FSx for NetApp ONTAP Multi-Protocol Access

SAA-C03 By islever Editorial Last updated

Determine appropriate data security controls.

Short answer

B Create an Amazon FSx for ONTAP instance with auto-tiering to support SMB and NFS access from EC2 instances.

Question

A company is migrating a large amount of data from on-premises storage to AWS. Windows, Mac, and Linux based Amazon EC2 instances in the same AWS Region will access the data by using SMB and NFS storage protocols. The company will access a portion of the data routinely. The company will access the remaining data infrequently. The company needs to design a solution to host the data. Which solution will meet these requirements with the LEAST operational overhead?
  1. Create an Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) volume that uses EFS Intelligent-Tiering. Use AWS DataSync to migrate the data to the EFS volume.
  2. Create an Amazon FSx for ONTAP instance. Create an FSx for ONTAP file system with a root volume that uses the auto tiering policy. Migrate the data to the FSx for ONTAP volume. Correct Answer
  3. Create an Amazon S3 bucket that uses S3 Intelligent-Tiering. Migrate the data to the S3 bucket by using an AWS Storage Gateway Amazon S3 File Gateway.
  4. Create an Amazon FSx for OpenZFS file system. Migrate the data to the new volume.

Key Takeaways

The common trap is choosing S3 File Gateway (C) due to its cost-efficiency, but it fails to meet the requirement for direct EC2-to-storage protocol access within the same region as efficiently as managed file systems.

This question tests the selection of a storage solution supporting both SMB and NFS protocols with intelligent tiering. The correct answer is B, as FSx for NetApp ONTAP provides native multi-protocol access and automatic tiering for EC2 instances.

Common mistake: Many candidates choose C because S3 Intelligent-Tiering addresses the access pattern, ignoring that S3 File Gateway adds operational overhead and latency compared to a native file system for mixed protocol workloads.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option B is the correct choice because Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP natively supports both SMB and NFS protocols, allowing Windows, Mac, and Linux EC2 instances to access data seamlessly. It includes an auto-tiering policy that automatically moves infrequently accessed data to lower-cost storage tiers, satisfying the access pattern requirements with minimal operational overhead.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A is incorrect because Amazon EFS does not support SMB; it only supports NFS. Option D is incorrect because Amazon FSx for OpenZFS primarily supports NFS and POSIX, lacking native SMB support required for Windows clients. Option C involves AWS Storage Gateway, which acts as a bridge between on-premises and cloud or specific hybrid scenarios; while it can expose S3 via SMB/NFS, it introduces additional management layers and potential latency compared to a fully managed native file system like FSx for ONTAP for in-region EC2 access.

Community Comment Notes

Community consensus strongly favors B, noting that FSx for ONTAP is the only option providing full multi-protocol support (SMB, NFS, iSCSI) out-of-the-box. Some users argued for C, stating it has 'least operational overhead,' but experts clarify that managing a gateway appliance adds more overhead than a managed file system service. Comments highlight that EFS and OpenZFS cannot serve Windows clients via SMB, eliminating them immediately.

Official Reference

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/fsx/latest/NetAppONTAPGuide/

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

Exam Strategy

When a question specifies multiple file access protocols (SMB and NFS), immediately eliminate services that do not support all specified protocols. For mixed OS environments requiring file-level access, prefer managed file systems like FSx over object storage gateways unless hybrid connectivity is explicitly required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not use S3 File Gateway for least overhead?

S3 File Gateway requires managing a virtual appliance and adds latency. FSx for ONTAP is a fully managed native file system with lower operational overhead for in-region EC2 access.

Does EFS support SMB protocol?

No, Amazon EFS only supports the NFS protocol. It cannot be mounted by Windows instances using SMB.

More SAA-C03 FAQ →

Community Votes

B
80%
C
20%

80% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 15 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 15

  1. ogerber 👍 18 Answered B
    Amazon FsX for NetAPP ONTAP feature: Multi-protocol access to data using the Network File System (NFS), Server Message Block (SMB), and Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) protocols
  2. jaswantn 👍 7
    option C .... SMB and NFS storage protocols ->S3 file gateway
  3. hajra313 👍 5
    Option A and D do not support SMB and NFS file system . Option b looks correvt
  4. Linuslin 👍 4 Answered B
    Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP provides fully managed shared storage in the AWS Cloud with the popular data access and management capabilities of ONTAP. Move workloads running on NetApp or other NFS/SMB/iSCSI servers to AWS without modifying application code or how you manage data. And FsX for NetAPP ONTAP support "Reducing storage costs with automatic and intelligent storage tiering." https://aws.amazon.com/tw/fsx/netapp-ontap/faqs/#product-faqs#netapp-ontap-faq#reducing-storage-costs-with-automatic-and-intelligent-storage-tiering
  5. TwinSpark 👍 3 Answered B
    FSx for ONTAP support NFS and SMB Protocol, even AWS Storage Gateway Amazon S3 File Gateway support them but it is used to connect on premises devices to file on s3, not to connect ec2 instances in the same aws region
Show 10 more comments
  1. Indrasis 👍 3 Answered C
    Option C looks correct. "The company will access a portion of the data routinely. The company will access the remaining data infrequently."
  2. alawada 👍 2 Answered B
    Amazon FsX for NetAPP ONTAP feature: Multi-protocol access to data using the Network File System (NFS), Server Message Block (SMB), and Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) protocols Option C: make no sense I see it as a distractor
  3. Kezuko 👍 2 Answered C
    Both B and C works, but it seems like C has a least operational overhead
  4. TruthWS 👍 2
    B - FSx for ONTAP support SMB and NFS
  5. rjjkc 👍 1 Answered C
    I think it is "C" Not "B" - The question never indicates the company is using "NetApp ONTAP file systems", so I am not sure what it means by "Migrate the data to the FSx for ONTAP volume". Please correct if misunderstood. "C" clearly indicates how to migrate the data to S3, the S3 Intelligent-Tiering addressed the access pattern in the question and you can SMB/NFS mount S3 bucket https://docs.aws.amazon.com/filegateway/latest/files3/using-smb-fileshare.html https://docs.aws.amazon.com/filegateway/latest/files3/GettingStartedAccessFileShare.html
  6. Andy_09 👍 1
    Option with S3 usage looks corrcet
  7. MattBJ 👍 3 Answered C
    C is correct
  8. Scheldon 👍 2 Answered B
    Answer B
  9. Appon 👍 2 Answered B
    option B
  10. camps 👍 1
    it's C

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