AWS Solution Architect

Varshan AVR
22BRS1060

Q1. Priya is the lead cloud engineer at an IT company, T echEdge Solutions, that manages
sensitive customer data and runs critical business applications on AWS. The company plans
to migrate one of its legacy applications to the cloud and expects significant traffic from both
internal users (developers, operations team) and external users (clients).
Priya is responsible for designing a secure, scalable, and highly available network
architecture using Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). She needs to ensure that the
architecture:
• Allows secure access to internal systems (e.g., databases, application servers) without
exposing them to the internet.
• Offers redundancy and high availability for public-facing web servers.
• Ensures that different parts of the application are isolated from each other but can
communicate securely when needed (e.g., between web servers and databases).
• Supports future scalability as the company's user base grows.
• Has the ability to connect with on-premises resources via a secure VPN.
Requirements:
1. Priya needs to design VPC with subnets that separate publicly accessible resources (like
web servers) from internal ones (like databases).
2. Ensure secure communication between the web servers and database servers using AWS
security best practices.
3. Build a solution that can support availability in multiple Availability Zones (AZs) in case of
a failure in one AZ.
4. Enable private access to AWS services like S3 without exposing resources to the internet.
5. Ensure the architecture is ready to integrate with the on-premises data center via VPN or
Direct Connect.
I. How should Priya design the VPC and subnet structure to meet the company's security
and availability needs? (3 marks)
II. What AWS services should she use to enable secure communication between
public-facing and internal resources while isolating them? (3 marks)
III. How can Priya ensure the architecture supports multi-AZ high availability, and what
considerations should be made for future scalability? (2 marks)
IV. What approach should she take to securely connect the VPC to the on-premises data
center? (2 marks)
Answer:

I. VPC and Subnet Design

1. Create a New VPC:

● VPC Setup: Create a VPC using a CIDR range like 10.0.0.0/16 to define the network
space and avoid conflicts with on-premises networks.
2. Subnet Design:

● Public Subnets: Place in multiple Availability Zones (AZs) for resources needing internet
access (e.g., web servers) to ensure high availability.
● Private Subnets: Set up in each AZ for internal resources (databases, application servers)
with no direct internet access for enhanced security.
● NAT Gateway: Deploy in public subnets to allow outbound internet connections from private
subnet resources while keeping them hidden from direct internet exposure.

3. Subnet and AZ Setup:

● High Availability: Spread subnets across multiple AZs to ensure redundancy and minimize
downtime in case of AZ failure.

4. Summary:

● Public Subnets: For internet-facing web servers.

● Private Subnets: For secure internal resources.
● NAT Gateway: Enables secure internet access for private subnets.

II. AWS Services for Secure Communication and Isolation (3 Marks)

1. Security Groups and Network ACLs:

● Security Groups: Control traffic at the instance level, allowing only specific traffic
(HTTP/HTTPS for web servers, database access).
● Network ACLs: Add an additional layer of security at the subnet level to block unwanted
traffic before it reaches the resources.

2. EC2 Instances and Elastic Load Balancers (ELB):

● Application Load Balancer (ALB): Distribute incoming traffic among web servers in public
subnets for load balancing and high availability.
● Database Isolation: Keep database servers in private subnets, accessible only through
specific internal connections.

3. Secure Communication via VPC Endpoints:

● VPC Endpoints: Enable private connections to AWS services without needing internet
access.
● AWS PrivateLink: Use for secure connections between VPCs and AWS services.

III. Multi-AZ High Availability and Future Scalability

1. Multi-AZ Deployment:

● RDS Multi-AZ Setup: Ensure databases are deployed in Multi-AZ configurations for
automatic failover.
 ● Load Balancers: Span load balancers across multiple AZs for consistent traffic distribution.

2. Scalability Considerations:

● Auto Scaling Groups: Use for web servers to dynamically adjust resources based on traffic
demands.
● Stateless Architecture: Design the architecture to be stateless, leveraging distributed data
stores like Amazon DynamoDB.

3. Elastic Load Balancing (ELB):

● Traffic Management: Ensure ELB directs traffic between AZs, balancing the load and
rerouting in case of failures.

IV. Secure Connection to On-Premises Data Center (2 Marks)

1. Site-to-Site VPN:

● VPN Gateway (VGW): Create a secure, encrypted connection between the AWS VPC and
on-premises data center using AWS Site-to-Site VPN.

2. AWS Direct Connect:

● High-Performance Link: Consider AWS Direct Connect for reliable, low-latency connections
that are ideal for large data transfers or when consistent network performance is needed.

3. Best Practices:

● Data Encryption: Use IPSec tunnels to encrypt data in transit.

● Redundant Connections: Set up backup VPN connections to prevent single points of
failure.

Summary of Priya’s Design Approach

1. VPC and Subnet Design: Create a VPC with public and private subnets across multiple AZs
for high availability.
2. Secure Communication: Use security groups, Network ACLs, and VPC Endpoints to
control traffic and secure communications.
3. High Availability and Scalability: Deploy Multi-AZ setups and Auto Scaling Groups for
seamless failover and resource optimization.
4. On-Premises Connectivity: Establish secure connections to the data center using
Site-to-Site VPN or Direct Connect.

Benefits of the Approach

 ● Security: Isolation of internal resources and secure data communication.
● Scalability: Auto Scaling and stateless design for efficient resource management.
● High Availability: Multi-AZ deployments and load balancers to handle failures.
● Integration: Reliable and secure connections to on-premises infrastructure.

This approach ensures that TechEdge Solutions’ AWS infrastructure is robust, secure, scalable, and
integrated seamlessly with existing on-premises systems.
Q2. Rahul is a cloud architect at a media streaming company that delivers high-definition
video content globally. The team is experiencing high latency and inconsistent streaming
quality in certain regions, due to uneven traffic distribution. The company uses Amazon EC2
instances for media servers and Amazon S3 for media file storage. Currently, all traffic is
routed through a centralized EC2 instance located in the US, which has become a
bottleneck, resulting in slower streaming performance in regions such as Europe and Asia.
Rahul has been tasked with improving the platform's performance for global users. He must
implement a solution that leverages AWS Networking and Content Delivery services to
cache media content closer to end-users, thereby reducing the load on EC2 instances and
S3 buckets, especially during high-traffic events like live streaming.
Requirements:
• Reduce latency and enhance streaming performance globally, particularly for users in
Europe and Asia.
• Utilize AWS Content Delivery solutions to cache media files closer to end-users and
minimize reliance on EC2 and S3.
• Ensure the solution is cost-effective, as traffic spikes during events are unpredictable.
I. What AWS Networking and Content Delivery services should Rahul implement to address
the latency issues and globally cache content? (5 marks)
II. How should he configure these services to meet the company's needs for high availability
and low latency? (5 marks)
Answer:

I. AWS Networking and Content Delivery Services for Reducing Latency

1. Amazon CloudFront (Primary Service):

● Content Delivery: Use Amazon CloudFront as the primary CDN to cache media files at
global Edge Locations, minimizing latency by delivering content from the closest location
to the user.
● Static and Dynamic Content: Efficiently reduces the load on the origin servers by
caching both static and dynamic content near users worldwide.

2. AWS Global Accelerator:

● Traffic Optimization: Routes traffic through the AWS global network to the nearest
endpoint, improving speed and reducing latency for real-time applications.
● High Availability: Automatically directs traffic to the most responsive endpoint, ensuring
seamless user experience across different regions.

3. Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration:

● Faster Data Transfers: Speeds up uploads and downloads to S3 by routing through

AWS Edge Locations, ideal for high-traffic events with quick content delivery needs.
4. Elastic Load Balancer (ELB):

● Load Distribution: Use Application Load Balancer (ALB) or Network Load Balancer
(NLB) to manage traffic among EC2 instances, ensuring balanced load and high
availability.

5. AWS Direct Connect (Optional):

● Consistent Data Transfer: Consider AWS Direct Connect for dedicated, high-speed
data transfer between on-premises infrastructure and AWS if large data volumes are
expected.

II. Configuration for High Availability and Low Latency

1. Amazon CloudFront Setup:

● Global Edge Locations: Configure CloudFront with multiple Edge Locations targeting
key regions like Europe and Asia to cache content close to users.
● Cache Optimization: Use Lambda@Edge for customizing content delivery and optimize
cache behavior to keep frequently accessed media at Edge Locations longer.

2. AWS Global Accelerator Setup:

● Endpoint Configuration: Set up Global Accelerator with EC2 endpoints in multiple

regions to ensure users connect to the closest, most efficient server.
● Automatic Failover: Enable failover to reroute traffic to healthy endpoints during
regional outages, enhancing service availability.

3. S3 Transfer Acceleration for Data Speed:

● Faster Uploads: Enable S3 Transfer Acceleration to quickly upload and download

media content, using multipart uploads for larger files to handle peak traffic.

4. Auto Scaling with Load Balancing:

● Dynamic Scaling: Implement Auto Scaling Groups to adjust the number of EC2
instances based on traffic demands, reducing costs during low-traffic times.
● Multi-AZ Setup: Use an ALB to evenly distribute traffic across instances in multiple
Availability Zones, ensuring high availability.

5. Cost Optimization Strategies:

● CloudFront Origin Shield: Use this to cache content regionally, reducing origin
requests and optimizing data transfer costs.
● Reserved Instances/Savings Plans: Invest in these for predictable EC2 usage to lower
costs.
 ● Real-Time Monitoring: Leverage Amazon CloudWatch to track performance metrics
and optimize resources based on traffic and latency data.

Summary

● Core Services: Use Amazon CloudFront, AWS Global Accelerator, S3 Transfer

Acceleration, and Elastic Load Balancing to reduce latency and ensure a smooth
streaming experience.
● Configuration: Set up multi-region caching, load balancing, and auto-scaling to provide
high availability and low latency.
● Optimization: Focus on cost-effective resource usage with Origin Shield, Reserved
Instances, and CloudWatch monitoring.

This approach ensures Rahul’s media streaming service operates with minimal latency, high
availability, and the flexibility to scale efficiently as user demand grows globally.
Q3. Samuel is an IT manager at a financial services company that handles large volumes of
sensitive data. The company has an on-premises data center where critical applications are
hosted, and they have recently begun migrating workloads to AWS. Due to the sensitivity of
the data and the need for consistent, high-speed network connectivity between their
on-premises environment and AWS, Samuel is exploring solutions that offer a dedicated
and
secure connection.
The company currently relies on a standard internet connection to communicate with AWS,
but they have experienced unpredictable latency and bandwidth limitations during peak
usage hours. T o ensure seamless data transfer, Samuel wants a more reliable and
high-performance network connection that also provides better security for financial
transactions and sensitive customer data.
Question:
I. How can Samuel use AWS Direct Connect to establish a dedicated connection between
the on-premises data center and AWS? (5 marks)
II. What are the benefits of using AWS Direct Connect in terms of security, network
performance, and cost-efficiency, compared to a standard internet connection? (5 marks)
Answer:

I. Establishing a Dedicated Connection Using AWS Direct Connect (5

Marks)

1. Create an AWS Direct Connect Connection:

● Setup: Initiate a Direct Connect connection via the AWS Management Console,
selecting the appropriate AWS Region and Direct Connect location.
● Private Network: Provides a dedicated, private connection from on-premises to AWS,
offering more reliable performance compared to standard internet links.

2. Select Connection Type and Speed:

● Bandwidth Options: Choose a speed between 50 Mbps and 10 Gbps based on data
needs, suitable for large data transfers and critical financial operations.

3. Set Up a Virtual Interface (VIF):

● Private VIF: For secure access to AWS VPC resources.

● Public VIF: For accessing public AWS services like Amazon S3.

4. Use a Router to Terminate the Connection:

● BGP Setup: Use a router to establish a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) session with
AWS, managing the data routing between on-premises and AWS.

5. Configure Redundant Connections:

 ● High Availability: Implement redundant Direct Connect connections across multiple
locations or AWS Regions for failover.
● Direct Connect Gateway: Connect multiple VPCs from different regions to the
on-premises setup using a single Direct Connect connection.

6. Integrate with AWS Virtual Private Gateway (VGW):

● Secure Connectivity: Use VGW to securely link the on-premises network to AWS VPC.
● VPN Backup: Implement a Site-to-Site VPN as a backup for encrypted communication
in case the primary Direct Connect fails.

7. Monitor and Optimize the Connection:

● Monitoring: Use AWS CloudWatch to track latency, bandwidth, and packet loss for
optimal performance.

II. Benefits of AWS Direct Connect Compared to Standard Internet

Connection (5 Marks)

1. Enhanced Security:

● Private Network: Direct Connect bypasses the public internet, reducing risks like data
breaches and enhancing data security.
● Encryption: Use IPSec VPN tunnels over Direct Connect for encrypted data transfer.

2. Improved Network Performance:

● Consistent Latency: Provides low-latency, reliable connectivity crucial for real-time

financial transactions.
● High Bandwidth: Supports large data volumes, enabling efficient data transfers and
analytics.

3. Cost-Efficiency:

● Lower Transfer Costs: Significantly reduces data transfer expenses compared to

internet-based transfers.
● Predictable Pricing: Transparent pricing model helps in forecasting and managing
networking costs.

4. Reliable Connection:

● High Availability: Redundant connections ensure failover capabilities, reducing the risk
of downtime.
● Minimal Packet Loss: Dedicated connections maintain data integrity, essential for
accurate financial operations.
5. Seamless Integration with Hybrid Environments:

● Hybrid Cloud Compatibility: Facilitates smooth interaction between on-premises

systems and AWS, ideal for hybrid architectures.
● Scalability: Easy to scale up the network capacity as business needs grow.

Summary

AWS Direct Connect offers a secure, high-performance, and cost-efficient solution for Samuel's
financial services company, providing a reliable and scalable network connection. It minimizes
latency, ensures data integrity, and integrates seamlessly with hybrid environments, making it
superior to traditional internet connections.
Q4. A university, BrightFuture College, has developed an online learning platform that
serves
educational content, including lecture videos, e-books, and live streams to students across
the globe. As the number of students accessing the platform increases, the college's IT
department is facing challenges with content delivery. Students in distant regions
experience
high latency and slower loading times, especially during peak hours, affecting their learning
experience.
The platform currently stores all content in Amazon S3 buckets, but the college needs a
solution to distribute content more efficiently to a global audience. The IT team, led by the
network administrator, is considering Amazon CloudFront to reduce latency and improve
content delivery speed for students located in different geographical regions.
I. How can Amazon CloudFront be used to improve the performance of the online learning
platform by caching and delivering content to students globally?
II. What steps should the IT team take to configure CloudFront to ensure low latency, high
availability, and cost-effectiveness for serving educational content, particularly during live
streams and peak traffic times?
Answer:

I. Using Amazon CloudFront to Improve Performance (5 Marks)

1. Global Network of Edge Locations:

● Edge Locations: CloudFront caches educational content at global Edge Locations,

delivering it closer to students, which reduces latency and speeds up access.
● Benefits: Students worldwide access content from the nearest server, ensuring faster
loading times and a smoother user experience.

2. Caching Content for Faster Delivery:

● Static Content: Lecture videos and e-books are cached at Edge Locations, reducing the
load on the origin server (Amazon S3) and ensuring quick response times.
● Efficient Caching: Content is only refreshed when it changes, so repeated requests are
served directly from the cache.

3. Support for Dynamic and Live Content:

● Live Streams: CloudFront optimizes the delivery of live streaming content, reducing
buffering and interruptions for a seamless experience during live lectures.
● Dynamic Content: Ensures that both pre-recorded and live content is delivered quickly
and efficiently.

4. Security Enhancements:
 ● Secure Data: Uses AWS Shield, AWS WAF, and HTTPS to protect student data and
educational content.
● Access Control: Prevents unauthorized access and protects against threats with secure
content delivery.

5. Adaptive Bitrate Streaming:

● Video Quality Optimization: Automatically adjusts video quality based on the student’s
internet speed for a smooth viewing experience, even with slower connections.

II. Configuring CloudFront for Low Latency, High Availability, and

Cost-Effectiveness (5 Marks)

1. CloudFront Distribution Setup:

● Origin Configuration: Set the origin to Amazon S3 for static content and AWS
Elemental MediaLive for live streaming.
● Cache Behavior: Use longer TTL for static content to enhance cache efficiency and
shorter TTL for dynamic content to keep it up-to-date.

2. Utilize Edge Locations for Global Delivery:

● Maximize Reach: Distribute content through all Edge Locations to minimize latency for
students worldwide.
● Regional Prioritization: Focus on regions with the most students to ensure top content
delivery performance.

3. Enable Origin Shield for Cost Optimization:

● Additional Caching Layer: Reduces requests to the origin server, leading to higher
cache hit ratios, better performance, and cost savings.

4. Implement AWS Elemental Media Services for Live Streaming:

● Seamless Streaming: Use AWS Elemental MediaPackage and MediaLive for optimized
live streaming, auto-scaling during peak traffic, and multi-format support.

5. Security and Access Control:

● HTTPS Protocols: Encrypt data in transit for secure delivery.

● Signed URLs/Cookies: Control content access to ensure only authenticated students
can view educational materials.

6. Cost Optimization Strategies:

 ● Regional Edge Caches: Extend caching to reduce latency and lower data transfer
costs.
● Monitoring: Use AWS CloudWatch to track traffic patterns and optimize resource
allocation dynamically.

7. Real-Time Monitoring and Analytics:

● Performance Tracking: Set up AWS CloudWatch and CloudTrail for real-time

monitoring and analysis of CloudFront’s performance.
● Optimization Insights: Use metrics to improve cache hit ratios and reduce latency.

Summary

● Core Improvement: Amazon CloudFront reduces latency and enhances the

performance of BrightFuture College’s online learning platform by caching content closer
to students.
● Configuration: Focus on optimizing cache behavior, enabling Origin Shield, and using
AWS Elemental Media for live streaming.
● Security and Cost-Effectiveness: Implement strong security features and monitoring
tools to maintain low latency, high availability, and control costs effectively.

This approach ensures that BrightFuture College delivers educational content quickly, securely,
and reliably to students across the globe, even during peak times.
Q5. A municipality is modernizing its IT infrastructure by migrating various services, such as
citizen portals, public works systems, and internal management tools, to AWS. The IT
department has created multiple VPCs to separate the workloads of different departments,
such as the public works, finance, and administration teams, to ensure security and
compliance. However, the departments need to securely communicate and share data
between their VPCs without exposing them to the internet.
The IT manager is considering VPC Subnets and VPC Peering to allow seamless
communication between the different departmental VPCs while maintaining isolation where
necessary. They also need to ensure that each department can access AWS services like
S3 privately without traversing the public internet, using VPC Subnets and routing
configurations.
Question:
I. How can the IT manager utilize VPC Peering and VPC Subnets to enable secure, private
communication between departmental VPCs? (5 marks)
II. What considerations should be made regarding subnet design, routing, and network
access control to ensure both security and smooth inter-departmental communication? (5
marks)
Answer:

I. Utilizing VPC Peering and Subnets for Secure Communication (5 Marks)

1. VPC Peering Setup:

● Create Peering Connections: Establish VPC Peering between departmental VPCs

(e.g., public works, finance, administration) to enable private, direct communication using
private IP addresses.
● Bidirectional Communication: Configure the peering to allow secure, two-way data
sharing without using the public internet.

2. Subnet Design:

● Private and Public Subnets: Use private subnets for internal resources like databases,
and public subnets for internet-facing components such as load balancers.
● Data Isolation: Keep sensitive data within private subnets while using VPC Peering for
secure communication across departments.

3. Routing Configuration:

● Update Route Tables: Adjust route tables in each VPC to direct traffic for peered VPCs
through the VPC Peering connection.
● No Internet Exposure: Ensure data between VPCs flows directly via private
connections without going through the public internet.

4. VPC Peering Best Practices:

 ● Non-Overlapping CIDR Blocks: Ensure each VPC has distinct CIDR ranges to prevent
IP conflicts.
● Access Control: Use Security Groups and Network ACLs to tightly control which
subnets or instances can communicate over the peering connection.

5. Private Communication with AWS Services:

● VPC Endpoints: Use VPC Endpoints to access AWS services like S3 and DynamoDB
securely without traversing the internet.
● AWS PrivateLink: Establish private connectivity for low-latency access to AWS
resources from within the VPC.

II. Subnet Design, Routing, and Network Access Control Considerations (5

Marks)

1. Subnet Design Considerations:

● Functional Segmentation: Separate subnets by function (public-facing resources,

internal applications, databases) to enhance security and control.
● AZ Distribution: Deploy subnets across multiple Availability Zones for high availability
and fault tolerance.

2. Routing Configuration:

● Custom Route Tables: Create tailored route tables for each subnet to manage traffic
flow effectively.
● Direct Peering Connections: Use direct VPC Peering connections for communication,
avoiding reliance on transitive routing.

3. Network Access Control:

● Security Groups: Set precise rules at the instance level to allow only essential inbound
and outbound traffic between VPCs.
● Network ACLs: Implement subnet-level ACLs for an additional layer of security to filter
traffic entering and exiting each subnet.

4. Data Protection and Compliance:

● Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data transmitted between VPCs using secure protocols
like IPSec to meet compliance standards.
● Regulatory Compliance: Ensure the architecture adheres to data protection regulations
like GDPR or HIPAA.

5. Scalability and Future Growth:

 ● Scalable CIDR Planning: Allocate larger CIDR blocks to accommodate future growth
and the addition of new services.
● VPC Peering Limits: Consider AWS Transit Gateway for larger-scale setups to manage
multiple VPC connections efficiently.

Summary

● Core Strategy: Use VPC Peering and well-planned subnet designs to ensure secure,
private communication between departmental VPCs.
● Network Control: Implement strict Security Groups, Network ACLs, and custom route
tables to manage access and traffic flow.
● Private AWS Access: Leverage VPC Endpoints and AWS PrivateLink for secure access
to AWS services without public exposure.

This approach guarantees secure, efficient communication between departments while

maintaining high availability, scalability, and compliance with data protection standards.