AWS Solutions Architect Associate Practice Exam

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C02) exam is intended for individuals who perform in a solutions architect role. The exam validates a candidate’s ability to design secure and robust solutions by using AWS technologies. The exam also validates a candidate’s ability to complete the following tasks: · Design a solution by using appropriate AWS services and by following architectural principles based on requirements · Provide implementation guidance based on best practices to the organization throughout the workload lifecycle

Domain 1: Design Resilient Architectures

1.1 Design a multi-tier architecture solution

 Determine a solution design based on access patterns.

 Determine a scaling strategy for components used in a design.

 Select an appropriate database based on requirements.

 Select an appropriate compute and storage service based on requirements.

1.2 Design highly available and/or fault-tolerant architectures

 Determine the amount of resources needed to provide a fault-tolerant architecture across Availability Zones.

 Select a highly available configuration to mitigate single points of failure.

 Apply AWS services to improve the reliability of legacy applications when application changes are not possible.

 Select an appropriate disaster recovery strategy to meet business requirements.

 Identify key performance indicators to ensure the high availability of the solution.

1.3 Design decoupling mechanisms using AWS services

 Determine which AWS services can be leveraged to achieve loose coupling of components.

 Determine when to leverage serverless technologies to enable decoupling.

1.4 Choose appropriate resilient storage

 Define a strategy to ensure the durability of data.

 Identify how data service consistency will affect the operation of the application.

 Select data services that will meet the access requirements of the application.

 Identify storage services that can be used with hybrid or non-cloud-native applications.

Domain 2: Design High-Performing Architectures

2.1 Identify elastic and scalable compute solutions for a workload

 Select the appropriate instance(s) based on compute, storage, and networking requirements.

 Choose the appropriate architecture and services that scale to meet performance requirements.

 Identify metrics to monitor the performance of the solution.

2.2 Select high-performing and scalable storage solutions for a workload

 Select a storage service and configuration that meets performance demands.

 Determine storage services that can scale to accommodate future needs.

2.3 Select high-performing networking solutions for a workload

 Select appropriate AWS connectivity options to meet performance demands.

 Select appropriate features to optimize connectivity to AWS public services.

 Determine an edge caching strategy to provide performance benefits.

 Select appropriate data transfer service for migration and/or ingestion.

2.4 Choose high-performing database solutions for a workload

 Select an appropriate database scaling strategy.

 Determine when database caching is required for performance improvement.

 Choose a suitable database service to meet performance needs.

Domain 3: Design Secure Applications and Architectures

3.1 Design secure access to AWS resources

 Determine when to choose between users, groups, and roles.

 Interpret the net effect of a given access policy.

 Select appropriate techniques to secure a root account.

 Determine ways to secure credentials using features of AWS IAM.

 Determine the secure method for an application to access AWS APIs.

 Select appropriate services to create traceability for access to AWS resources.

3.2 Design secure application tiers

 Given traffic control requirements, determine when and how to use security groups and network ACLs.

 Determine a network segmentation strategy using public and private subnets.

 Select the appropriate routing mechanism to securely access AWS service endpoints or internet-based resources from Amazon VPC.

 Select appropriate AWS services to protect applications from external threats.

3.3 Select appropriate data security options

 Determine the policies that need to be applied to objects based on access patterns.

 Select appropriate encryption options for data at rest and in transit for AWS services.

 Select appropriate key management options based on requirements.

Domain 4: Design Cost-Optimized Architectures

4.1 Identify cost-effective storage solutions

 Determine the most cost-effective data storage options based on requirements.

 Apply automated processes to ensure that data over time is stored on storage tiers that minimize costs.

4.2 Identify cost-effective compute and database services

 Determine the most cost-effective Amazon EC2 billing options for each aspect of the workload.

 Determine the most cost-effective database options based on requirements.

 Select appropriate scaling strategies from a cost perspective.

 Select and size compute resources that are optimally suited for the workload.

 Determine options to minimize total cost of ownership (TCO) through managed services and serverless architectures.

4.3 Design cost-optimized network architectures

 Identify when content delivery can be used to reduce costs.

 Determine strategies to reduce data transfer costs within AWS.

 Determine the most cost-effective connectivity options between AWS and on-premises environments.