AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01)Network ImplementationEasy
A company is deploying a new web application in a VPC. The application requires a highly available and scalable solution for distributing incoming HTTP/HTTPS traffic across multiple EC2 instances. The solution must support path-based routing, host-based routing, and SSL termination. Which AWS load balancing service should be used?
- AApplication Load Balancer (ALB).
- BNetwork Load Balancer (NLB).
- CClassic Load Balancer (CLB).
- DGateway Load Balancer (GWLB).
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Application Load Balancer (ALB).
Application Load Balancer (ALB) operates at Layer 7 (application layer) and supports advanced routing features like path-based routing, host-based routing, and HTTP/HTTPS traffic distribution. It also provides built-in SSL termination, which aligns perfectly with the application's requirements.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Network Load Balancer operates at Layer 4 (transport layer) and does not support path-based or host-based routing or SSL termination at the load balancer level.
- C. Classic Load Balancer is an older generation load balancer that supports basic HTTP/HTTPS routing and SSL termination but lacks the advanced routing features of ALB.
- D. Gateway Load Balancer is used for deploying, scaling, and managing third-party virtual network appliances, not for direct application traffic distribution.
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
An Application Load Balancer (ALB) operates at the application layer (Layer 7) and provides advanced request routing for HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
- Supports path-based and host-based routing.
- Offers SSL/TLS termination at the load balancer.
- Can route requests to different target groups based on content.
Memory trick: ALB: The smart traffic cop for your web apps, knowing where every request should go.