AWS Transit Gateway for Centralized On-Premises Connectivity

SAA-C03 By islever Editorial Last updated

Short answer

D Configure AWS Transit Gateway between the accounts. Assign DX to the transit gateway and route network traffic to the on-premises servers.

Question

A company hosts its core network services, including directory services and DNS, in its on-premises data center. The data center is connected to the AWS Cloud using AWS Direct Connect (DX). Additional AWS accounts are planned that will require quick, cost-effective, and consistent access to these network services. What should a solutions architect implement to meet these requirements with the LEAST amount of operational overhead?
  1. Create a DX connection in each new account. Route the network traffic to the on-premises servers.
  2. Configure VPC endpoints in the DX VPC for all required services. Route the network traffic to the on-premises servers.
  3. Create a VPN connection between each new account and the DX VPRoute the network traffic to the on-premises servers.
  4. Configure AWS Transit Gateway between the accounts. Assign DX to the transit gateway and route network traffic to the on-premises servers. Correct Answer

Key Takeaways

It tests the ability to choose a centralized networking service that minimizes operational overhead compared to per-account Direct Connect or VPN connections.

This question addresses designing scalable network architectures using AWS Transit Gateway to centralize connectivity between multiple VPCs and on-premises data centers via Direct Connect.

Common mistake: Candidates often select Option A (Direct Connect in each account) because they focus on direct connectivity but ignore the 'least operational overhead' requirement, which makes managing individual DX connections inefficient.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

The correct answer is D. AWS Transit Gateway acts as a central hub that can attach multiple VPCs from different accounts (using Resource Sharing) and connect them to on-premises networks via a single Direct Connect gateway attachment. This architecture allows new accounts to quickly join the network by simply attaching their VPCs to the Transit Gateway, eliminating the need to provision separate physical connections or complex routing policies for each account. This directly satisfies the requirements for quick, cost-effective, consistent access with the least operational overhead.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A is incorrect because creating a separate Direct Connect connection for each new account involves significant provisioning time, recurring costs, and management overhead, violating the 'least operational overhead' constraint. Option B is incorrect because VPC endpoints are designed to privately connect to AWS services (like S3 or DynamoDB), not to on-premises resources like directory services or DNS. Option C is incorrect because while VPNs are cost-effective, managing individual IPsec VPNs for every new account introduces significant configuration complexity and latency, making it less efficient than a centralized Transit Gateway solution for scaling.

Community Comment Notes

Community consensus strongly supports Option D. As LeonSauveterre noted, "Managing separate DX connections for every account is too much work," highlighting the operational burden of Option A. JA2018 emphasized that Transit Gateway "centralizes network management, eliminating the need to create separate... connections," which aligns perfectly with the exam's focus on scalability and reduced overhead.

Official Reference

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/transit-gateway/latest/userguide/what-is-aws-transit-gateway.html

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

When you see keywords like 'multiple accounts,' 'centralized,' 'scalable,' and 'least operational overhead' in the context of VPC networking, immediately consider AWS Transit Gateway. It is the standard solution for simplifying multi-VPC and hybrid cloud connectivity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Transit Gateway connect to on-premises Direct Connect?

Yes, you can attach a Direct Connect gateway to a Transit Gateway to route traffic between VPCs and on-premises networks.

Why not use individual VPNs for each new account?

Individual VPNs require separate configuration and maintenance per account, increasing operational overhead compared to a centralized Transit Gateway.

More SAA-C03 FAQ →

Community Votes

D
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 3 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 3

  1. LeonSauveterre 👍 3 Answered D
    New AWS accounts need consistent, quick, and cost-effective access to these services, so we can't do something for each of these accounts. We should find a way to manage these accounts fast. A - Managing separate DX connections for every account is too much work and DX connections are expensive. B - VPC endpoints are for accessing AWS services, not on-premises services. C - Managing individual VPNs for multiple accounts is too much work and VPNs bring more latency. D - Transit Gateway simplifies the network by acting as a hub for all VPCs and the on-premises network. Instead of multiple DX or VPN connections, you're using one centralized DX connection with Transit Gateway. The best part is that you can easily add new accounts or VPCs without reconfiguring DX or VPN connections.
  2. JA2018 👍 1 Answered D
    I will choose Option D for the following reasons: #Least operational overhead: - Using a Transit Gateway centralizes network management, eliminating the need to create separate DX connections or VPNs for each new account, significantly reducing operational overhead. #Scalability: - With a Transit Gateway, you can easily add new accounts to the network without modifying existing configurations, making it ideal for scenarios with frequent account creation. #Cost-effective: - While creating a dedicated DX connection for each account might seem quick, it can become expensive, especially when dealing with a large number of accounts.
  3. aragon_saa 👍 7 Answered D
    Answer is D

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