← SOA-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 610 of 1,546

Networking and Content Delivery →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

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 runs a web application on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The application uses a custom domain name, 'app.example.com'. The SysOps team configured Amazon Route 53 with an alias record to the ALB DNS name. Users report that occasionally they are directed to a different website. The team suspects DNS resolution issues. They check the Route 53 hosted zone and find the alias record is correctly configured. The ALB is healthy. What is the most likely cause of the intermittent misdirection?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
There is a conflicting DNS record for 'app.example.com' in the same hosted zone, such as a CNAME pointing elsewhere.
Conflicting records can cause intermittent resolution to different targets.
B
The alias record is not of type A but type CNAME.
Why wrong: Alias records can be A or AAAA; a CNAME is not an alias.
C
The TTL on the alias record is set too low, causing DNS changes to propagate slowly.
Why wrong: Low TTL causes faster propagation, not misdirection.
D
The ALB is configured to redirect traffic to another domain.
Why wrong: ALB redirects are HTTP-level, not DNS.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

There is a conflicting DNS record for 'app.example.com' in the same hosted zone, such as a CNAME pointing elsewhere.

Option A is correct. If there is a conflicting DNS record, such as a CNAME record for the same name, it can cause intermittent misdirection because DNS resolution may resolve to different targets depending on caching or record priority. Option B is incorrect because an alias record can be of type A or AAAA, and using a CNAME at the zone apex would be invalid. Option C is incorrect because a low TTL would cause more frequent lookups, not misdirection to a different site. Option D is incorrect because ALB redirects are application-level, not DNS-level.

Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✓
There is a conflicting DNS record for 'app.example.com' in the same hosted zone, such as a CNAME pointing elsewhere.
Why this is correct
Conflicting records can cause intermittent resolution to different targets.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
The alias record is not of type A but type CNAME.
Why it's wrong here
Alias records can be A or AAAA; a CNAME is not an alias.
✗
The TTL on the alias record is set too low, causing DNS changes to propagate slowly.
Why it's wrong here
Low TTL causes faster propagation, not misdirection.
✗
The ALB is configured to redirect traffic to another domain.
Why it's wrong here
ALB redirects are HTTP-level, not DNS.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization

Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.

TExam Day Tips

Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.

Key takeaway

Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.

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. Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.

Visual reference

Quick reference

Common DNS Record Types

Record	Purpose	Example
A	IPv4 address mapping	example.com → 93.184.216.34
AAAA	IPv6 address mapping	example.com → 2606:2800::1
CNAME	Alias to another hostname	www → example.com
MX	Mail server for domain	example.com → mail.example.com (priority 10)
TXT	Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification)	v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all
NS	Authoritative name servers	example.com NS ns1.example.com
PTR	Reverse DNS (IP → hostname)	34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa → example.com
SOA	Zone authority record	Primary NS, admin email, serial, TTL defaults

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SOA-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.

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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 — Authentication checks who the user is..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: There is a conflicting DNS record for 'app.example.com' in the same hosted zone, such as a CNAME pointing elsewhere. — Option A is correct. If there is a conflicting DNS record, such as a CNAME record for the same name, it can cause intermittent misdirection because DNS resolution may resolve to different targets depending on caching or record priority. Option B is incorrect because an alias record can be of type A or AAAA, and using a CNAME at the zone apex would be invalid. Option C is incorrect because a low TTL would cause more frequent lookups, not misdirection to a different site. Option D is incorrect because ALB redirects are application-level, not DNS-level.

What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Authentication checks who the user is.

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