CloudGuild · Blog · Cheat sheets · Lessons · Certifications
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03) Exam Question Walkthrough
Explore a detailed breakdown of a key AWS SAA-C03 exam question focusing on static website hosting.
A common pitfall for candidates is understanding the best hosting solutions for static content. This question tests knowledge of durability, availability, and operational overhead in AWS.
The question
A company hosts a static marketing website and wants high durability and availability with minimal operational overhead. Which is the BEST option?
- A. A fleet of EC2 web servers in one AZ
- B. Host the site on Amazon S3 and serve it through Amazon CloudFront
- C. A single large EC2 instance with an Elastic IP
- D. An on-premises server with a VPN
Think before you scroll
Consider the requirements: static content, high durability, high availability, and minimal management. Each option has trade-offs that affect operational overhead and performance.
The answer
The correct option is B: Host the site on Amazon S3 and serve it through Amazon CloudFront. This combination ensures that the static content is highly durable and available. S3 offers built-in durability and CloudFront provides global caching, which reduces latency and operational management.
Why the other options lose
- A. A fleet of EC2 web servers in one AZ: While this option provides high availability within a single Availability Zone, it lacks durability and requires constant management of EC2 instances. If that AZ goes down, the website becomes unavailable.
- C. A single large EC2 instance with an Elastic IP: This option does not meet the requirement for high availability. If the instance fails, the site goes down. Additionally, managing an EC2 instance adds operational overhead.
- D. An on-premises server with a VPN: This option is not viable for a static website. It introduces complexity and does not provide the scalability or durability that AWS services offer. Operational overhead is also significantly higher.
The concept behind it
The principle here is to use AWS services designed for specific workloads. For static websites, Amazon S3 provides unmatched durability and scalability. Pairing it with AWS CloudFront enhances availability and reduces latency globally. This approach minimizes management tasks compared to traditional server setups.
Exam trap to remember
Remember: for static content, always consider S3 and CloudFront for high durability and availability with minimal overhead. This pairing is often the best practice in AWS.