- A
Configure path-based routing rules
Why wrong: Path-based routing is an Application Load Balancer feature; NLBs operate at Layer 4 and do not evaluate URL paths, so this does not provide session stickiness.
- B
Enable health checks on the target group
Why wrong: Health checks determine target availability but do not influence routing persistence for sessions.
- C
Configure sticky sessions using a cookie
This option describes sticky sessions. While NLBs do not use cookies, they provide flow-based stickiness using client IP and port, which achieves the goal of session affinity.
- D
Enable cross-zone load balancing
Why wrong: Cross-zone load balancing distributes traffic across availability zones to improve fault tolerance but does not ensure that a client's requests go to the same target instance.
SOA-C02 Flow-based stickiness Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. 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. A key principle to apply: flow-based stickiness. 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 stateful web application on EC2 instances behind a Network Load Balancer. The application requires that client requests from a particular session are always sent to the same target instance. Which feature should the SysOps administrator configure on the NLB to meet this requirement?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"always"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
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 sticky sessions using a cookie
Option C is correct because Network Load Balancers (NLBs) support session stickiness through flow-based routing (client IP affinity). Although the option text mentions 'using a cookie,' NLBs actually use a hash of the source IP and port to maintain stickiness at Layer 4, which meets the requirement to route session requests to the same target instance.
Key principle: Flow-based stickiness
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 path-based routing rules
Why it's wrong here
Path-based routing is an Application Load Balancer feature; NLBs operate at Layer 4 and do not evaluate URL paths, so this does not provide session stickiness.
- ✗
Enable health checks on the target group
Why it's wrong here
Health checks determine target availability but do not influence routing persistence for sessions.
- ✓
Configure sticky sessions using a cookie
Why this is correct
This option describes sticky sessions. While NLBs do not use cookies, they provide flow-based stickiness using client IP and port, which achieves the goal of session affinity.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "always" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Flow-based stickiness
- ✗
Enable cross-zone load balancing
Why it's wrong here
Cross-zone load balancing distributes traffic across availability zones to improve fault tolerance but does not ensure that a client's requests go to the same target instance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse NLB features with ALB features, assuming path-based routing or HTTP-level cookies apply to NLBs, when in fact NLBs operate at Layer 4 and use flow-based stickiness rather than application-layer session persistence.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NLBs implement stickiness using a duration-based cookie (AWSELB) that is generated at the flow level for TCP/UDP traffic, not at the HTTP application layer. The stickiness is tied to the source IP and port combination, and the cookie's expiration is configurable (default 1 hour). In real-world scenarios, if the client's IP changes (e.g., due to a proxy or mobile network), stickiness may break, requiring careful tuning of the stickiness duration to match session lifetimes.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Flow-based stickiness
- Network Load Balancer
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
Flow-based stickiness
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review flow-based stickiness, then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Reliability and Business Continuity — study guide chapter
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Reliability and Business Continuity practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Reliability and Business Continuity — This question tests Reliability and Business Continuity — Flow-based stickiness.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure sticky sessions using a cookie — Option C is correct because Network Load Balancers (NLBs) support session stickiness through flow-based routing (client IP affinity). Although the option text mentions 'using a cookie,' NLBs actually use a hash of the source IP and port to maintain stickiness at Layer 4, which meets the requirement to route session requests to the same target instance.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review flow-based stickiness, then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "always". Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Flow-based stickiness
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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