Amazon Web Services Updated SOA-C02 Exam Questions and Answers by katie

To allow access using current LDAP credentials while migrating to AWS, the best approach is to federate the LDAP directory with IAM using SAML.

Set Up SAML-Based Federation:

AWS supports identity federation using SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) 2.0. You need to configure your LDAP directory to federate with AWS IAM via SAML.

To improve application responsiveness and handle high CPU utilization:

Create Auto Scaling Group:

Create an Auto Scaling group (ASG) for the EC2 instances running the application.

To efficiently manage application deployments and updates on Amazon EC2 instances within an Auto Scaling group, along with ensuring security through vulnerability scans:

EC2 Image Builder: This AWS service automates the creation, management, and deployment of customized, secure, and up-to-date "golden" server images. By using EC2 Image Builder, you can automate the installation of software, patches, and security configurations.

Custom Recipes: Define a custom recipe in EC2 Image Builder that includes steps to install the application and its dependencies. Additionally, configure the recipe to perform vulnerability scans as part of the image creation process.

Automated Pipeline: Set up an Image Builder pipeline that triggers on a regular schedule (e.g., weekly) to incorporate the latest application updates and security patches into the AMI. The new AMIs can then be automatically used by the Auto Scaling group to launch updated and secure instances.

This solution not only streamlines the management of application deployments and updates but also ensures that all instances launched by the Auto Scaling group meet the latest security and compliance standards, minimizing operational overhead and enhancing security.

Step-by-Step Explanation:

Understand the Problem:

The application experiences slower performance during peak activity due to increased load on the Amazon Aurora DB cluster.

Performance issues occur primarily during search operations.

The goal is to improve performance and maximize resource efficiency.

Analyze the Requirements:

The solution should improve the performance of the platform.

It should maximize resource efficiency, which implies cost-effective and scalable options.

Evaluate the Options:

Option A: Deploy an Amazon ElastiCache for Redis cluster.

ElastiCache for Redis is a managed in-memory caching service that can significantly reduce the load on the database by caching frequently accessed data.

By modifying the application to check the cache before querying the database, repeated searches for the same information will be served from the cache, reducing the number of database reads.

This is efficient and cost-effective as it reduces database load and improves response times.

Option B: Deploy an Aurora Replica and use Auto Scaling.

Adding Aurora Replicas can help distribute read traffic and improve performance.

Aurora Auto Scaling can adjust the number of replicas based on the load.

However, this option may not be as efficient in terms of resource usage compared to caching because it still involves querying the database.

Option C: Use Provisioned IOPS.

Provisioned IOPS can improve performance by providing fast and consistent I/O.

This option focuses on improving the underlying storage performance but doesn't address the inefficiency of handling repeated searches directly.

Option D: Increase the instance size and use Auto Scaling.

Increasing the instance size can provide more resources to handle peak loads.

Aurora Auto Scaling can adjust instance sizes based on the load.

This option can be costly and may not be as efficient as caching in handling repeated searches.

Select the Best Solution:

Option A is the best solution because it leverages caching to reduce the load on the database, which directly addresses the issue of repeated searches causing performance problems. Caching is generally more resource-efficient and cost-effective compared to scaling database instances or storage.

Amazon ElastiCache for Redis Documentation

Amazon Aurora Documentation

AWS Auto Scaling

Using ElastiCache for Redis aligns with best practices for improving application performance by offloading repetitive read queries from the database, leading to faster response times and more efficient resource usage.