- A
Modify the application to use ElastiCache for session storage.
Why wrong: This requires application code changes, which the question states should be avoided.
- B
Enable sticky sessions (session affinity) on the Application Load Balancer.
Sticky sessions route users to the same instance, maintaining session data during scaling.
- C
Increase the cooldown period for the Auto Scaling group.
Why wrong: Cooldown delays scaling but does not preserve existing sessions.
- D
Use larger EC2 instance types to handle the traffic spike.
Why wrong: Larger instances reduce scaling events but do not prevent session loss when instances are terminated.
Question 1,071 of 1,546
Sticky Sessions (Session Affinity) — Preserve Sessions Without Code Changes | AWS SysOps Associate Explained
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 in an Auto Scaling group behind an Application Load Balancer. The application stores session data locally on each instance. During a traffic spike, the Auto Scaling group launches new instances, but users report that they are logged out and lose session data. Which solution addresses this issue without modifying the application?
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
✓
Enable sticky sessions (session affinity) on the Application Load Balancer.
The application stores session data locally on each EC2 instance, so when new instances are launched during a traffic spike, the load balancer may route a user's subsequent request to a different instance that does not have their session data, causing them to be logged out. Enabling sticky sessions (session affinity) on the Application Load Balancer ensures that all requests from a user during a session are sent to the same instance, preserving the locally stored session data without requiring any application modifications.
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.
- ✗
Modify the application to use ElastiCache for session storage.
Why it's wrong here
This requires application code changes, which the question states should be avoided.
- ✓
Enable sticky sessions (session affinity) on the Application Load Balancer.
Why this is correct
Sticky sessions route users to the same instance, maintaining session data during scaling.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase the cooldown period for the Auto Scaling group.
Why it's wrong here
Cooldown delays scaling but does not preserve existing sessions.
- ✗
Use larger EC2 instance types to handle the traffic spike.
Why it's wrong here
Larger instances reduce scaling events but do not prevent session loss when instances are terminated.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume that scaling out (adding more instances) or scaling up (using larger instances) will solve session persistence issues, but they overlook that the real problem is the lack of a shared session store or a mechanism to pin users to the same instance, which sticky sessions directly address without code changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Sticky sessions (session affinity) on an Application Load Balancer are implemented using a cookie (AWSALB or AWSALBAPP) that the load balancer inserts into the response. The load balancer uses this cookie to route subsequent requests from the same client to the same target instance, ensuring session continuity. This approach works at Layer 7 and does not require any changes to the application code, making it ideal for legacy or third-party applications where modification is not feasible.
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.
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Reliability and Business Continuity — study guide chapter
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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable sticky sessions (session affinity) on the Application Load Balancer. — The application stores session data locally on each EC2 instance, so when new instances are launched during a traffic spike, the load balancer may route a user's subsequent request to a different instance that does not have their session data, causing them to be logged out. Enabling sticky sessions (session affinity) on the Application Load Balancer ensures that all requests from a user during a session are sent to the same instance, preserving the locally stored session data without requiring any application modifications.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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