- A
Enable VPC Flow Logs on each VPC and publish them to a central S3 bucket.
Why wrong: Incorrect. VPC Flow Logs on each VPC capture traffic at the VPC level, but they do not capture traffic that is routed through the transit gateway because the transit gateway attachment is a separate network interface.
- B
Use AWS Config to record traffic changes and store the configuration history in S3.
Why wrong: Incorrect. AWS Config is for recording configuration changes to AWS resources, not for capturing network traffic metadata.
- C
Enable flow logs on the transit gateway and publish them to a CloudWatch Logs log group, then export to S3 using a subscription filter.
Correct. VPC Flow Logs on the transit gateway or its attachments capture IP traffic metadata, publish to CloudWatch Logs, and then a subscription filter can export to S3 for centralized storage and lifecycle management.
- D
Use Transit Gateway Network Manager to enable flow logs on the transit gateway attachments and publish them directly to an S3 bucket.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Transit Gateway Network Manager is a tool for managing and visualizing networks, but it does not directly enable flow logs. Flow logs on transit gateway attachments are enabled through VPC Flow Logs, not Network Manager.
SOA-C02 VPC Flow Logs Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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: vPC Flow Logs. 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 SysOps administrator is managing an AWS environment with multiple VPCs connected via a transit gateway. The administrator needs to monitor network traffic between VPCs for security analysis. The administrator wants to capture metadata about IP traffic going through the transit gateway. The logs should be centralized in a single S3 bucket and retained for 90 days. Which solution should the administrator implement?
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 flow logs on the transit gateway and publish them to a CloudWatch Logs log group, then export to S3 using a subscription filter.
Option C is correct because VPC Flow Logs can be enabled on a transit gateway or transit gateway attachment, capturing IP traffic metadata (source/destination IP, ports, protocol, packet/byte counts). The logs are published to a CloudWatch Logs log group. A subscription filter can then export these logs to a central S3 bucket, where an S3 lifecycle policy can expire objects after 90 days, meeting the centralized logging and retention requirements. Option A is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs on individual VPCs only capture traffic at the VPC level, not traffic routed through the transit gateway. Option B is incorrect because AWS Config records configuration changes, not network traffic metadata. Option D is incorrect because Transit Gateway Network Manager does not enable flow logs; flow logs on transit gateway attachments are enabled through VPC Flow Logs, and while they can be published directly to S3, Network Manager is not involved in that process.
Key principle: VPC Flow Logs
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable VPC Flow Logs on each VPC and publish them to a central S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. VPC Flow Logs on each VPC capture traffic at the VPC level, but they do not capture traffic that is routed through the transit gateway because the transit gateway attachment is a separate network interface.
- ✗
Use AWS Config to record traffic changes and store the configuration history in S3.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS Config is for recording configuration changes to AWS resources, not for capturing network traffic metadata.
- ✓
Enable flow logs on the transit gateway and publish them to a CloudWatch Logs log group, then export to S3 using a subscription filter.
Why this is correct
Correct. VPC Flow Logs on the transit gateway or its attachments capture IP traffic metadata, publish to CloudWatch Logs, and then a subscription filter can export to S3 for centralized storage and lifecycle management.
Related concept
VPC Flow Logs
- ✗
Use Transit Gateway Network Manager to enable flow logs on the transit gateway attachments and publish them directly to an S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Transit Gateway Network Manager is a tool for managing and visualizing networks, but it does not directly enable flow logs. Flow logs on transit gateway attachments are enabled through VPC Flow Logs, not Network Manager.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap is that candidates may think Transit Gateway Network Manager provides flow log capabilities, but in reality, flow logs on transit gateway attachments are enabled via VPC Flow Logs, not through Network Manager. Additionally, candidates might assume VPC Flow Logs on individual VPCs capture inter-VPC traffic, but they miss the transit gateway-routed traffic without specific configuration on the transit gateway itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Transit Gateway flow logs use the same VPC Flow Logs engine (based on AWS's internal packet mirroring) but are scoped to the transit gateway attachment level, capturing traffic metadata for all flows between attached VPCs, VPNs, or Direct Connect. The logs are published in near real-time and support both CloudWatch Logs and S3 destinations; when using S3, you can apply lifecycle policies for automated retention management. In a multi-VPC environment, this approach avoids the need to enable and manage flow logs on each individual VPC, simplifying operations and ensuring complete visibility of inter-VPC traffic.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- VPC Flow Logs
- Transit Gateway
- Transit Gateway Attachment Flow Logs
- Subscription Filter
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
VPC Flow Logs
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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review vPC Flow Logs, then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — This question tests Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — VPC Flow Logs.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable flow logs on the transit gateway and publish them to a CloudWatch Logs log group, then export to S3 using a subscription filter. — Option C is correct because VPC Flow Logs can be enabled on a transit gateway or transit gateway attachment, capturing IP traffic metadata (source/destination IP, ports, protocol, packet/byte counts). The logs are published to a CloudWatch Logs log group. A subscription filter can then export these logs to a central S3 bucket, where an S3 lifecycle policy can expire objects after 90 days, meeting the centralized logging and retention requirements. Option A is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs on individual VPCs only capture traffic at the VPC level, not traffic routed through the transit gateway. Option B is incorrect because AWS Config records configuration changes, not network traffic metadata. Option D is incorrect because Transit Gateway Network Manager does not enable flow logs; flow logs on transit gateway attachments are enabled through VPC Flow Logs, and while they can be published directly to S3, Network Manager is not involved in that process.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review vPC Flow Logs, then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
VPC Flow Logs
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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