AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03)Design High-Performing ArchitecturesHard

A large enterprise has hundreds of legacy applications running on-premises that need to connect to new microservices deployed in various VPCs across multiple AWS regions. The enterprise requires a highly available, high-bandwidth, and low-latency network connection between its on-premises data centers and AWS. They also need to simplify network management and reduce the operational overhead of managing numerous VPN connections. Which networking solution should they implement?

  1. AAWS Direct Connect with a dedicated connection to a single VPC.
  2. BMultiple AWS Site-to-Site VPN connections from each data center to each VPC.
  3. CAWS Direct Connect with AWS Transit Gateway.
  4. DAWS Internet Gateway for public internet access to all VPCs.
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C. AWS Direct Connect with AWS Transit Gateway.

AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated, private, high-bandwidth, and low-latency connection between on-premises data centers and AWS. When combined with AWS Transit Gateway, it allows the on-premises network to connect to multiple VPCs across different regions through a single gateway, simplifying network architecture and management while meeting performance requirements.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Direct Connect to a single VPC would not allow connectivity to 'various VPCs across multiple AWS regions' without additional complex routing or VPNs, defeating the purpose of simplification.
  • B. Managing hundreds of individual VPN connections would be complex and incur significant operational overhead, and VPNs typically offer lower bandwidth and higher latency than Direct Connect.
  • D. Internet Gateway provides public internet access, which does not meet the 'private, high-bandwidth, low-latency' requirements and is not suitable for connecting legacy on-premises applications securely.

Direct Connect with Transit Gateway

Combining AWS Direct Connect with AWS Transit Gateway provides a highly available, high-bandwidth, and low-latency private network connection between on-premises data centers and multiple VPCs across AWS regions, simplifying network architecture.

  • Direct Connect: dedicated private connection to AWS.
  • Transit Gateway: central hub for VPC and on-premises connectivity.
  • Simplifies network management for many VPCs/regions.
  • Reduces operational overhead compared to many VPNs.
  • Ensures high performance and security for hybrid clouds.

Memory trick: Direct Connect is the private road, Transit Gateway is the central highway interchange for all your AWS destinations.

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