AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01)Network Management and OperationsEasy
A company operates a critical application that relies on a stable and low-latency network connection to an on-premises data center. They use AWS Direct Connect for this hybrid connectivity. The network team needs to proactively detect any degradation in connection quality, such as an increase in packet loss or latency on the Direct Connect connection itself, before it impacts the application. Which CloudWatch metric, specifically for Direct Connect, should they monitor to identify packet loss?
- AConnectionState.
- BConnectionLatency.
- CConnectionBpsIngress.
- DConnectionErrorCount.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. ConnectionErrorCount.
The `ConnectionErrorCount` CloudWatch metric for AWS Direct Connect tracks the number of errors, including packet errors or discards, occurring on the Direct Connect connection. An increase in this count is a direct indicator of packet loss or other connection quality degradation, allowing for proactive detection before it severely impacts application performance.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. ConnectionState indicates the operational status of the connection (e.g., UP, DOWN) but doesn't provide granular details on quality degradation like packet loss.
- B. ConnectionLatency measures round-trip time, which would increase with packet loss, but `ConnectionErrorCount` is a more direct indicator of the underlying issue.
- C. ConnectionBpsIngress measures incoming bandwidth, not packet loss or errors.
Direct Connect Packet Loss Monitoring
Utilizing the `ConnectionErrorCount` CloudWatch metric for AWS Direct Connect to proactively detect packet loss and other errors indicating connection quality degradation.
- Monitors `ConnectionErrorCount` metric.
- Directly indicates packet loss/errors.
- Crucial for maintaining hybrid network reliability.
Memory trick: Errors in the connection count, that's where packet loss is found.