AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03)Design High-Performing ArchitecturesHard
A global SaaS provider needs to distribute a web application across multiple AWS regions to ensure high availability and disaster recovery, as well as to minimize latency for users worldwide. The application needs a single entry point that intelligently routes user traffic to the nearest healthy application endpoint. The solution must also support A/B testing and blue/green deployments seamlessly.
- AUse Route 53 with latency-based routing.
- BSet up a Transit Gateway to connect VPCs across regions.
- CImplement AWS Global Accelerator with endpoints to regional Application Load Balancers.
- DDeploy an Application Load Balancer (ALB) in each region and use Route 53 failover routing.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Implement AWS Global Accelerator with endpoints to regional Application Load Balancers.
AWS Global Accelerator improves the availability and performance of applications with local or global users. It provides static IP addresses as a single entry point and uses the AWS global network to intelligently route traffic to the optimal healthy endpoint in the nearest region, reducing latency. Its traffic dials and endpoint weights also facilitate A/B testing and blue/green deployments.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Route 53 latency-based routing routes users to the region with lowest latency, but it's DNS-based, so DNS caching can lead to suboptimal routing. It also doesn't leverage the AWS global network for performance optimization or inherently support A/B testing/blue/green at the network layer.
- B. Transit Gateway is for inter-VPC connectivity and network segmentation; it does not address global application distribution, latency optimization for users, or A/B testing.
- D. This provides regional high availability and disaster recovery, but Route 53 failover only switches to a backup region upon primary failure; it doesn't optimize for latency to the nearest healthy endpoint for all users or provide advanced traffic steering for A/B testing.
AWS Global Accelerator
AWS Global Accelerator is a networking service that improves the availability and performance of your applications with local and global users.
- Provides static Anycast IP addresses as a single entry point.
- Routes user traffic over the AWS global network.
- Directs users to the optimal healthy endpoint in the nearest region.
- Supports traffic dials and endpoint weights for advanced traffic steering (A/B testing, blue/green).
Memory trick: Global Accelerator: Go Faster, Globally, Gracefully.