The correct choice is a custom origin (HTTP/HTTPS) pointing to the Application Load Balancer’s DNS name. This is required because CloudFront distinguishes between two origin types: S3 origins, which are used exclusively for S3 buckets, and custom origins, which are used for any other HTTP endpoint like an ALB. Since an internet-facing ALB exposes a public DNS name rather than an S3 bucket endpoint, CloudFront must treat it as a custom origin to properly forward requests and leverage the ALB’s load balancing capabilities. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this concept often appears in scenario-based questions where you must select the correct origin type for non-S3 backends; a common trap is assuming an ALB can be set as an S3 origin. Remember: if it’s not an S3 bucket, it’s a custom origin—think “ALB = Always Load Balancer, Always Custom.”
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. 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 wants to use Amazon CloudFront to serve content from an Application Load Balancer (ALB) that is internet-facing. Which type of origin should be configured in CloudFront?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Custom origin (HTTP/HTTPS) pointing to the ALB DNS name.
CloudFront requires a custom origin (HTTP/HTTPS) when the origin is an Application Load Balancer (ALB) because ALBs are not S3 buckets and do not support S3 origin configurations. The custom origin type allows CloudFront to forward requests to the ALB's public DNS name, which resolves to the ALB's IP addresses, enabling proper load balancing and content delivery.
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.
✗
S3 origin with the ALB's DNS name as the bucket name.
Why it's wrong here
ALB not an S3 bucket.
✗
Custom origin with Origin Access Identity (OAI) to restrict access.
Custom origin (HTTP/HTTPS) pointing to the ALB DNS name.
Why this is correct
CloudFront can use any HTTP server as a custom origin.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Custom origin pointing to the ALB's private IP address.
Why it's wrong here
Private IP not reachable from CloudFront edge locations.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may mistakenly think an ALB can be configured as an S3 origin or that OAI applies to non-S3 origins, but CloudFront strictly requires a custom origin for ALBs and OAI is only valid for S3 bucket origins.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When configuring a custom origin for an ALB, CloudFront sends HTTP/HTTPS requests to the ALB's public DNS name, which the ALB resolves to its elastic network interface IPs. For enhanced security, you can configure the ALB to only accept traffic from CloudFront's IP ranges (published in the AWS IP address ranges JSON file) and use custom headers (e.g., X-Origin-Verify) to prevent direct access. This setup is common in multi-region deployments where CloudFront provides edge caching and DDoS protection.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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: Custom origin (HTTP/HTTPS) pointing to the ALB DNS name. — CloudFront requires a custom origin (HTTP/HTTPS) when the origin is an Application Load Balancer (ALB) because ALBs are not S3 buckets and do not support S3 origin configurations. The custom origin type allows CloudFront to forward requests to the ALB's public DNS name, which resolves to the ALB's IP addresses, enabling proper load balancing and content delivery.
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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