Design resilient, high-performing, secure, and cost-optimized architectures for the SAA-C03 exam
Start Practicing NowDesign fault-tolerant and highly available systems using Auto Scaling, ELB, and multi-AZ deployments
Master caching strategies, CDN, database optimization, and compute selection
Implement least privilege, encryption, VPC design, and security monitoring
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Design resilient architectures (multi-AZ, Auto Scaling)
High-performance architectures (caching, CloudFront, EBS types)
Secure applications (VPC, Security Groups, NACLs, WAF)
Cost-optimized architectures (Reserved Instances, S3 tiers)
Serverless architectures (Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB)
Storage solutions (S3, EFS, FSx, Storage Gateway)
Database selection (RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift)
Migration strategies (6 R's, Database Migration Service)
A: Use multi-AZ architecture: ALB in multiple AZs → Auto Scaling Group with instances across AZs → Multi-AZ RDS. Add Route 53 for DNS with health checks. Use S3 for static content with CloudFront CDN. Implement ElastiCache for session management (multi-AZ). Enable RDS automated backups and read replicas. Use CloudWatch alarms for monitoring. Estimated cost: ~$500-1000/month depending on traffic.
A: Security Groups: stateful (return traffic auto-allowed), operate at instance level, support only allow rules, evaluate all rules. NACLs: stateless (need explicit rules for both directions), operate at subnet level, support allow and deny rules, process rules in number order (stop at first match). Use Security Groups as primary defense, NACLs as additional subnet-level protection.
A: S3: object storage, unlimited, web-accessible, good for static assets, backups, data lakes. EBS: block storage, attached to single EC2, high IOPS for databases, different types (gp3, io2). EFS: shared file system, mount to multiple EC2s, NFS protocol, automatically scales. Use S3 for objects, EBS for OS/database volumes, EFS for shared application data.
A: Cold start occurs when Lambda initializes new container after period of inactivity. Latency: 1-5 seconds (more for VPC). Minimize by: 1) Provisioned Concurrency (pre-warmed instances), 2) Reduce package size, 3) Use environment variables for config, 4) Keep functions warm with CloudWatch Events, 5) Choose appropriate memory allocation, 6) Avoid VPC if possible. Consider Snap Start for Java functions.
A: Strategies: 1) Backup & Restore (cheapest, highest RTO/RPO): S3 cross-region replication, AMI copies. 2) Pilot Light (warm database, cold compute): standby RDS replica, launch EC2 when needed. 3) Warm Standby (scaled-down version running): minimal instances, scale up during failover. 4) Multi-Site Active-Active (most expensive, near-zero downtime): full capacity in both regions, Route 53 weighted routing. Choose based on RTO/RPO requirements and budget.
A: For homogeneous migrations (Oracle → RDS Oracle): AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with change data capture for minimal downtime. For heterogeneous (Oracle → Aurora): use DMS with Schema Conversion Tool. For very large databases: AWS Snowball Edge to transfer initial data, then DMS for ongoing changes. Consider: downtime tolerance, database size, network bandwidth, compatibility. Test thoroughly with AWS Application Discovery Service.
A: 1) Use Reserved Instances or Savings Plans for predictable workloads (up to 72% savings). 2) Spot Instances for fault-tolerant workloads (up to 90% savings). 3) Right-size instances using Cost Explorer recommendations. 4) Use Auto Scaling to match capacity with demand. 5) Leverage Lambda for intermittent workloads. 6) Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering for storage. 7) Delete unused EBS volumes and old snapshots. 8) Use Cost Allocation Tags for visibility.
A: API Gateway → Lambda functions → DynamoDB for data. Add: CloudFront for caching, Cognito for authentication, S3 for static assets, CloudWatch for monitoring, X-Ray for tracing. Use Lambda layers for shared code, environment variables for config. Enable API Gateway caching to reduce Lambda invocations. Use DynamoDB on-demand pricing or provisioned with auto-scaling. Implement exponential backoff for retries. Cost: pay only for requests, highly cost-effective for variable traffic.
Focus on the 4 design pillars: operational excellence, security, reliability, performance, cost optimization
Practice designing complete solutions - questions are scenario-based
Know service limits and when to use Service Quotas for increases
Understand trade-offs between different services (when to use X vs Y)
Master VPC design: subnets, route tables, NAT gateways, VPC peering, Transit Gateway
Study migration strategies: 6 R's (Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, Retire, Retain)
Know when to use different database types: RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, ElastiCache
Practice cost optimization - it's 20% of the exam
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