- A
Configure Global Accelerator with an endpoint group that points directly to the ALB. The ALB will continue to receive the original client IP in the X-Forwarded-For header.
Why wrong: When Global Accelerator routes traffic to an ALB endpoint, it replaces the source IP with its own IP addresses. The original client IP is not preserved in the X-Forwarded-For header by default; the header will contain the Global Accelerator IPs.
- B
Place a Network Load Balancer (NLB) in front of the ALB, and configure Global Accelerator to point to the NLB. The NLB preserves the client IP, and the ALB can still see it in the X-Forwarded-For header.
Global Accelerator preserves the client source IP when the endpoint is an NLB. The NLB passes traffic to the ALB, which can see the original client IP in the X-Forwarded-For header. This satisfies both performance (using Global Accelerator) and logging requirements.
- C
Enable Proxy Protocol v2 on the ALB to ensure client IP addresses are preserved through Global Accelerator.
Why wrong: Proxy Protocol is used with Network Load Balancers to preserve client IP. Application Load Balancers do not support Proxy Protocol; they rely on the X-Forwarded-For header. This option is not valid for ALBs.
- D
Use Amazon CloudFront instead of Global Accelerator and configure it to forward the client IP in a custom header.
Why wrong: CloudFront, like Global Accelerator, does not preserve the original client IP when the origin is an ALB. It also adds a CDN layer which may not be necessary for this use case and introduces additional cost and complexity.
Quick Answer
The correct choice is to place a Network Load Balancer in front of the ALB and configure Global Accelerator to point to the NLB, because the NLB operates at Layer 4 and preserves the original client IP address by default without terminating the TCP connection, while Global Accelerator improves performance by routing traffic through the AWS global network to the closest edge location. This setup allows the ALB to still read the original client IP from the X-Forwarded-For header, meeting both the latency and logging requirements. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Global Accelerator interacts with different load balancer types—a common trap is assuming Global Accelerator alone preserves the client IP, but it actually changes the source IP unless paired with an NLB. Remember the memory tip: “NLB preserves, ALB reads headers”—the NLB keeps the original IP intact, while the ALB relies on the X-Forwarded-For header for logging.
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 hosts a web application behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB) in us-east-1. Users in Europe report high latency. The SysOps administrator decides to use AWS Global Accelerator to improve performance by directing traffic to the closest edge location. However, the application logs require the original client IP addresses of users. The ALB currently provides the client IP via the X-Forwarded-For header, but the development team warns that Global Accelerator may change the source IP. Which configuration should the administrator choose to meet both performance and logging 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
Place a Network Load Balancer (NLB) in front of the ALB, and configure Global Accelerator to point to the NLB. The NLB preserves the client IP, and the ALB can still see it in the X-Forwarded-For header.
Option B is correct because placing a Network Load Balancer (NLB) in front of the ALB allows Global Accelerator to terminate the TCP connection at the edge, then forward traffic to the NLB. The NLB preserves the original client IP address by default (since it operates at Layer 4 and does not terminate the connection), and the ALB can still read the client IP from the X-Forwarded-For header. This setup meets both the performance requirement (via Global Accelerator's edge routing) and the logging requirement (preserving the original client IP).
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.
- ✗
Configure Global Accelerator with an endpoint group that points directly to the ALB. The ALB will continue to receive the original client IP in the X-Forwarded-For header.
Why it's wrong here
When Global Accelerator routes traffic to an ALB endpoint, it replaces the source IP with its own IP addresses. The original client IP is not preserved in the X-Forwarded-For header by default; the header will contain the Global Accelerator IPs.
- ✓
Place a Network Load Balancer (NLB) in front of the ALB, and configure Global Accelerator to point to the NLB. The NLB preserves the client IP, and the ALB can still see it in the X-Forwarded-For header.
Why this is correct
Global Accelerator preserves the client source IP when the endpoint is an NLB. The NLB passes traffic to the ALB, which can see the original client IP in the X-Forwarded-For header. This satisfies both performance (using Global Accelerator) and logging requirements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable Proxy Protocol v2 on the ALB to ensure client IP addresses are preserved through Global Accelerator.
Why it's wrong here
Proxy Protocol is used with Network Load Balancers to preserve client IP. Application Load Balancers do not support Proxy Protocol; they rely on the X-Forwarded-For header. This option is not valid for ALBs.
- ✗
Use Amazon CloudFront instead of Global Accelerator and configure it to forward the client IP in a custom header.
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront, like Global Accelerator, does not preserve the original client IP when the origin is an ALB. It also adds a CDN layer which may not be necessary for this use case and introduces additional cost and complexity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume Global Accelerator preserves the client IP like a transparent proxy, but in reality it terminates the TCP connection at the edge, so the source IP changes unless an NLB is used to preserve it.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Global Accelerator uses Anycast IPs at the edge to route traffic over the AWS global network, but it terminates the client TCP connection at the edge and establishes a new connection to the endpoint (e.g., ALB or NLB). When the endpoint is an ALB, the source IP of the new connection is from the Global Accelerator's internal IP range, not the client. By inserting an NLB between Global Accelerator and the ALB, the NLB preserves the client IP because it does not terminate the TCP connection; it forwards packets at Layer 4, so the ALB sees the original client IP in the X-Forwarded-For header. This is a common pattern for applications that need both global acceleration and client IP logging.
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
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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: Place a Network Load Balancer (NLB) in front of the ALB, and configure Global Accelerator to point to the NLB. The NLB preserves the client IP, and the ALB can still see it in the X-Forwarded-For header. — Option B is correct because placing a Network Load Balancer (NLB) in front of the ALB allows Global Accelerator to terminate the TCP connection at the edge, then forward traffic to the NLB. The NLB preserves the original client IP address by default (since it operates at Layer 4 and does not terminate the connection), and the ALB can still read the client IP from the X-Forwarded-For header. This setup meets both the performance requirement (via Global Accelerator's edge routing) and the logging requirement (preserving the original client IP).
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 11, 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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