SAA-C03 - Design High-Performing Architectures - Section 3.7

Design high-performing content delivery and edge acceleration using Amazon CloudFront and AWS Global Accelerator.

Describe Amazon CloudFront as a content delivery network that caches static and dynamic content at edge locations close to users, and configure cache behaviours to control which paths are cached, for how long, and against which origin. Distinguish AWS Global Accelerator, which routes TCP and UDP traffic over the AWS network with static anycast IPs for non-HTTP workloads and failover.

Amazon CloudFrontAWS Global AcceleratorEdge locationsCache behaviours

Practice question for this objective

Free sampleDesign High-Performing Architecturesmedium

A gaming company runs session servers behind Network Load Balancers in two AWS Regions. The traffic is latency-sensitive UDP that cannot be cached, and players are dispersed worldwide. The company needs fixed entry IP addresses for client allow-lists, routing over the AWS backbone to the nearest healthy Region, and rapid failover when a Regional endpoint becomes unhealthy. Which service should the architect choose?

  • ACreate an Amazon CloudFront distribution in front of both Network Load Balancers so edge locations terminate the player sessions and cache the UDP game traffic close to viewers.
  • BUse Amazon Route 53 latency-based records pointing at each Network Load Balancer so DNS resolution sends every player to the lowest-latency Region with quick failover.
  • CProvision AWS Global Accelerator with static anycast IPs and endpoint groups for both Regional Network Load Balancers so traffic uses the AWS backbone and fails over on health checks. Correct
  • DDeploy an internet gateway with Bring Your Own IP addresses in each Region and let clients connect to whichever Regional gateway address currently responds fastest.
AWS Global Accelerator provides static anycast IPs and backbone routing with fast failover for non-cacheable TCP and UDP traffic across Regions. The workload is latency-sensitive UDP that cannot be cached and needs fixed client-facing IPs plus rapid cross-Region failover. Global Accelerator supplies two static anycast IP addresses, carries TCP and UDP traffic over the AWS backbone to the nearest healthy endpoint group, and shifts traffic quickly when health checks fail, which CloudFront and DNS-based routing cannot all deliver.

Why A is wrong: CloudFront is built for cacheable HTTP and HTTPS content and does not front raw UDP game traffic, so it cannot serve this non-cacheable latency-sensitive workload.

Why B is wrong: Latency-based DNS helps direct clients but provides no fixed entry IPs and relies on DNS caching, so failover is slower and the allow-list requirement is not met.

Why C is correct: Global Accelerator gives two static anycast IPs for allow-lists, routes TCP and UDP over the AWS backbone to the nearest healthy endpoint, and fails over quickly when an endpoint group is unhealthy.

Why D is wrong: An internet gateway does not provide global anycast entry points, backbone routing, or automatic cross-Region failover, so it cannot satisfy the stated networking requirements.

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