The correct answer is that an ALB can route requests to different target groups based on the host header and the URL path. This works because the Application Load Balancer evaluates listener rules at the request level, inspecting both the Host header for host-based routing and the URL path for path-based routing, then forwarding traffic to the appropriate target group based on the rule priority. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how to architect multi-service or multi-domain applications behind a single ALB, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must choose the correct routing mechanism for microservices or tenant isolation. A common trap is confusing ALB routing with Network Load Balancer routing, which operates at the transport layer and cannot inspect HTTP headers. To remember the distinction, think of the ALB as the “application-aware” balancer: it reads the path for backend services and the host for domain names, while the NLB only sees IP and port.
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. 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 is designing a highly available architecture using an Application Load Balancer (ALB) with multiple target groups. Which TWO statements are correct regarding ALB routing?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
An ALB can route requests to different target groups based on the URL path.
Option D is correct because an Application Load Balancer (ALB) supports path-based routing, allowing you to define rules that forward requests to different target groups based on the URL path (e.g., /api to one group and /images to another). Option E is correct because ALB also supports host-based routing, enabling you to route traffic based on the Host header in the HTTP/HTTPS request, which is essential for multi-domain or multi-tenant architectures.
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.
✗
An ALB can route requests based on the client IP address.
Why it's wrong here
ALB does not support IP-based routing; use NLB for that.
✗
An ALB can route requests based on the source TCP port.
Why it's wrong here
ALB does not support routing based on source port; that is a feature of NLB.
✗
An ALB can only be configured with an IPv4 listener.
Why it's wrong here
ALB supports IPv4 and dualstack (IPv4 and IPv6).
✓
An ALB can route requests to different target groups based on the URL path.
Why this is correct
Path-based routing is a supported feature of ALB.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
An ALB can route requests to different target groups based on the host header.
Why this is correct
Host-based routing allows routing based on the domain name in the request.
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 ALB's Layer 7 capabilities with Network Load Balancer (NLB) features, mistakenly thinking ALB can route based on IP or port, or that ALB is IPv4-only, when in fact ALB supports IPv6 via dual-stack mode and only routes on application-layer content.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ALB uses listener rules that evaluate conditions such as path pattern, host header, HTTP header, query string, and HTTP method to determine which target group receives the request. Under the hood, these rules are evaluated in priority order, and the first matching rule determines the routing; if no rule matches, the default action (usually a fixed response or forward to a default target group) is applied. In a real-world scenario, you might combine path-based and host-based routing to serve multiple microservices (e.g., api.example.com/users and app.example.com/dashboard) from a single ALB.
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 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. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: An ALB can route requests to different target groups based on the URL path. — Option D is correct because an Application Load Balancer (ALB) supports path-based routing, allowing you to define rules that forward requests to different target groups based on the URL path (e.g., /api to one group and /images to another). Option E is correct because ALB also supports host-based routing, enabling you to route traffic based on the Host header in the HTTP/HTTPS request, which is essential for multi-domain or multi-tenant architectures.
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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Question Discussion
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