Which AWS Direct Connect Design Provides Maximum Resiliency?
Short answer
C For maximum resiliency, run two AWS Direct Connect connections from each data center into two separate Direct Connect locations on separate devices.
Question
Key Takeaways
The question tests the AWS Direct Connect resiliency hierarchy, where 'maximum resiliency' requires two connections per source at two locations on separate devices — the trap is accepting two locations or two devices while leaving an entire data center single-homed.
Maximum resiliency for AWS Direct Connect means redundant connections from every data center, terminating at two separate Direct Connect locations on separate devices. This page confirms option C as the correct answer and explains why single-location or single-data-center designs fall short for a mission-critical hybrid workload.
Common mistake: Most learners choose A because two Direct Connect locations on two separate devices sound maximally redundant, but those connections all originate from the primary data center, leaving the secondary data center with no direct path to AWS.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Option C gives each of the two data centers its own pair of AWS Direct Connect connections that terminate at two different Direct Connect locations on two separate devices. That mirrors the AWS maximum resiliency recommendation: separate connections terminating on separate devices in more than one location, so no single device, location, or data center is a single point of failure. Because the sites are 500 miles apart on high-speed fiber, the secondary data center can also act as an alternate path for the primary. This is the only option that removes the shared-device and shared-location risks while also giving both sites a dedicated entry point into the VPC. Sri4321's comment captures the same three layers — connection redundancy, diverse locations, and separate devices.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A delivers two locations and two separate devices, but every connection originates in the primary data center, so the secondary data center is effectively single-homed and has to cross the inter-DC fiber to reach AWS. Option B is the weakest of the four: a single connection from each site into one location on the same device concentrates all risk in one device at one location. Option D improves on B by using two separate devices, yet it still relies on a single Direct Connect location, and a single connection per data center means a device or port failure at either site drops that site's only path. None of these reach the 'more than one location plus separate devices plus per-site redundancy' bar that maximum resiliency demands.
Community Comment Notes
Every recorded voter selected C, and the reasoning is consistent with the AWS resiliency model. Scheldon summarizes it plainly, saying two independent connections from each location give "maximum redundancy", while Sri4321 lists redundancy of connections, diverse Direct Connect locations, and separate devices as the reasons. Hkayne states simply, "The most resilient is C" without further detail, so the explanation here rests on the AWS resiliency tiers rather than on the vote count.
Official Reference
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/directconnect/latest/UserGuide/resiliency_toolkit.html
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/directconnect/latest/UserGuide/Welcome.html
These links open the official vendor documentation in a new tab.
Exam Strategy
When you see 'maximum resiliency' with Direct Connect, count redundancy at three levels: connections, devices, and locations. Eliminate any option that leaves one data center, one device, or one Direct Connect location as a shared dependency, then pick the option with the most independent paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is option A not maximum resiliency despite two Direct Connect locations?
Is option D's single connection per data center on separate devices resilient enough?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer C. 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
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Sri4321 👍 4 Answered CRedundant Connections: Having two Direct Connect connections from each data center provides redundancy in case one connection fails. Diverse Direct Connect Locations: Terminating the connections at two different Direct Connect locations further eliminates the risk of a single point of failure due to issues at a specific location. Separate Devices: Using separate devices at each Direct Connect location adds another layer of redundancy, preventing a single device failure from impacting connectivity.
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Scheldon 👍 3 Answered CAnswerC Maximum resilient solution will be to have 2 independet connections to AWS from each location (maximum redundancy)
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Hkayne 👍 5 Answered CThe most resilient is C
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