The answer is a high DNS TTL causing cached resolution to a failed server. When DNS TTL is set too long, clients cache the IP address of an API server even after that server becomes unhealthy or fails. In a global deployment with latency-based routing, DNS resolution is the mechanism that directs traffic to the optimal region; a high TTL prevents clients from re-querying DNS to receive the IP of a healthy endpoint, so they continue sending requests to the cached, failed server, resulting in timeouts. On the CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-004 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how DNS TTL interacts with global load balancers and disaster recovery—a common trap is assuming the issue is network latency or CDN misconfiguration rather than stale DNS cache. Remember the mnemonic: “High TTL, long fail—clients chase a dead trail.”
CV0-004 Deployment Practice Question
This CV0-004 practice question tests your understanding of deployment. 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 multinational corporation is deploying a new application across multiple cloud regions for disaster recovery. The application requires consistent low latency for users globally. The architect decides to use a content delivery network (CDN) for static assets and a global load balancer for API traffic. After deployment, some users in Asia report occasional timeouts when accessing the API. The API servers are deployed in the US East and Europe regions. The load balancer is configured with latency-based routing. What is the most likely cause of the timeouts?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The DNS TTL is set too high, causing cached resolution to a failed server.
Option D is correct because a high DNS TTL causes clients to cache the IP address of a failed or unhealthy API server for an extended period. When that server becomes unavailable, clients continue to send requests to the cached IP instead of querying DNS for a healthy endpoint, resulting in timeouts. This is a common issue with latency-based routing, where DNS resolution is critical for directing traffic to the optimal region.
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.
✗
The latency-based routing is directing traffic to the farthest region due to routing table issues.
Why it's wrong here
Latency-based routing generally works correctly; routing issues would cause more widespread problems.
✗
The API servers in Europe have insufficient capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Capacity issues would cause consistent errors, not occasional timeouts.
✗
The CDN is misconfigured for the API endpoints.
Why it's wrong here
CDN typically serves static content, not dynamic API calls.
✓
The DNS TTL is set too high, causing cached resolution to a failed server.
Why this is correct
High TTL means clients cache DNS results; if a server fails, they still try that IP until cache expires, causing timeouts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often overlook DNS caching behavior and instead focus on load balancer configuration or server capacity, failing to recognize that high DNS TTL can cause stale routing decisions in latency-based architectures.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DNS TTL (Time-To-Live) is specified in seconds and controls how long a resolver caches a DNS record. With latency-based routing (e.g., AWS Route 53 latency records), the DNS response includes the IP of the region with the lowest latency at query time. If the TTL is set too high (e.g., 600 seconds or more), a cached response may point to a server that has since failed or become unhealthy, and the client will not re-query DNS until the TTL expires. This can cause persistent timeouts for users in regions like Asia if the originally optimal server (e.g., US East) goes down and the cached entry is not updated.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
Deployment — This question tests Deployment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The DNS TTL is set too high, causing cached resolution to a failed server. — Option D is correct because a high DNS TTL causes clients to cache the IP address of a failed or unhealthy API server for an extended period. When that server becomes unavailable, clients continue to send requests to the cached IP instead of querying DNS for a healthy endpoint, resulting in timeouts. This is a common issue with latency-based routing, where DNS resolution is critical for directing traffic to the optimal region.
What should I do if I get this CV0-004 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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