- A
Enable stickiness on the ALB target group.
Why wrong: Stickiness (session affinity) ensures a client's requests are sent to the same target. It does not provide the client IP to the instances.
- B
Enable the X-Forwarded-For header on the ALB.
The ALB automatically adds the X-Forwarded-For header containing the original client IP address when terminating TLS. The backend instances can log this header to capture the client IP.
- C
Configure the ALB to use Proxy Protocol v2.
Why wrong: Proxy Protocol is used with Network Load Balancers to preserve the client IP. ALB uses X-Forwarded-For headers instead.
- D
Enable access logs on the ALB and store them in Amazon S3.
Why wrong: Access logs capture detailed information about requests sent to the ALB, including client IP, but they are stored in S3, not available directly on the EC2 instances. The requirement is to capture the IP in instance logs.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to enable the X-Forwarded-For header on the Application Load Balancer. When the ALB terminates SSL/TLS and forwards traffic to EC2 instances over HTTP, the original client IP is stripped from the packet because the ALB’s private IP becomes the source. The X-Forwarded-For header preserves that original IP by inserting it into the HTTP request headers, allowing the web server or application logs to capture the true client address for analytics, security, and troubleshooting. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how ALB handles IP preservation versus Network Load Balancers, which preserve the client IP natively. A common trap is assuming the ALB automatically logs the client IP without configuration, but you must explicitly enable the header and configure your web server to parse it. Memory tip: think “X-Forwarded-For = eXternal client Forwarded For logging.”
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. 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 an application on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The ALB terminates SSL/TLS and forwards traffic to the instances over HTTP. The SysOps administrator needs to capture the original client IP address in the instance logs. How should the administrator configure this?
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 the X-Forwarded-For header on the ALB.
When an Application Load Balancer terminates SSL/TLS and forwards traffic to EC2 instances over HTTP, the original client IP address is preserved by the ALB in the X-Forwarded-For header. By enabling this header on the ALB, the SysOps administrator ensures that the web server or application can log the true client IP, which is essential for analytics, security, and troubleshooting.
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.
- ✗
Enable stickiness on the ALB target group.
Why it's wrong here
Stickiness (session affinity) ensures a client's requests are sent to the same target. It does not provide the client IP to the instances.
- ✓
Enable the X-Forwarded-For header on the ALB.
Why this is correct
The ALB automatically adds the X-Forwarded-For header containing the original client IP address when terminating TLS. The backend instances can log this header to capture the client IP.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure the ALB to use Proxy Protocol v2.
Why it's wrong here
Proxy Protocol is used with Network Load Balancers to preserve the client IP. ALB uses X-Forwarded-For headers instead.
- ✗
Enable access logs on the ALB and store them in Amazon S3.
Why it's wrong here
Access logs capture detailed information about requests sent to the ALB, including client IP, but they are stored in S3, not available directly on the EC2 instances. The requirement is to capture the IP in instance logs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Proxy Protocol v2 (used for NLB TCP/UDP listeners) with the X-Forwarded-For header (used for ALB HTTP/HTTPS listeners), leading them to select option C even though it is not applicable to ALB's HTTP-based forwarding.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The X-Forwarded-For header is an HTTP header defined in RFC 7239 that contains a comma-separated list of IP addresses, with the original client IP as the first value. When the ALB forwards traffic to the target, it adds this header automatically; the web server (e.g., Apache, Nginx) must be configured to read and log the value from this header rather than the source IP of the TCP connection. In a multi-tier architecture where requests pass through multiple proxies, the X-Forwarded-For header can accumulate multiple IPs, so the application must parse the leftmost IP to get the true client address.
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: Enable the X-Forwarded-For header on the ALB. — When an Application Load Balancer terminates SSL/TLS and forwards traffic to EC2 instances over HTTP, the original client IP address is preserved by the ALB in the X-Forwarded-For header. By enabling this header on the ALB, the SysOps administrator ensures that the web server or application can log the true client IP, which is essential for analytics, security, and troubleshooting.
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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