic isolation via VLAN tagging, and it maximizes bandwidth utilization by sharing the single connection's capacity across all VIFs.
What should I do if I get this SOA-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: Jun 24, 2026
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
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